Job Overview

Health and Care Jersey is seeking a keen and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join the Children’s Occupational Therapy team at the Child Development & Therapy Centre. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a supportive and dynamic multi-disciplinary environment, delivering high quality, child centred care to children and families.

The successful candidate will provide specialist assessment, intervention and support to children with developmental, physical, motor, sensory and functional difficulties. Working closely with children, their families, healthcare professionals and education staff, they will play a key role in promoting independence and participation in activities of daily living. The role will involve training, managing a caseload of children, undertaking timely and comprehensive assessments, developing and implementing individualised therapeutic programs and producing clear, detailed reports.

We are looking for a team player with strong communication skills, a flexible approach and a passion for working with children. There will be opportunities for ongoing professional development and contributing to service improvements.

Contact Katie Nixon @ k.nixon@health.gov.je for an informal chat regarding this post.

Job Purpose

Provides a professional Occupational Therapy service to assist children to achieve their maximum potential through helping them to optimise their bst level of independence or quality of life. Post holders are required to work with children and their families with a range of physical, learning, developmental and sensory conditions and devise specialist treatment programmes to children. Working as an autonomous practitioner implementing specialized assessment, evaluation, treatament and managment of children with complex needs. 

Manage a clinic caseload of complex clients, developing a client caseload plan to ensure that cases are effectively managed within time and manpower constraints. Contribute to the provision of special professional resource for other disciplines and external agencies., so that the contribution of Occupational Therapy can be integrated within the total service provision. 

Manage and supervise a Therapy Support Worker and contribute to service development initiatives. 

For a full Job Description please click here 

Statutory Responsibilities

The post holder will have to comply with all relevant States Laws, such as the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 and any other associaed legislation, Standing Orders, Financial Directions, and other relevant Codes of Practice, in respect of managing the key project deliverables of programmes and costs through the active managment of procurement., approval, financial and administrative procedures. 

To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law, 1989.

To work in accordance with the Data Protection (Jersey) Law;

This role is politically restricted. The jobholder is not permitted to undertake political activity involving standing for election to the States as a Parish Constable, or publicly supporting someone who is standing for election or playing a public part in any politial manner. 

Active engagement, participation and compliance with other statutory responsibilities applicable to the role, as amended from time time.  

Job Specific Outcomes 1 of 2

Assess, develop interventions and monitor needs for a range of highly complex conditions within a specialist area. This includes specialist evaluation, diagnostic services, advice and training to clients, families and other professional staff on the management of physical, injury or disability, sensory, management of a client's environmental factors, educational and leisure activities. 

Undertake the role of care co-ordinator within a health and social services context, 

Share, interpret, implement and practice Gvernment and National policies, standards and guidelines within specialist area to ensure that work is conducted in accordance with organization/ service policies and within health and safety regulations. 

Receive direct referrals from a range of clinical services, schools and the general public, diagnosing and screning clients to identify how they might benefit from OT intervention, and providing subsequent comprehensive, holistic assessment using a variety of specialist clinical skills and individual intervention, including therapeutic activities in order to promote maximum independence of the client. 

Inpenednetly manages cases/ key- working of individuals and offers support to families to promote effective outcomes that are met consistent with the client's needs and to refer to other agencies as required, with guidance from senior 1 Occupational Therapists as required. 

Delivers professional evaluation, consultation, advice and training to clients and their families, other professional staff within the community, education and voluntary sector as appropriate, in the use of specialised aids, adaptive equipment and major housing adaptations. 

Maintain appropriate and timely client records of assessment, intervention and progress to monitor effectiveness of intervention, to facilitate treatment planning and long-term client management and to support the ongoing evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of the service to inform departmental planning purposes. 

Develop and deliver service specific training programmes, including supporting the training of Health and Social care and Occupational Therapy students and support staff. Provide Occupational Therapy information and advice to professional qualified and unqualified staff, education, external agencies and carers/ families in order to improve the understanding of client need and promote effective management of the client's condition to minimize the impact on quality of life. 

Act as a mentor and provide regular clinical supervision to OT staff. Advice and support health and social care colleagues, trainees and support staff to ensure they are supported to deliver their roles to the best of their abilities and to continuing professional development. 

Support the appraisal of the services performance, identifying unmet needs, implementing the use of outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the service and interpreting and actioning developments in Occupational Therapy practice in order to make recommendations and contribute to organisational changes to improve the service. 

Idenify necessary major adaptations required for client's homes and schools to facilitate function, access and mobility. 

Qualifications

Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy

Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council

Registered as an Occupational Therapist under the health Care (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1995

Knowledge

Special practical knowledge of occupational therapy models of practice, assessment and treatment approaches in area of speciality (i.e. Sensory Integration, Postural Managment.) 

Knowledge and understanding of Health and Social Care legislation and current practice. 

Good understanding of teaching/ training others in safe handling and clinical supervision.

Extensive and detailed knowledge of equipment, treatment modaltities and adaptations.

Detailed knowledge of the priciples of clinical governance and its application/ implementation.

Awareness of the roles of other services (health and social care and education) and the interface with Occupational Therapy.

Understanding how to disseminate information to a variety of settings/ professionals.

Technical Work Based Skills

Ability to demomstrate a range of information technology skills i.e. able to effectively use IT equipment and role critical software.

Responsible for recording referrals, caseloads, statistics, inputting on Datix and safeguarding reporting systems. 

Clean driving license.

General skills / attributes

Demonstrate a high level of clinical reasoning and problem solving ability. 

Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders such as charities etc and develop good therapeutic relationships with clients/ carers. 

Able to understand and manage a range of complex facts or situations requiring analysis. 

Excellent communication both verbally and written. Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of media.

Demonstrate empathy towards clients.

Ability to adapt personal style in order to influence others and gain support for ideas. 

Ability to remain professional and effective under pressure.

Self- directed and resourceful.

Flexible approach to working.

Commitment to continuous service improvements, as well as continued professional development to benefit themselves and the team. 

Experience

Experience of working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Experience in the application assessments and interventions relevant to the client group. 

Post qualification experience including working within a range of specialised clinical environments.

Experience of reviewing, reflecting and critically appraising own practice and performance through CPD and supervision appraisals that are in line with national and local guidelines. 

Experience of working autonomously, setting priorities, working under pressure and actively managing OT clinical risk where appropriate, with minimal supervision from Senior 1 OT.

Personal Attributes

For Personal Attributes and Behaviours please click here

Criteria relating to Safeguarding:

DBS clearance 

Completion of up to date mandatory training for children and an understanding on how to report safeguarding concerns.