Senior Occupational Therapist

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South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview
• To manage a caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To provide leadership for junior staff and students, through supervision and appraisal.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT / MDT services, holding responsibility for defined projects.
• To regularly supervise OT students on practice placements.
• This post will require you to complete beyond the preceptorship programme hosted by Oxleas.

Main duties of the job
• To undertake occupational therapy assessments for a designated caseload, assessing health and well-being from an occupational perspective.
• To contribute to assessing and completing specialist risk assessments within the multi-disciplinary team to support a person's recovery.
• To hold an up to date knowledge of a range of occupational therapy standardised assessments, the models on which they are based and how to carry these out.
• To identify occupationally focused goals taking into consideration the mental, physical, spiritual, psychological and social needs of the service user and that it is sensitive to age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class, sexuality and disability.
• In collaboration with the service user, to plan and implement individual or group therapeutic interventions using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals which support their recovery.

Working for our organisation

SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• To manage a caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To provide leadership for junior staff and students, through supervision and appraisal.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT / MDT services, holding responsibility for defined projects.
• To regularly supervise OT students on practice placements.
• This post will require you to complete beyond the preceptorship programme hosted by Oxleas.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Occupational Therapist

Desirable criteria

• Post-graduate training relevant to Mental Health
• Post-registration qualification
• Post-graduate training
• Membership of OT professional body and / or special interest group

Experience

Essential criteria

• 1.5 / 3 years post registration experience as an OT
• Working in groups / Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
• Working with mental health service users (pre or post qualification)
• Advising and supporting / supervising junior staff and students
• Experience of audit, research and clinical governance procedures and their application in practice

Desirable criteria

• Practice Placement Educators course
• Experience of working in an inner-city, multi-cultural environment
• Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
• Experience of specialist Mental Health settings
• Leadership and first line management experience

Knowledge/Skills

Essential criteria

• Broad / High level understanding of Mental Health disorders and treatment models
• Sound / Detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to Mental Health and Specialist practice where appropriate
• Applied / Working knowledge of the principles of CPA (Care Programme Approach)
• Applied / Extensive knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management
• Experience of planning and co-ordinating treatment
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions and outcome measures, relevant to client group

other

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning
• Flexible approach to work to meet service user and service needs
• Must be prepared to work evenings & weekends if required Ability to travel efficiently between sites

Desirable criteria

• Personal experience of mental health problems
• Car owner/driver

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 448.6KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)