Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job summary

Specialist Occupational Therapist (Frail Trauma & Frailty)

Department: Inpatient Therapies

Fixed-term/secondment until 03.08.2025

Full-time: £37,338 - £44,962 per annum pro rata

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working.

Our Therapy Department has an excellent post specialising in frail trauma and frailty, which is available on a fixed-term contract/secondment basis until 03.08.2025. This post supports our quality improvement agenda to improve the service provision for older adults living with frailty, especially those patients who have a fracture.

This role is also available as a band 5 to 6 development post where you will be supported through a 6-9 month programme of training sessions & competencies. If you are a Band 5 and not quite ready for a Band 6 post, we have developed a tailored programme to meet your needs which will specifically & intensively support you to develop the skills we expect from our Band 6 Occupational Therapist. On reaching this point, you will move to the B6 salary scale.

If you have the desire to be part of a team that will be developing Therapy Services in Milton Keynes & a strong commitment to compassionate care, we would love to hear from you.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Laura Sturgeon, Inpatient Therapy Service Lead on 01908 995432 or laura.sturgeon@mkuh.nhs.uk

*Please note that we are unable to provide sponsorship for this role*

Interview date: W/C 10.06.2025

Main duties of the job

• To provide advanced Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions. With a specific focus on frailty and frail patients post orthopaedic trauma.
• To be responsible for own case load, split between frailty and Trauma & Orthopaedics. Working without direct supervision but with daily senior support as required.
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team and integrate working practices with community partners in order to facilitate timely discharge and admission avoidance.
• To train and develop staff and students.
• To undertake evidence based audit to further own and teams clinical practice. Make recommendations to Manager/Team Leader regarding changes to practice and/or service policies and protocols.
• To represent therapies as a visible, knowledgeable, confident, supportive and high performing professional group.

About us

"We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute"

"An outstanding 92% stated that their role significantly affects patients and service users" (NHS Staff Survey 2023).

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Great flexible working opportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• On site nursery (chargeable)
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Date posted: 17 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum pro rata

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 4 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 430-CC27284A

Job locations: Inpatient Physiotherapy (Dept), Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD

Job description Job responsibilities

This role is shared between the Inpatient Trauma & Orthopaedic service and the inpatient complex medicine (frailty) service. A primary role of this post will be to upskill and develop the Trauma & Orthopaedic service in the management of older adults with frailty, across the whole MDT, and support to embed a process of frailty identification and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGA) on the complex medical and orthopaedic wards.

Working as part of a dedicated and skilled Therapy services team, you will be providing a holistic therapy approach to patients in an inpatient setting. There is a strong expectation to collaborate with all members of the MDT to ensure the complex needs of patients are always at the centre of your care.

A programme of leadership development sessions is available as well as the opportunity to be involved in the education of the MDT, appraisal mentor and service development projects. We have a dedicated therapy practice education team whose role is to support staff and student development.

Previous experience as a Band 6 or 5 Occupational Therapist is essential. An ability to demonstrate a proactive flexible approach and to be able to work well on own initiative is essential. Demonstrable skills in service development are desirable, along with a keen interest in educating fellow healthcare colleagues.

The post holder may be required to work within a 7-day service in the Acute Assessment & Frailty Team. It is essential you have current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.

Please refer to the attached Job Description for further details.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices. We promote an inclusive workforce and encourage applications from applicants from all backgrounds.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• Registered with UK Health and Care Professions Council

Desirable

• Member of BAOT
• Fieldwork Education training

Experience

Essential

• NHS Experience
• Documented evidence of continuing professional development in clinical fields relevant to this post - specifically frailty and trauma
• Minimum 6 months experience of working in an Acute Hospital setting
• Experience of working in Frailty and or Inpatient Trauma
• Experience of providing support and education to patients and Carers
• Experience of cognitive assessments and developing treatment plans
• Experience of completing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments

Desirable

• Experience of Acute Medical Unit
• Experience of working in Elective Orthopaedics
• Experience of supervision/mentoring to juniors/assistants/students
• Experience of audit and research

Skills

Essential

• Ability to build and develop effective working relationships and motivate staff
• IT literacy (Microsoft applications, email and internet)
• Ability to work under pressure
• Excellent personal organisation and time management skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Ability to cope with unpredictable and emergency situations
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to interpret, analyse and respond effectively to complex information
• Ability to appreciate and sensitivity and complexity of patient cultures and be able to provide a service appropriate to individual needs

Desirable

• Presentation skills with the ability to teach other staff including juniors, assistants and students

Personal and people development

Essential

• Be able to reflect and critically appraise own performance and acknowledge own needs and limitations

Desirable

• Ability to critically appraise the performance of junior/unqualified staff and provide feedback and support as required

Communication

Essential

• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Specific requirements

Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
• Current driving licence with insurance to cover business use
• May need to work as part of 7-day service in frailty to support service provision.

Desirable

• Willingness to work flexibly

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Inpatient Physiotherapy (Dept), Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD

Employer's website: https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/working-at-mkuh (Opens in a new tab)