Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Job summary

At Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust our Occupational Therapy service is recognised for its high quality patient care. We are excited to announce that we have an opportunity for a band 4 Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner, 22.5 hours a week within Speciality Medicine at the Alexandra Hospital.

The posts support our vision of a highly skilled, experienced, dynamic and flexible workforce that have knowledge and skills in delivering modernised Occupational Therapy, focusing on providing acute assessments and interventions for patients with a variety of acute medical needs.

The role will involve working with a variety of conditions and be expected to hold a delegated caseload working closely with the qualified Occupational Therapists. You will have a varied role and will be required to conduct community visits to support equipment provision/fitting in order to facilitate patient discharges.

We are looking for a motivated individual that will be able to demonstrate safe and effective patient centred care. You need to be professional with excellent communication skills and the ability to work autonomously.

You will be supported by a very skilled workforce and will be developed and nurtured by the team, receiving regular supervision and accessing a variety of development and learning opportunities.

Main duties of the job

Key Duties:

1. To work as part of the occupational therapy and the multi-disciplinary team.
2. To carry out assessments and interventions under the guidance of an OT. eg personal care assessments, transfers, activities of daily living, environmental and equipment.
3. To screen referrals for priority intervention by OT.
4. To take responsibility for monitoring referrals to Occupational Therapy for patients who are not yet fit enough to be seen and for those awaiting a community service to ensure they maintain or improve on their functional level. To be responsible for notifying a qualified Occupational therapist if those patients require a new assessment.
5. Daily manual handling aspects of the role. Which will include the loading/unloading and transportation of equipment.
6. To actively participate in regular clinical supervision.
7. To carry out community visits to fit equipment and assist qualified Occupational Therapist on visits to aid discharge home.
8. To support Patients with cognitive difficulties cognitive under the supervision of qualified OTs.
9. To carry out admin/non clinical tasks to ensure the smooth running of the department.
10. To participate in service improvement activities.
11. To demonstrate sound clinical reasoning skills that underpins practice.
12. To recognise own limitations within clinical practice/knowledge and to seek advice and guidance from the OT in cases that are beyond their clinical experience and accountability.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to help achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward.

Our objectives are simple:

• Best services for local people
• Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
• Best use of resources
• Best people

Better never stops.

We are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

We are currently undertaking an AHP integration project within the Integrated Care System (ICS) aimed at streamlining and enhancing the roles of Allied Health Professionals across urgent and community care pathways. As this initiative progresses, it has the potential to significantly reshape the structure and delivery of AHP services within WAHT.

Date posted: 09 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 4

Salary: £26,530 to £29,114 a year

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number: C9365-25-0322-2

Job locations: The Alexandra Hospital, Woodrow Drive, Redditch, Worcestershire, B987UB

Job description Job responsibilities

Post Title: Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Pay Band: 4

Hours: 22.5 hours

Contract: Permanent

Location / Department: Alexandra Hospital base, with the requirement to be able to occasionally travel to other bases as service provision requires.

Accountable to: Occupational Therapy Manager

Reports to: Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist/Team Lead OT/Clinical Strategic Lead

Key Working Relationships: To work with and liaise with your supervisor, Occupational Therapy Manager, wider OT team, members of the multidisciplinary team, Community Equipment Store, patients, carers and internal and external agencies.

Risk Assessment:

This post involves frequent manual handling activities within the workplace eg: positioning and mobilising patients, hoisting, pushing wheelchairs. It includes assisting patients with standing, walking, and transferring between bed, chair, wheelchair, toileting facilities and bathing/showering equipment.

The above can, on occasions be carried out within the patients home setting in frequently less than ideal circumstances.

Physical effort is required to ensure patient and staff safety during mobilising or transfers, this includes the transportation of bulky equipment, lifting it in/out of a vehicle and the moving of furniture and equipment in confined spaces within the patients home environment. The ability to safely use tools to adjust equipment is required.

This requires the ability to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.

Frequent close contact with patients during personal care activities exposes the post holder to infection, bodily fluids eg blood, sputum, urine, faeces and vomit.

The post holder will be involved in the communication with both patients and their carers, in hospital or in their home, in relation to the patients functional ability or prospects of returning to their previous home environment.

The post holder will regularly be required to lone work, in patients home environments eg the delivery and fitting of equipment. (a lone worker device and mobile telephone are supplied.)

All senior assistant staff will be required to assess risks during the assessment of patients both in the hospital, out-patient settings and in the patients home environment to ensure accurate assessment and reporting on a patients functional ability.

There is need for prolonged concentration and occasional need for involvement in emotionally distressing situations e.g. terminally ill patients, those with poor recovery or life altering illness or trauma e.g. new amputees. This may include contact with patients or relatives who are abusive or aggressive.

Job Purpose:

The post holder will work under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist but work independently to provide Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention to patients referred to the OT service on an individual or group basis within the hospital or out-patient clinics and community setting.

The post holder will carry a defined and delegated caseload of people and will be expected to undertake specific technical and administrative tasks as delegated by the Clinical Strategic Lead, Clinical Specialist OT, OT Team Lead, OT Manager or supervising OT

You will be responsible for representing the Occupational Therapy team as required by attending board rounds and/or multidisciplinary patient meetings on specific wards. At these meetings you will be responsible for feeding back to the team, patients treatment progress and highlighting patients who are still being seen by Occupational Therapy and those who have been discharged.

Key Duties:

1. To work as part of the occupational therapy and the multi-disciplinary team.
2. To be responsible for the running of specific groups unassisted but under the direction of an OT.
3. To carry out specific standardised and non-standardised assessments under the guidance of an OT.
4. To take responsibility for monitoring referrals to Occupational Therapy for patients who are not yet fit enough to be seen and for those awaiting a community service to ensure they maintain or improve on their functional level. To be responsible for notifying a qualified Occupational therapist if those patients require a new assessment.
5. To demonstrate sound clinical reasoning skills that underpins all aspects of practice.
6. To recognise own limitations within clinical practice/knowledge and to seek advice and guidance from the OT in cases that are beyond their clinical experience and accountability.
7. To be able to identify patients with complex needs who require the intervention of the OT.
8. To plan and grade the appropriate OT intervention/programmes to meet OT treatment goals and adapt activities in response to changing needs.
9. To carry out any activity within prescribed limitations of the patients condition, taking the patients medical fitness into account.
10. To evaluate the outcome of the interventions, identifying the need for further interventions and reasons for unmet goals.
11. To disseminate information and liaise with healthcare staff and/or carers to ensure the continuation/practice of any therapeutic activities.
12. To explain and demonstrate specific techniques and use of equipment to service users, carers and other staff.
13. To maintain effective confidential communication about the service user within the OT team, the multidisciplinary team and families/carers.
14. To delegate and share tasks with other OT support staff.
15. To identify the need for other agency involvement and make appropriate referrals.
16. To carry out home, environmental visits in the community setting to complete necessary assessments or interventions. This may be completed alone or with another member of staff.
17. To assess for, recommend, order, issue and fit equipment as required by service user.
18. To identify the need for, measure and order attendant propelled wheelchairs.
19. To assess for, recommend, order, issue and fit hand splints as required by the service user.
20. To measure and order self-propelled wheelchairs as directed by the OT.
21. To complete cognitive and upper limb rehabilitation, under the direction of the Occupational Therapist.
22. To act on equipment delivery and fitting on behalf of the occupational therapy department to proactively facilitate discharges.
23. Ensure that equipment required for patient discharge is procured in a timely fashion and that stock levels are managed, ordered and that items are fit for safe use. This will include the ability to use basic tools. e.g. for wheelchairs.
24. To ensure documentation regarding patients care is completed in accordance with local and RCOT standards and guidance.
25. Take an active role in the provision of a quality service, using resources responsibly.
26. To be able to safely and effectively undertake the daily manual handling aspects of the role. Which will include the loading/unloading and transportation of equipment. This will include lifting items up/down, pushing/pulling, stooping and bending., and the moving of furniture i.e. beds or chairs.
27. To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level/expertise of the post to ensure the smooth running of the Occupational Therapy service, this will include the treatment of patients on the ward or in the department.
28. To actively participate in clinical supervision on a monthly basis.

General Duties:

Technical / Administrative duties

1. To develop and improve departmental systems related to practice and clinical issues.
2. To develop information that can be utilised for service-users and carers.
3. To be responsible for filing and faxing and stock control as required.
4. To ensure that there are appropriate forms and literature necessary for treatment sessions.
5. To ensure equipment used for assessments and treatment sessions is safe, clean and available.
6. To ensure that equipment to be used by patients at home is safe, clean and available.
7. To participate in general housekeeping activities within the department.
8. To participate in the collation of statistics.

Self-Development

1. To adhere to the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and all other relevant Trust policies and procedures.
2. To develop and maintain up to date knowledge and skills relevant to this post.
3. To recognise limitations and potential scope for development to enhance practice.
4. To have responsibility for identifying learning needs in consultation with the supervisor.
5. To seek out opportunities to develop knowledge and skills both within and outside of the Trust.
6. To keep a portfolio of your achievements, accomplishment and skills necessary for your role.
7. To review and reflect on your own practice and performance in line with the Trusts guidelines and KSF outline.
8. To participate in regular professional supervision and appraisal.

Service Delivery and Improvement

1. To actively participate in the induction of students and new staff within this setting.
2. To undertake all procedures, respecting at all times the dignity, privacy, religious and cultural beliefs of patients.
3. To ensure enquiries to the OT service are dealt with in an appropriate and professional manner.
4. To contribute to the smooth running of the department.
5. To participate in clinical governance and quality improvements as required by the service.
6. To investigate new treatment techniques or ways or working that may benefit the service.
7. To incorporate these techniques/ways of working into the service, following consultation with the team.
8. To take part in audit activity as required by the service.
9. At times when activity is low the post holder is expected to assist other team members.
10. To contribute to the development and training of other staff.
11. To undertake projects that will benefit the service user.

Person Specification

Other Essential:

• Car Driver: The post holder must have a full driving licence and have access to a vehicle, as conducting community visits is an essential part of the role.

Skills and Knowledge Essential:

• Understanding of the complex nature of Occupational Therapy.
• Specific understanding of the needs of the service-user in the service area.
• Positive attitude to disability.
• Ability to transfer knowledge across practical situations.
• Knowledge of a range of OT interventions.
• Understanding of grading activities.

Experience Essential:

• Experience of working in a Patient facing role, with frail and elderly Patients in a Hospital, out-patients or community setting.
• Experience of working with people with a variety of health conditions.
• Experience of managing own time and prioritising activities.
• Experience of self-development demonstrated by CPD portfolio.
• Experience of contributing to running groups.
• Experience of helping other staff to develop.
• Experience of working independently.
• Experience working with equipment/ manual handling.
• Experience of working within a hospital healthcare setting with direct patient contact.

Desirable:

• Experience of working as an OT Support Worker/OT Assistant (band 2 or 3).

Qualifications Essential:

• Functional skills level 2 or GCSE Maths and English (Grades 9-4 or A-C).
• Foundation Degree or equivalent level 5 or above (NVQ, HND, Assistant Practitioner apprenticeship) qualification in a Health and Social Care related subject.
• Communication skills in written and verbal format to level 3 standard.
• Knowledge and application of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Evidence of attendance at short condition specific courses e.g. Dementia awareness, stroke specialist seating, Parkinsons, palliative care, cognition and perception.

Desirable:

• Clinical experience/expertise within an AHP profession underpinned by theoretical and practical experience.

Personal Qualities Essential:

• Demonstrable interpersonal skills within individual and group situations.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Experience of adapting to new demands.
• Reliable and responsible.
• Motivated to direct own workload and workload of others.
• The ability to move between sites within the Trust or patients homes as demanded by the job role.
• Experience of coping with distressing or emotional situations.
• Able to cope with occasional exposure to challenging work environments.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship:

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here.

Employer details

Employer name: Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address:

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

Employer's website: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/