PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
The
Acute General Medicine & Surgery
role is one of our long established posts that oversees the general medical and surgical services within the hospital. This covers specialties including but not limited to Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Respiratory, Oncology and General Surgery. The OT team in Acute Medicine also consists of two rotational basic grades.
The post holder will work closely with OT colleagues including the Discharge Planning Senior Occupational Therapist and the ICU Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist to establish and lead out on implementation of care pathways, manage complex cases and complex discharges.
The Senior Occupational Therapist will work in conjunction with other team members in coordinating and developing the service to meet the needs of the patients and the objectives of the Hospital. The Senior OT will be responsible for the provision of a high quality Occupational Therapy service and will carry out clinical and educational duties as required. The Senior Occupational Therapist will also be responsible for supervising Basic Grade / Student Occupational Therapists as well as Therapy Assistants and participate in their continuing professional training and development.
OVERVIEW OF ROLE:
Key Duties and Responsibilities of Senior OT
• Be responsible for the development, delivery and maintenance of high standards of
clinical practice and service in designated area(s) provided in collaboration with the
Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Promote quality by reviewing and evaluating the Occupational Therapy service regularly, identifying changing needs and opportunities to improve services, in collaboration with the Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Be responsible for managing own caseload and for assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of treatment programmes for patients according to service standards.
• Be responsible for supervising staff, prioritising and allocating work.
• Promote positive staff morale, team working and a culture that values diversity in collaboration with the Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Foster and maintain professional working relationships with colleagues, front line managers, and other healthcare personnel and teams throughout the hospital.
• Ensure the quality of documentation of all assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, reports and discharge summaries are in accordance with local service and professional standards.
• Communicate verbally and / or in writing results of assessments, treatment / intervention programmes and recommendations to the team and relevant others in accordance with service policy.
• Attend and represent the department at clinics, review meetings, team meetings, case conferences, ward rounds etc. as designated by Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Ensure that staff arrange and carry out duties in a timely manner, within settings appropriate to patient's needs, and in line with local policy/guidelines.
• Be responsible for adhering to existing standards and protocols and for the development and maintenance of standards / strategies for quality improvement and outcome measurement.
• Seek advice and assistance with any assigned duties in line with principles of evidence-based practice and clinical governance.
• Liaise with the Occupational Therapist Manager regarding the needs, interests and views of Occupational Therapy staff.
• Monitor and keep up to date with new developments in Occupational Therapy and keep informed about current practice.
• Participate in continuing professional development including in-service training, attending and presenting at conferences / courses relevant to practice.
• Maintain a record of CPD activities to demonstrate evidence of ongoing professional
development in line with local departmental guidelines and CORU registration.
• Contribute to a structured process for education, training and supervision of OT students, colleagues, undergraduates and attend practice educator courses as appropriate.
• Ensure newly qualified therapists have adequate induction and clinical supervision and assist in implementing annual staff development and performance review.
• Engage in mandatory training programmes within the department and hospital.
• Participate in supervision and performance review with the Occupational Therapist Manager/ assigned supervisor.
• Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with the Occupational Therapist Manager/assigned supervisor and identify own strengths and development needs.
• Actively participate in and promote continuing education and research activities consistent with the position.
• Develop and implement service / business plans, quality initiatives, audits etc. and report on outcomes in collaboration with the Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Collect and evaluate data about the service and patient group and demonstrate the achievement of the objectives of the service.
• Oversee the upkeep of accurate records in line with best clinical governance, organisational requirements and the Freedom of Information Act, and render reports and other administrative records / statistics as required within the Occupational Therapy department.
• Participate in the management of Occupational Therapy stock and equipment in conjunction with the Occupational Therapist Manager.
• Keep up to date with developments within the organisation and the Irish Health Service.
• Comply with department procedures with regard to assessment, recommendation and provision of all assistive equipment / custom made devices.
• Attend and occasionally chair regular department meetings.
• Manage time effectively to balance clinical and administrative responsibilities.
• Perform such other duties appropriate to the office as may be assigned by the Occupational Therapist Manager.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Essential:
• Be registered as an Occupational Therapist with CORU, the professional body for regulating Health & Social Care Professionals or be in the process of obtaining same as applicable.
• Hold an Occupational Therapy qualification (BSc/MSc) from an Irish University approved by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at CORU. Candidates who have not received their degree in Occupational Therapy in the Republic of Ireland must ensure that their qualification is validated by the Department of Health and Children and/or by CORU
• Candidates must have a minimum of 3 years full time (or an aggregate of 3 years full time) post qualification clinical experience for offer of senior contract. Candidates with 2.5 years clinical experience are eligible to apply with a view to forming a panel.
• Evidence of experience relevant or comparable to the required area of specialism.
• Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office as described in this job description.
• Experience supervising Staff Grade Occupational Therapists / Students/Therapy Assistants.
*All Essential criteria must be evidenced within your CV to be shortlisted*
Desirable:
• Experience of working in an acute hospital or community setting.
• Experience assessing for and providing adaptive and enabling equipment to facilitate
discharge from hospital.
• Experience of planning complex discharges including home and access visits.
• Experience working with patients requiring specialist seating/wheelchairs.
• Experience of upper/lower limb splinting.
• AOTI / equivalent membership and advisory group membership to area relevant to the
job you are applying for.
• Hold a full clean driving license and have access to own transport.