Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job summary An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Band 7 ( wte) Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist (OT) to our established Occupational Therapy Team which provides a service across Greater Manchester to service users with a learning disability and/or autism who present with risk of hospital admission, placement breakdown or forensic risk.
The post will be as part of the Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team (SST) based in Eccles.
The GM SST is a multidisciplinary team consisting of Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Support Workers.
You will be expected to work in all areas of Greater Manchester and liaise with the local Learning Disability, Mental Health and Autism services to develop proactive and preventative risk mitigation support.
We deliver a variety of OT assessments and interventions to enable a shared understanding of an individual's volition, personal skills set, occupational and environmental needs across a range of community settings and support models with the aim to address barriers to participation and balance, occupational associated risk and reducing restrictive practice where possible.
We also offer advice and consultation and training to external agencies.
Main duties of the job Provide high quality consultation, specialist assessment and intervention in the development of effective clinical services to meet the complex needs of people with behaviour that challenges particularly those whose behaviour places them at risk of hospital admission, placement breakdown or criminal justice intervention.
The Highly Specialist Occupational Therapy role has a clinical and strategic leadership function within GMSST - offering supervision, support and governance to OT colleagues and contribution to the GMSST senior leadership team.
You will provide leadership and highly specialised clinical expertise in Occupational Therapy focusing on rehabilitation and recovery through meaningful occupation based on evidence-based practice.
You will contribute to service development, both within GMSST and externally to improve services working with the referred client group.
The postholder will undertake wider GMSST duties, which may include completion of urgent assessments including risk assessments, chairing meetings and undertaking team duty / responder role.
You may be required to participate in on-call arrangements for SST as per business continuity plans.
You must be willing to travel across Greater Manchester working with a number of partner agencies including health, social care and the Criminal Justice agencies.
You will be required to work primarily 9-5, Monday to Friday.
About us Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services.
Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient.
We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together.
We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description Job responsibilities Main Responsibilities: To carry a clinical caseload and operate as the Occupational Therapy Lead for the Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team; supporting people with a learning disability and / or autism who are at risk of hospital admission, criminal justice intervention or placement breakdown in the community.
Provide leadership and highly specialised clinical expertise in Occupational Therapy focusing on rehabilitation and recovery through meaningful occupation based on evidence-based practice.
To provide clinical and managerial supervision to OT colleagues and students.
Ensure an occupational balance in self-care, productivity and leisure activities for individuals following a range of occupational therapy and sensory assessments to determine function and provide specific interventions with individual goals and outcome measures.
Support the development of independent living skills, including vocations oremployment, which promotes social inclusion and improves quality of life, reducing the risk of occupational deprivation.
Utilise core skills of collaboration, assessment, enablement, problem-solving, using activity as a therapeutic tool including activity analysis, adaptation and grading and environmental adaptation and group work when appropriate.
Use a range of assessments tools within a model of practice and frames of reference alongside the Occupational Therapy process.
To undertake a thorough highly specialist assessment of new referrals using a range of tools that requires skilled interpretation and analysis.
To provide comprehensive risk assessment of offending and / or other complex behaviours and provide risk management strategies and recommendations.
Following assessment to derive a formulation and plan of intervention negotiating this with the service user, the MDT and carers where appropriate.
To provide a range of appropriate highly specialist evidence-based interventions based of the assessed need of the referral.
To evaluate the outcome of any interventions.
To undertake on occasions urgent or emergency assessments, including riskassessments.
To provide recommendations for a gate keeping assessment where appropriate.
To develop complex service specifications and ensure they inform future practice.
Please refer to attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Please note, the attached job description relates to roles across Mersey Care Trust.
Applicants for this role are expected to have specific experience and interest in supporting individuals with a learning disability and / or autistic people who may present risks to themselves and / or others.
Experience of Multi-Disciplinary and Multi-agency working in community settings is essential for the role.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy Post-graduate study/short course for CPD Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration Desirable Post graduate certificate in occupational therapy, leadership and / or organisational change Knowledge/ Experience Essential Experience of working with people with learning disabilities and / or autistic people Experience working with staff teams, providing consultancy and clinical supervision.
Experience of working with service users who have complex needs (risk of offending / challenging behaviour / mental health problems).
Experience of supervision, staff training and development.
Experience of communicating with people on complex matters, issues and ideas and / or complex situations.
A good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, DOLs, Safeguarding and the legal frameworks applicable to working with people in a community setting.
Application of Occupational Therapy models of practice, standardised assessments and outcome measures.
Knowledge of relevant Royal College of Occupational Therapy guidance for working with people with learning disabilities and in secure settings.
Desirable Experience working within a community based service.
Experience of service development and evaluation, for example project work, audit and research.
Training in the use of Occupational Therapy assessments such as AMPS, MOHOST, VQ, ACIS, OCAIRS.
Values Essential Continuous Improvement Accountability Respectfulness Enthusiasm Support High professional standards Responsive to service users Engaging leadership style Strong customer service belief Transparency and honesty Discreet Change oriented Skills Essential Ability to work in a multiagency context.
Competent IT Skills in order to prepare reports, diagrams, drawing in relation to clinical practice and teaching.
Skills in the assessment of complex behaviours using a variety of methods including analysis and interpretation.
Skills in designing of intervention and management plans, evaluation and monitoring.
Ability to work with difficult issues and sometimes in crisis (abuse, sexual offending) make decisions and recognise limits of own competency Desirable Ability to respond to crisis situations and provide advice / guidance in ensuring service users, their carers and members of the public are kept safe.
Ability to reflect on own and others work and to recognise and support development needs.
Demonstrate leadership qualities and managerial skills.