Band 5 Rotational Occupational Therapist

A new opportunity has arisen for a Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join our rotational scheme on a fixed‑term contract within the Therapy Service. Our Trust provides services from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. We are one of the best performing trusts in London for A&E waiting times, with some of the best mortality rates in the country.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist who can work autonomously and has the relevant knowledge, skills and motivation to help deliver and develop the Acute Therapy service within this fast‑paced dynamic department.

The six‑month rotations are in the following clinical areas:
Accident & Emergency Department, Respiratory and Surgical Medicine, Medical Rehabilitation and Frailty, Trauma & Orthopaedics, and Neurology. Each rotation provides an excellent opportunity to develop a wide range of clinical and professional skills.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

• Provide high quality clinical care to patients, in line with the Trust values and in accordance with professional regulations.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner in providing occupational therapy assessment and treatment to your designated caseload of patients and maintain up‑to‑date occupational therapy records.
• Use evidence‑based principles/current best practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• Consolidate and develop knowledge and skills through participation in CPD.
• Participate in seven‑day working patterns; some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
• To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work, including the management of patients in your care.
• To be able to carry and prioritise your own designated clinical caseload, working as an autonomous practitioner, with regular supervision from your supervisor.
• To undertake competent occupational therapy assessments in line with department and professional standards to establish the patient's level of function.
• To carry out appropriate and effective occupational therapy assessments e.g. observation, kitchen assessments, washing and dressing assessments, functional assessments, cognitive assessments, home environment assessments and access assessments.
• To be responsible for organising, and undertaking access visits and patient assessment and follow‑up home visits and on occasion to work as a lone practitioner in the domiciliary setting.
• To use problem‑orientated medical records to aid the clinical reasoning process in the assessment and treatment of all patients.
• To use good communication skills to identify occupational therapy goals with individual patients.
• To use clinical reasoning, understanding of the medical diagnosis, knowledge of treatment options, and assessment results to plan and implement individual therapy programmes.
• To make use of treatment options such as provision of disability equipment, group therapy, neurology techniques, graded activity programmes, relaxation and anxiety management programmes, advice and education and therapeutic handling.
• To monitor and evaluate treatment to measure progress and to ensure effectiveness of the intervention. To be able to identify problems and modify treatments in routine cases but with support of senior in more complex cases.
• To provide comprehensive written occupational therapy records of assessment and treatment according to departmental standards.
• To determine the patient's understanding of the occupational therapy intervention in order to gain valid, informed consent and to be able to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To use a range of verbal and non‑verbal communication tools when communicating with patients/carers to maximise the patient's rehabilitation potential. This will include communication with people with complex communication difficulties such as dysphasia, deafness, and dementia, mental health problems or speak English as a second language or who have difficulty accepting their diagnosis.
• To attend multi‑disciplinary team meetings such as case conferences,…