Job Advert
Occupational Therapist (Assistive Technology)
Banding: Band 6 (£38,000 - £46,100 DOE)
Hours: 35
Contract duration: Permanent
Base: Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments
Closing date: 11th October 2023
Link for informal contact: Email Rhona@craighlabert.org.ukor call
Key Benefits: 55 days annual leave (pro-rata for part-time), free, onsite parking & eligible to join or continue in the NHS Scotland Pension Scheme
How to Apply:
Applicants should submit a CV by email to Rhona@craighalbert.org.uk together with a supporting statement of no more than 500-words outlining how their knowledge, experience and attributes enable them to fulfil the responsibilities of this post.
Interview Details:
Interviews will be held the week commencing 2nd October 2023 which will involve a 45-minute competency-based interview at the Centre, which will include a short 7-minute presentation.
Purpose of the Post
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments’ purpose is to work with families and partners to deliver integrated learning, therapy and care for children affected by motor impairments in Scotland - supporting children to achieve their potential and fulfil their ambitions.
We are seeking a flexible, innovative, and child-centred Occupational Therapist to join our small but growing OT Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a creative service that is remodelling integrated therapy, care and learning for children and young people affected by neurological conditions. With this role the individual appointed will take a lead in developing the Centre’s use of assistive technology to promote independence, participation, and meaningful occupation.
Our Occupational Therapists support and work with all children, young people, parents, and practitioners who take part in the Centre’s activities both locally and nationally. This is done through the application of person-led, person-centred, and evidence-based/ informed practice to assess, plan, deliver and evaluate interventions for children and young people who have neurological conditions. To support and assess individual’s needs in relation to their occupational performance with the aim of promoting independence and quality of life. Our ambition is for all children with complex motor disorders to have the opportunity to live the best life possible.
The post holder is therefore required to actively participate in a high level of collaborative working with the children, their families, other therapists, education staff and external professionals to best integrate the children’s therapy needs into their days.
The post has professional responsibility and accountability to the Occupational Therapy Lead for the planning, delivery, and ongoing evaluation of the therapeutic elements of service across all relevant programmes offered within the Craighalbert Campus and in other locations throughout Scotland.
The Centre is highly resourced with a range of specialist staff, technology, equipment and access to specialist training and education to facilitate child development. With staff attending both national and international training to ensure evidence-based practice is central to service delivery.
The appointee will be expected to work in the development and delivery of any of SCCMI’s programmes. Current Programmes / Projects include:
- Nursery, Primary and Secondary classes (children aged 3 – 18 years)
- Early Intervention Programme (children aged between birth and 4 years)
The post is largely centre based however home visits, community outreach and visits to other Education establishments will also form part of service delivery.
The successful appointee will make a significant and sustained contribution towards the achievement of the organisation’s ambition of establishing itself as the Scottish centre of excellence in the provision of integrated therapy, care and learning for children/young people with motor impairments.
Responsibility and Accountability:
• Responsibility and accountability for the provision of high-quality Occupational Therapy input; evaluating and modifying interventions appropriately to meet complex individual needs.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner responsible for managing a complex caseload while working within a closely integrated interdisciplinary team.
• Accountable for standards of care and deliver these within the context of clinical governance to ensure the highest standards of clinical intervention.
• Collaborate with parents and professional colleagues (internally and externally) to identify overarching outcomes to meet the holistic needs of the child.
• Contribute to and lead on the development of creative and ambitious activities that will address therapeutic, learning, and holistic needs of children and young people in the most efficient, effective, high quality and value added way possible.
• Plan effective programmes of work collaboratively taking a person-led, person-centred outcomes focused approach to support improved holistic wellbeing.
• Participate in the development of the Centre and supporting activities to achieve a recognised status as a national centre of excellence in the provision of integrated therapy, care and learning for children and young people with motor impairments.
• Develop, expand, and enhance professional skills to ensure the delivery of the Centre’s services reflect contemporary research and current practice.
• Comply with the Royal College of Occupational therapist Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and all other documents which support and maintain standards of professional practice and the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency.
• Adhere to the policies and procedures of SCCMI.
Leadership and Supervision:
• Supervise, mentor and support graduate physiotherapists, other therapists, non-therapy staff, support staff and students.
• Participate in the annual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions as required by SCCMI.
• Manage time effectively, prioritising workload appropriately and delegate work as required.
• Work closely with highly specialist therapists and OT Lead, seeking advice, supervision and support as needed.
• Deputise for Occupational Therapist Team Lead by carrying out agreed delegated tasks as required.
Staff Development:
• Undertake the supervision, education and specialist training of graduate Occupational Therapists, other therapy, professional and support staff, students, service users, parents/carers and external professionals as directed.
• Undertake an internal role in the education, specialist training, and provision of advice regarding Occupational Therapy interventions to staff, service users, parents/carers, other disciplines, and agencies.
• Undertake a role in the education and specialist training of external professionals and other staff.
• Responsible for Practice Education of Occupational Therapy students.
Practice Responsibilities:
▪ Work as part of multi-disciplinary team
▪ Provide high quality, evidence based Occupational Therapy provision for children and young people attending the Scottish Centre for Children with Motor impairments, in partnership with other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
▪ Undertake initial and ongoing assessments of children/young people, using standardised and non-standardised assessments and outcome measures tools to determine appropriate therapy intervention.
▪ Assess capacity, gain informed consent and work within a legal framework with children who lack consent.
▪ Manage own caseload, using evidence-based practice and client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
▪ Through the use of clinical reasoning skills and in collaboration with colleagues, provide an individualised programme plan for the child which is informed by evidence-based practice, and which will involve using a variety of methods and approaches.
▪ Contributing to the planning of nursery and school activities for individual children and groups of children to promote their learning, address barriers to learning and support their holistic wellbeing.
▪ Develop therapy goals, in collaboration with the child and family/carers, as well as the multidisciplinary and education teams, other health professionals and agencies, to facilitate the participation of the child in their life skills.
▪ Support the multidisciplinary team with measuring goals, through using therapy outcome measurement tools e.g. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).
▪ Support assessment, provision and management guidelines for young people with assistive technology needs.
▪ Teach, integrate, and monitor Occupational Therapy interventions in the child’s environment, whether it is carried out by parents, school staff, therapy staff, and care staff or volunteers
▪ Assess, prescribe, order and organise the provision of necessary Occupational Therapy equipment.
▪ Deliver specialist interventions including upper limb interventions to support hand skills development and function.
▪ Lead in the completion of risk assessments e.g. manual handling, environmental access, equipment provision.
▪ Liaise with all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by SCCMI, visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics with the child as required.
▪ Ensure the appropriate therapeutic management following Botulinum A therapy to the upper limb, and equipment provision following any required orthopaedic surgery, in order to optimise functional gains from the intervention(s) and support return to Education activities.
▪ Collaborate with other agencies to support safe and effective hospital discharge where required.
▪ Facilitate referral of children to external agencies for appropriate assessment/investigations as required.
▪ Work as a practitioner to establish high level practice quality on both an individual and integrated multi-disciplinary team level, using evidence-based practice.
▪ Work collaboratively with other therapy and education staff and families to jointly devise and implement additional support plans/goals and ensure effective multi-professional working.
▪ Communicate effectively and appropriately and proactively with children, young people and their family/carers to ensure an appropriate understanding of their condition and status. Communicate highly complex and sensitive clinical information.
▪ Negotiate with a variety of internal and external agencies to meet individual children’s needs where there are competing demands.
▪ Ensure a smooth transition during the child/young person’s progression through Education.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Development:
▪ Implement methods and systems including specialist, standardised assessments tools with validated appropriate outcome measures, to assess the child’s Occupational Performance.
▪ Monitor, measure and evaluate the child’s progress and the effectiveness of intervention using reasoning skills and modify the programme accordingly.
▪ With other staff, undertake the ongoing evaluation of programmes designing appropriate tools to enable measurement of quality, with input from stakeholders.
Record Maintenance and Report Preparation:
▪ Maintain accurate and comprehensive records in line with professional standards.
▪ Produce highly literate and professional reports on a child’s physical status and short-term potential in a manner which is appropriate for parents and other professionals in a manner which is effective and time efficient.
Presentations
▪ Undertake creation and delivery of presentations at a high professional level to external and internal audiences.
Development Activities
▪ Contribute to the development and advancement of SCCMI programs.
▪ Undertake a role in research internally and external research engagement as directed.
▪ Promote and facilitate multi-disciplinary involvement and awareness of relevant research projects.
Professional Development and Governance
▪ Develop, expand and enhance professional skills to ensure the delivery of the Centre’s services reflects contemporary research and practice.
▪ Undertake appropriate professional staff development to maintain membership and registration with professional and statutory organizations.
▪ Participate in the SCCMI appraisal, performance and staff development systems.
▪ Critically evaluate practice through clinical audit findings, combined with knowledge
▪ of evidence-based practice and identify opportunities for service improvement and development.
Career Long Learning, Education and Research
▪ Undertake all mandatory training, in line with SCCMI policy.
▪ Prepare appropriately for Performance Development Reviews, identifying learning objectives and setting targets; identify opportunities for professional development in order to meet continuing professional development requirements and service developments.
▪ Actively seek personal educational developmental opportunities, through attending off-site courses and events, in-house training sessions, contact and involvement with relevant special interest groups and external organisations, and updating knowledge through literature review which align with service need, development and advancements in research applied to practice.
▪ Participate in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.
Policies:
▪ Adhere to National and organizational procedures, standards, protocols and policies.
▪ Adhere to Manual Handling policies and procedures.
▪ Adhere to Child Protection policies and procedures.
▪ Ensure and maintain a safe working environment for children and staff in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations and Centre policies.
▪ Adhere to educational policies e.g. GIRFEC, ASN Act, CfE.
▪ Contribute to the development, implementation and updating of the Centre’s policies as determined by the Chief Executive.
Other Duties:
▪ Undertake other duties including additional projects associated with the SCCMI’s work as determined by the Chief Executive.