Occupational TherapistNHS

Job summary

37.5 hours per week.

We are excited to be recruiting 2 x permanent Band 5 Occupational Therapists to join our diverse Community Therapy Teams within the North and West Neighbourhoods at Livewell Southwest.

Community Therapy is an evolving service that supports people to return home from hospital, maximise their independence, and achieve their rehabilitation goals. We also provide ongoing assessment, rehabilitation, and management for people living in their own homes and residential care settings.

As an integrated health and social care team, we work alongside a wide range of professionals to support people throughout their adult lives. Our focus is on helping individuals achieve and maintain their optimum level of independence, wellbeing, and participation in the activities that matter most to them.

We are looking for enthusiastic, adaptable, and motivated Occupational Therapists who are passionate about person-centred care. You will be a collaborative team player, eager to contribute new ideas and help shape the continued development of our proactive and growing service.

If you're looking to develop your skills, bring fresh ideas, and help shape the future of community therapy, we'd love to hear from you. In return, you'll be part of a multidisciplinary team and have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people's lives every day.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients including those with complex presentation using treatment techniques to promote normal movement, motor relearning, cognitive therapy, compensatory techniques and daily living skills.

To use standardised and non-standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial and social functioning.

To assess for and prescribe adaptive equipment from the core catalogue, complete special orders to increase / enable or compensate for independent function.

To assess for major and minor adaptations, including disabled facilities grant applications.

To carry out assessment and compile supporting evidence to enable change in individuals housing arrangements (e.g. Devon Home Choice).

To assess postural and seating needs.

Complex manual handling risk assessment and provision of equipment for use in the community setting.

To have a working knowledge of legislation including The Care Act, Manual Handling Operations Regulations, Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act, Mental Capacity Act / Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and how these relate to the Occupational Therapy role.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job description

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility for People Management.

To provide leadership, supervision, appraisal support, and co-ordinate the day-to-dayactivities of support and admin staff where applicable.

To provide cover for staff who are absent.

To attend student educator training and actively support student placements within theteam.

To participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities, work experience andtraining staff and students from other units/disciplines/schools/colleges and trainingschemes as agreed with supervising Therapist and Therapy Team Lead.

To plan, organise and lead when delegated both formal and informal treatments andhealth education groups for both service users and formal/informal carers.

To educate service users and both formal/informal carers regarding the impact ofcognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect service user safety andindependence in the hospital and home, leisure and workplace.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

To assess, prescribe and authorise equipment and make recommendations for minorand major adaptations to increase/enable or compensate for independent function,teaching compensatory techniques as required.

To assess seating and positioning needs and treat as appropriate including assessmentfor and prescription of standard wheelchairs and accessories when accredited, referringon to AJM Wheelchair Service as required for assessment of complex and specialistmobility and seating needs.

To identify the need for splinting and positioning to prevent and manage deformity andimprove function for the upper limb, and subsequently referring to specialist services orcolleagues to meet this need.

To utilise Livewell SW resources responsibly, following policy and guidance around thesecurity, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipmentutilised in the clinical setting.

To ensure new and replacement equipment is not used by self or staff until it has beencommissioned in accordance with Livewell SW policy. Defective equipment is reportedand made safe without delay in accordance with Livewell SW procedures.

On the rare occasion you may handle service user valuables as part of a home visit orcommunity assessment, that you follow Livewell SWs policy Cash & Cheque HandlingProcedures, section 6 Patient Money, section 7 Patient Travel.

5.3 Responsibility for administrative functions.

To maintain high professional standards at all times, complying with standards ofpractice stipulated in the Royal College of Occupational Therapys Professionalstandards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics and all of HCPCsstandards and regulations.

To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.

To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager, taking responsibility forensuring own personal and professional development and statutory trainingdemonstrating the ability to apply skills / knowledge as defined by identifiedcompetencies.

To work as an autonomous practitioner, seeking guidance where necessary.

To prioritise and to be responsible for the day-to-day management of own caseload andservice users in your care, delegating activities as appropriate.

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliableattendance.

To ensure all leave is requested in line with Livewell SW policy.

To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/orapps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.

To develop skills and knowledge through participation in the Preceptorship programmeand to go on to support future preceptees, in the capacity as a Preceptor.

To take responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development andstatutory training demonstrating the ability to apply acquired skills/knowledge andmaintaining fitness to practice.

To ensure use of risk assessment in all areas of your work are undertaken and complywith Livewell SW Health and Safety policies and Lone Working Policy.

To maintain up to date, accurate and complete records of all activity and clinical input(all formats of service user contacts, MDT care plans, assessments, reports), ensuringconfidentiality at all times, complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Recordspolicy and HCPC requirements for thorough and sufficient records

To provide written communication with outside agencies and charitable bodies tosupport the need for services and equipment on discharge or when transferred.

To report accidents, incidents, complaints, or faulty equipment in line with Livewell SWpolicy and procedures.

5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services.

To ensure the service user is aware of the role and philosophy of Occupational Therapyand components of the OT process, utilising all means necessary to enable individualsto understand the nature and purpose of proposed actions or intervention, includingexplaining any possible risks involved.

To respect the individuals values, cultural and religious diversity of service users andcontribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.

To provide education and advice to service users, carers and/or family membersregarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits on service usersafety and independence in the home, leisure, and workplace. This can includeimparting sensitive information and advice to service users and carers which could havelife changing consequences.

To provide an opportunity for people and carers to express their feelings whilstencouraging acceptance and adjustment to their new circumstances.

To understand and comply with the safeguarding process and understand how andwhen alerts are required. To contribute to safeguarding investigations with support ofother colleagues.

To demonstrate a high level of understanding of conditions relevant to the diagnosticarea and those service users presenting with multi pathology, using a selection of bothstandardised and non-standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial, and socialfunctioning.

To carry out baseline medical investigations e.g. temperature, respirations and bloodpressure checks to assist with medical diagnoses and identification of most appropriatetreatment pathway.

To carry out environmental home assessments, pre discharge home assessmentsdischarge home visits and follow up as required. The assessment involves reviewingergonomic layout of the property to maximise functional ability within the home,assessment of disabled access, equipment needs recommendation for minor and majorhouse adaptations, risk and safety review and referring to other agencies and Social

Services as necessary.

To carry out assessment and compile supporting evidence to enable change inindividuals housing arrangements (e.g. Devon Home Choice).

To be competent to identify the need for an enabling package of support and set goalsto promote independence.

To record and report regularly on service users progress and treatment to the multidisciplinary team or supervising OT in individual clinical areas.

To be responsible for goal planning, reviewing treatment programmes and applying

outcome measures used in the clinical area. To share in close liaison with all membersof the multi-disciplinary team, carers and family in accordance with consent given.

To be responsible for the timely discharge of people from your caseload.

To ensure continuation of care in the community, or transfer of service users to otherhospital settings, by establishing a comprehensive discharge plan and completingonward referrals, with good communication to statutory and voluntary services.

To refer to follow up services to ensure treatment programmes are in place to progressfunctional independence based on identified needs at discharge. Demonstrating to andinforming community staff re ongoing service user needs in the community i.e., homecarers and reablement assistance.

To maintain competence in the use of complex manual handling techniques andequipment including the prescriptions of manual handling equipment for use in thehome, demonstrating the use to formal and/or informal carers.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.

To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways andprotocols within your area.

To take an active role in audit, research and interdisciplinary development within theservice as required.

To be responsible for collecting and reporting statistical data in line with the Livewellpolicies and procedures.

To actively contribute to service development and contribute to Livewell SWs clinicalgovernance arrangements and quality agenda.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall.

Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships.

Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities.

If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.