We are looking for an experienced Band 7 Occupational Therapist practitioner to join our dynamic and progressive inpatient Multidisciplinary team. The role will include undertaking a clinical case load which includes stroke and care of the elderly rehabilitation.  You will need to be able to guide the rehabilitation of complex patients from assessment to discharge planning including the provision of equipment and wheelchairs. Knowledge of cognitive assessment in rehabilitation essential.

As an Occupational Therapist, you’ll be part of our valued team at Farnham Hospital

You will feel valued as a Band 7 Occupational Therapist within HCRG Care Group, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including: 

• Band 7 Salary with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions
• Free tea, coffee, and milk at your base location 
• Plentiful on site-parking
• Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on everyday purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you
• Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life’s emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates
• Online and face to face help with your mental and physical wellbeing – from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well career coaching and counselling 
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our ‘Outstanding’ learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise 
• An open, just culture where you’re encouraged to have and implement ideas which can help us deliver our purpose: changing lives through transforming health and care – backed up by at least £100,000 of ringfenced innovation funding each year
• The pride of working for an organisation committed to the highest clinical and quality standards: with a majority of our rated services holding “good” or “outstanding” ratings from the Care Quality Commission.

• Take a leading role in the advanced assessment, clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with specific expertise in Stroke rehabilitation.
• Provide effective team leadership and management of the OT team to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care and personal performance by all Team members, often under pressure and tight timescales.
• To take a lead role in the ongoing development, planning and coordinating of the service to deliver and evaluate the delivery of high quality, evidence based Occupational therapy.
• Take a lead role in the supervision and teaching of Occupational Therapists, assistants, students and other members of the multi – disciplinary team
• You will deputise for the Service manager when requested to include liaison with working partners ( Frimley Health) and external agencies to represent the Therapy service
• To demonstrate high quality leadership skills, contributing to service development by identifying areas for development and transformation  within the therapy and MDT.

Communication / Relationship Skills

• To communicate effectively with patients, relatives, MDT and external agencies; to be empathetic while communicating sensitive information
• To use persuading and influencing skills to encourage patients to self manage their conditions
• To ensure timely and effective communication with the Therapy Manager on all professional matters.
• To attend relevant meetings and case conferences and family meetings  as appropriate.  
•  To ensure appropriate management and effective and timely discharge of patients and coordination of care and care planning.
• To appreciate cultural differences and take these into account when agreeing treatment plans with patients.
• To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field and to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working within the directorate
• To assess patients understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid consent and have the capacity to work within the legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent.
• To  manage and /or support juniors in highly stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.

Analytical / Judgmental Skills

• To use advanced investigative and analytical skills, clinical assessment techniques and diagnostic procedures to assess complex patients and support other more junior staff with their patients as required at base or in other Rehabilitation teams
• To use advanced clinical reasoning skills and up to date evidence based practice to formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive treatment and management plans
• To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required
• To keep up to date with clinical developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes to your clinical practice

 Responsibilities for human resources including personal and people development

• To be responsible for the day to day operational management of the Occupational therapy staff on the unit, this may include to plan effectively the daily case load for oneself and/or the team, to respond to urgent referrals and occasionally unpredictable working patterns
• To supervise staff and assist in their professional development including implementation of regular Clinical and professional development
• To be responsible for the development of junior staff or assistants/technicians within the clinical area.
• To participate in the appraisal scheme as an appraise and appraiser
• To keep abreast of new developments and ensure professional competencies of self and team are maintained
• To participate in any training sessions as a recipient and facilitator.
• To undertake regular commitment to OT students on clinical placements ( min of 3/year)

 Health, safety and security

• To monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others.
• Responsible for identifying and assessing potential risks involved in work activities and processes for self and others
• To be responsible for the safe use of equipment used in carrying out occupational therapy duties adhering to Trust and department policies and procedures. This includes competence and accuracy to use equipment by self and other healthcare professional, carers and patients.
• To be aware of risks involved as part of delivering clinical care and manage this within own patients case load.
• To demonstrate a good understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk, actively participating in clinical governance groups.
• As a line manager you are required to ensure that all staff and site users working within their area of responsibility receive all necessary health and safety information, and are appropriately trained to enable them to undertake their duties safely and without unnecessary risk.
• To monitor the safety of equipment owned by the department incl overseeing the maintenance and servicing of Wheelchairs and OT vehicle ( with OT B7 peer)
• To be resilient in facing the current challenges within the NHS

Responsibility for Policy and Service Improvement/ Development

• To work with the Therapy managers in developing strategic and operational management of the service.
• To be responsible alongside Therapy manager for the setting and monitoring of standards and policies of clinical practice for the team
• To ensure that designated staff implement policy and service development changes
• To develop services in line with recent NHS initiatives and guidance
• To initiate and lead projects in developing the service in response to demand

Equality, diversity and rights

• Responsible for supporting a culture which promotes equality and diversity

Responsibility for financial and other physical resources

• Responsible for the safe and effective use of equipment and resources that are used on the course of work. Responsibilities for information resources
• To maintain accurate and timely statistical information as required by senior staff and managers.
• To be responsible for the accurate input of clinical information onto the Trust IT system.

For a full list of responsibilities please see attached Job Description. 

Essential

• Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy and membership of HCPC
• Evidence of recent post registration training /membership of special interest groups.
• Car Driver
• Computer literate
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Knowledge of relevant national Clinical Guidelines for stroke and Care of the Elderly.

Desirable

• Previous NHS experience
• Knowledge of patients with multiple comorbidities

We change lives by transforming health and care. 

Established in 2006 we are one of the UK's leading independent providers of community health and care services, working with health and care commissioners and communities to transform services with a focus on experience, efficiency and improved outcomes. We deliver and transform adult and children community health services, primary care services including urgent care, sexual health, dermatology and MSK services as well as adult social care and wellbeing services. Across England, we support communities of many millions and directly help more than half a million people each year - guided by our simple values: we care, we think, we do. 

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from a broad, diverse range of people who want to join our team. We’re a Disability Confident Committed company, so we work to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and technical solutions to be as inclusive of everyone. 

While it doesn’t happen often, sometimes a role is very popular, and we’ll need to close it earlier than the date we’ve shown here. If you’re keen to join our team, we’d love to hear from you so please apply as soon as you can. 

As you’d expect, safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with is of the utmost importance so we have policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices and everyone who joins the team is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. 

Finally, we need to let you know that the company you’ll work for is part of HCRG Care Group Holdings Limited and by applying for this job we’ll need to process and hold information about you. If you would like to know a little more about how we use your information, please see our website's privacy policy.