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Job description

The Forensic Mental Health services specialise in the assessment and treatment of offenders with mental health conditions. The medium secure inpatient service provides 66 inpatient beds for men and women.

We are keen to recruit an enthusiastic, Occupational Therapy Assistant to join the Occupational Therapy service. Occupational Therapy staff are recognised as essential, core members of the multi-disciplinary team.

The role will involve mainly working at our outdoor horticulture and pet care projectWillow Gardens, planning and facilitating of group and individual therapeutic activities at the gardens as well as providing theseopportunities for patients on the wards.

The role at Willow Gardens (our horticulture and pet care project) will include supporting patients to engage in the tasks below:

• Feeding, cleaning out and taking care of our site animals- Goats, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs
• Maintaining our allotment plots as well as the ward gardens
• Developing knowledge of how to grow produce and maintain green spaces
• Developing knowledge of sustainably and biodiversity and developing practices for these at Willow Gardens
• Basic wood work, painting and upcycling

The role will also involve offering group and individual therapeutic activities on the wards. Ward activities will be varied depending on patient interests and needs.

You will need to be skilled at motivating patients to engage, have excellent communication skills and be able to keep accurate clinical records.

Experience of working in mental health is essential.

The posts will require weekday and weekend working.

Support and supervision will be provided as well as opportunities to engage in further development and training.

You will be part of a team of experienced Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants. You will work alongside other healthcare professionals ensuring high quality assessment and treatment is offered to patients.

JOB PURPOSE:
Under the supervision of a registered Occupational Therapist and in consultation with professionally registered members of the Multidisciplinary Team the post holder will be expected toassist in the delivery of therapeutic interventions within the service by

• Using skills and experience to plan and provide flexible, service user centred, 1:1 or group activity based interventions that contribute to meeting the assessed needs of service users and treatment service as outlined within their care plan.
• Working alongside the multidisciplinary team to facilitate therapeutic interventions for service users and carers
• Undertaking clinically related administration, and to assist with non-clinical tasks to ensure the smooth running of a service, to service users and their carers, guided by an appropriate senior colleague.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

• To work effectively as a member of the MDT assisting in delivering individual or group interventions to promote the strengths, wellbeing and recovery of service users and carers.
• To monitor service users’ progress, reporting on their psychological, physical, behavioural, occupational and social response to interventions.
• To adapt interventions ensuring that they support the service user and carer to meet their needs, including regard for cultural and linguistic differences, adjusting own approach accordingly.
• To assist with or contribute to the assessment of activities of daily living, maintaining service users’ dignity and privacy, observing changes both positive and negative and reporting appropriately.
• To effectively establish a therapeutic relationship with service users and their relatives/carers.
• To contribute to and comply with individual, environmental and activity-related risk assessments and to communicate issues around risk to others involved in service users care.
• To support and undertake community access /engagement for service users and carers.
• To assist with non-clinical tasks to ensure the smooth running of a service guided by an appropriate senior colleague.
• To attend and actively participate in relevant clinical meetings/forums.

RESPONSIBILITY:

• Working with service users and their carers referred to the service.
• To undertake and assist in the delivery of therapeutic interventions for service users
• To ensure that the Trust’s values are upheld in Occupational Therapy practice
• To support the implementation of the current and future Allied Health Professions (AHP) strategy
• To travel between locations in a timely manner
• To be aware of own and others health, safety and security at all times.
• To contribute to the induction, training and education of students and staff.
• In line with Trust policy and guidelines, review and reflect on own practice and performance through regular participation in clinical supervision and appraisal.

ENVIRONMENT:

• Supporting service users to function to their optimal ability in their environment. This can involve working in a diverse range of settings with a range of associated demands. For example: challenging behaviours and/or exposure to poor hygiene (personal/environmental).
• Maintaining and promoting a safe environment taking account of infection control and identifying and reporting hazards and risks in a timely manner.
• Accompanying, escorting and transporting service users as required.
• Driving unit vehicles as per needs of the service and as individual capabilities allow.
• Working contracted hours as per the requirements of the service. May also be required, at times, to work at other Trust units and/or sites.
• Physically able to carry out all duties required of the clinical setting, including successful completion of physical interventions training as required

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• NVQ Level 3 or similar in relevant subject.
• Care certificate or the ability to achieve within role.
• Prior work experience in a similar work / care setting
• Knowledge and experience of working within a person centred, recovery oriented framework.
• An ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing
• Experiences of engaging with people with differing needs and abilities.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply policies and procedures including but not limited to confidentiality, consent, risk management, service user involvement.
• Basic factual knowledge of the importance of enabling people to do the things they want, or need or are expected to do to support them in being well in life.
• Computer literate.

JOB SUMMARY:

• Demonstrates ability to work as a team member as well as autonomously
• Balancing all aspects of the job role.
• Being flexible and responsive to competing demands.
• Working confidently providing the highest levels of care and empathy towards service users.
• Promoting Occupational Therapy in the service and keeping an occupational focus at the centre of practice.

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

• Service users
• Carers and families
• Multi disciplinary team
• Professional colleagues
• Clinical supervisor
• Line manager

STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT:
The post holder will be required to comply with the Trust’s Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and at all times, deal honestly with the Trust, with colleagues and all those who have dealings with the Trust including service users, relatives and suppliers.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:
The post holder will be required to observe local Health and Safety arrangements and take reasonable care of him/herself and persons that may be affected by his/her work.

SAFEGUARDING:
All staff have a duty to identify, report and record incidents of potential or actual abuse. This statement applies whether the victim is an adult or child. All queries will be addressed by the Trust Safeguarding Team.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW:
This job description will be used as a basis for individual performance review between the post holder and the Manager.

The job description covers only the key result areas, and as such does not intend to provide a comprehensive list of objectives. Specific objectives will be reviewed each April, and may develop to meet the changing needs of the service.

The post holder will need to take due account, in the way they achieve the key result areas of Trust policies and procedures.

The Trust aims to maintain the goodwill and confidence of its own staff service and users and the general public. To assist in achieving the objective it is essential that at all times, employees carry out their duties in a courteous and sympathetic manner.

The post holder will carry out their duties in accordance with the Trust Equal Opportunities Policy respecting the differing backgrounds of colleagues and service users.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
The Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust has adopted a strategy for Continuous Improvement and all members of staff employed by the Trust are expected to play an active role in development and improving services to the benefit of service users.

THE TRUST’S MISSION STATEMENT:
To put service users first by providing community based, high quality and responsive healthcare services, delivered by well trained and supported staff who work with relatives, carers and other agencies in the best interests of service users.

STATEMENT OF THE TRUST’S AIMS AND VALUES:

• To remain service user focused at all times by providing high quality and responsive healthcare services in hospitals and the community.
• To work closely with service users, their families, carer groups, local communities and other organisations ensuring care is co-ordinated.
• To respect and develop every member of staff by encouraging and supporting them in their personal and professional development and by valuing their input through recognition and individual reviews.
• To be innovative and proactive by encouraging staff to initiate new ideas in working practices and ensuring a process and continuous improvement in the way services are provided.
• To provide best practice and value-for-money by reviewing and evaluating services and sharing information internally and externally.

CONFIDENTIALITY:
The Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust employees are required to ensure that information about service users is safeguarded to maintain confidentiality and is kept securely in accordance with NHS requirements of 1999. (The Caldicott Committee’s Report on the review of service user-identifiable information 1997, & HSC/1999/012). This means that service user information can only be passed to someone else if it contributes to the provision of care or the effective management of health care services within the Trust.

ORGANISATION CHART:
Service Line Lead for Allied Health Professions

Occupational Therapist Senior Practitioner

Occupational Therapist

Senior Therapy Technician

Occupational Therapy Assistant (this post)