Occupational Therapy Team Leader (Stroke Rehabilitation)

Job summary We have an exciting opportunity for a Team Lead Occupational Therapist to join our expanding Stroke and Neuro Service at ASPH Foundation Trust.
Secondments welcome.Together with the Team Lead Physiotherapist you will support and clinically lead the Stroke Rehabilitation team working closely with the Stroke MDT to achieve improved outcomes and provide high quality care for patients following a stroke.Patients benefit from highly motivated and skilled staff across the stroke pathway.
Hyper acute and acute stroke care and inpatient rehabilitation are provided at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey and our Early Supported Discharge for Stroke covers north west and south west Surrey.
Neuro rehabilitation is also provided at the Bradley Unit in Woking.
The Therapy Manager for Stroke and Neuro Services manages all the stroke/neuro therapy teams, which enables continuity, consistency and opportunities for joined up working, rotations, sharing of best practice and training.Why not join us to develop your clinical and leadership skills in a supportive department which offers clinical supervision, in house training and personal development?
You would have the chance to contribute, facilitate, design and lead service improvements, innovations and audit within stroke services.There is a 7-day service and you are expected to participate as per service requirements.
Flexible working requests will be considered at the point of interview.
Main duties of the job With the Team Lead Physiotherapist be jointly responsible for the stroke rehabilitation service on the stroke unit and any stroke rehabilitation patients on outlying wards.Be responsible for the management of a complex clinical caseload.Provide clinical expertise and support to the team.Be a clinical expert resource to other in-patient teams as required.Work closely with the acute stroke team and support with complex patients, management duties and training.Line manage the stroke rehabilitation team consisting of qualified and non-qualified staff and support the Physiotherapists in their line managers absence.Participate in and support the therapy service across 7 days including extended hours and bank holidays.
About us Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North-West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter's, Chertsey, Surrey.We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country.
There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at Ashford & St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with our strong commitment to staff health and wellbeing.
We are committed to providing continuous professional development, staff benefits and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.Please see the supporting links which you can find on the right-hand side of this job advert.
There is guidance on how to make an application on NHS Jobs as well as more information about joining the ASPH TeamAlthough it isn't the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.
Job description Job responsibilities Clinical To take a leading role in the advanced assessment, clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients following a stroke.
These patients often have complex and or chronic presentation.
To provide an effective high quality service to patients.To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical caseload.To take a leading role in the training and development of staff in this speciality.To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of professional activities working within codes of practice and professional guidelines.To be aware of risks involved as part of delivering clinical care and manage this within own patient case load.To be an integrated member of the inpatient team and be able to provide support to other teams in the management of stroke and neuro rehabilitation where required.To act as a lead specialist Occupational Therapy resource using highly developed clinical skills in theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.To provide information and advice across the in-patient occupational therapy team regarding equipment provision and authorize others requests.To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical workload and use excellent clinical reasoning skills to utilize a wide range of treatment skills and options in order to formulate a specialized programme of care using a range of interventions.To use investigative and analytical skills, manual assessment techniques and diagnostic procedures to assess complex patients and support other more junior staff with their patients as required.Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge plans and appropriate discharge information.Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.To set and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence-based practice by keeping up to date with clinical developments, analyzing current research and discussing and implementing changes in your clinical practice and encourage this throughout the team.To be responsible for the setting and monitoring of standards and policies of clinical Occupational Therapy practice benchmarking against National guidelines such as RCP, NICE and RCOT.To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your professional activities working within the codes of practice and professional guidelines.To demonstrate a high level of understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk and of the use of treatment plans with evidence-based link.To develop services in line with recent NHS initiatives and guidance.To demonstrate the physical ability to carry out Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions, including highly developed cognitive therapy and therapeutic handling.
This includes frequent moderate to high physical effort.To be aware of risks involved as part of delivering clinical care and manage this within own patients case load Management To effectively plan the daily management of a caseload of patients by prioritising clinical work, responding to urgent referrals and issues and frequently unpredictable work patterns.To maintain the high standards of the service by contributing to the individual team and service objectives.To be able to manage potentially stressful and upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.To be able to prioritise clinical and managerial work and balance other patient related and professional activities as the department requires.To supervise junior staff, senior staff and therapy assistants where appropriate.To participate in the appraisal scheme as an appraiser and to be appraised.To demonstrate a high level of understanding of clinical governance and clinical risk.To attend appropriate meetings both within and outside of the trust.
Communication To be highly effective in communicating with other partner organisations in order to provide an effective service.
This will include consultants, the ESD team, Stroke nurse specialists, nursing teams, neurotherapy team and neuro rehabilitation teams.To initiate and maintain good contact with service users regarding the development of the service.To provide advice to other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure a multidisciplinary approach to care.To communicate effectively with all disciplines involved in a patients care, both those from within the organisation and those outside to ensure efficient multidisciplinary working.To be able to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff including imparting unwelcome news relating to their prognosis and gaining consent for treatment.To assess patients understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.To maintain accurate records in line with the RCOT, Trust and service standards and policies.
To ensure that records of directly managed staff also comply with these standards.To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients in order to initiate treatment and achieve treatment concordance.
This may include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.To communicate any changes in care plan or treatment approach to other member of the multi-disciplinary team as necessary.
Education To participate in clinical supervision sessions as a member of the MDT.To participate in any training sessions as a recipient and facilitator.To disseminate any training received to other staff and healthcare professionals.To be actively involved in special interest groups in order to share and disseminate knowledge to colleagues.
Research/Audit/Quality To regularly participate in and lead on appropriate work-related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to clinical area.To utilise audit skills to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of the Occupational Therapy service to the specialist clinical area.To evaluate your own clinical effectivenessTo undertake and present relevant evidence-based projects.
IT To maintain timely and accurate statistical information as required by senior staff and managers.To be responsible for the accurate input of clinical information onto the trust IT system and manage the clinical workload diary.To keep up to date with advances in technology.
Further information and general responsibilities To have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and others at work.
This includes being conversant with relevant trust safety policies and procedures.
To report incidents and near misses at work; take part in the risk management process; attend all mandatory training courses in the agreed duration as defined by trust policy and carry out tasks and use equipment only when competent to do so.To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity.
To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection act.To comply with the trusts corporate and local policies and procedures on such subjects and clinical management and human resources.To ensure that patients, clients and members of the public are consulted and involved in decisions about local health service developments.
As a trust employee to be mindful of this and do what is appropriate to the role and level meet this duty of responsibility.To undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time and are consistent with the responsibilities of the role.To comply with the trusts policies on equal opportunities, the consumption of alcohol and smoking.This job involves regular exposure to unpleasant working conditions bodily fluids including urine and faeces and occasional exposure to verbal aggression.
Person Specification Qualifications and Further Training Essential HCPC registered Occupational Therapist Appropriate training at MSC Level or equivalent experiential development Desirable Evidence of leadership training Other requirements Essential Support weekend working as required Other requirements Essential Car driver Experience Essential Significant experience as a senior OT in stroke rehabilitation Significant experience of discharge planning in the NHS Evidence of experience in delivering good quality teaching to MDT members, juniors and senior staff both within and outside of the speciality Evidence of leading a team including supervision and appraisals Evidence of Audit and Research Knowledge Essential Evidence of expert knowledge of the evidence base in stroke rehabilitation Able to demonstrate expert clinical reasoning skills Ability to conduct a highly advanced range of assessments to formulate treatment and management plan Relevant National and Clinical guidelines Skills Essential Effective communication and MDT working Excellent personal organization skills and the ability to delegate Resilience