Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor

Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor

Are you creative, practical and passionate about supporting people with learning disabilities to live meaningful, fulfilling lives? We are looking for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor to join our Specialist Community Health Learning Disability service in East Devon.

Working under the supervision of Occupational Therapists, you will help plan and deliver person-centred therapeutic activities and interventions for individuals and groups. This varied role will involve using creative, practical and technical skills to support peoples occupational performance, independence, communication and wellbeing.

You will work closely with service users, families, carers, providers and wider professional networks, adapting your approach to meet individual needs and supporting accessible communication, including easy read materials and guidance. You will also assist with sensory and therapeutic equipment, contribute to training, support service development, and take part in supervision and reflective practice.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong communication and organisational skills, experience of working in a team, and an interest in creative or therapeutic activities. If you are compassionate, flexible and keen to make a positive difference, we would welcome your application.

Underthe supervision of the Occupational Therapist in the Team, the post holder willbe expected to use technical and creative skills to assist in the delivery of aflexible, person centred programme of therapeutic activities for individuals and group of people who have a learning disability.

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile;

making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Building therapeutic relationships with service users and working alongside care providers and others in individual support networks to exchange, sensitive and complex, information in a tactful way adapting communication to work effectively with people who have communication impairments; this may include having difficult conversations.
• Provide and receive routine information requiring tact or persuasive skills where thereare barriers to understanding.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with team members and relevant community members and groups.
• Developing accessible communication e.g. to support capacity assessments, developing easy read materials/reports simplifying complex information.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Analysis of service users responses to activity to assure appropriate complexity of activities for each person.
• Seek guidance and support as necessary to ensure delivery of safe and effective services.

Planningand Organisational Skills

• Plan, organise and undertake appropriate activities as agreed with the Occupational Therapist.
• As reviewed in occupational therapy supervision working autonomously with service users, families and service providers to meet identified needs.
• Organising and delivering training e.g. Life Story Work.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• To undertake a varied range of therapy interventions as agreed with the Occupational Therapists to promote the occupational performance of people with learning disabilities.
• Developing accessible guidance in regards to use of sensory/therapeutic equipment
• Using own observations to inform assessment and interventions; planning and treatment modification and evaluation of interventions under the supervision of the Occupational Therapist.
• Risk…