UHWA Occupational Therapist, Clinical Specialist

*** PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM FULLY, CV'S ARE NOT ACCEPTED ***

The Occupational Therapist, Clinical Specialist will:

Professional / Clinical

• Identify and prioritise the requirements of the service within a constantly changing environment.
• Ensure that professional standards are maintained through clinical audit, supervision and training.
• Operate within the scope of Occupational Therapy practice as per CORU requirements and in accordance with local guidelines.
• Keep abreast of research and practice developments in relevant clinical areas. Lead and facilitate research projects relevant to the specialist area.
• Develop guidelines for safe and effective Occupational Therapy practice related to the specialist area.
• Act as an advanced clinical advisor to colleagues and others.
• Be responsible for a clinical caseload.
• Ensure a high standard of Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and management and ensure that professional standards of practice are adhered to.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in the ability to screen and prioritise service users according to clinical need using clinical reasoning skills.
• Prioritise and maximise effectiveness of interventions to ensure service demands are optimally met e.g. appropriate delegation and onward referral.
• Take a key role in discharge planning.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of care pathways appropriate to service users and proactively work with colleagues to design and implement processes to improve flow for service users.
• Ensure the privacy and dignity of the service user is respected at all times.
• Promote the role of Occupational Therapy in the provision of care.

Education and Training

• Participate in mandatory training programmes.
• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attendance at courses as appropriate.
• Engage in peer support with Occupational Therapist colleagues.
• Engage in professional clinical Occupational Therapist supervision.
• Be responsible, in partnership with local General Management, for the practice education of student therapists through provision of placements and through support for therapists who are practice educators within their departments.
• Ensure newly qualified therapists have adequate induction and clinical supervision.
• Engage in the HSE performance achievement process in conjunction with your Line Manager and staff as appropriate.

Leadership and Service Development

• Understand the principles of the operational management of the care of the trauma and be responsible for the day-to-day organisation of the clinical speciality area
• Act as an expert occupational therapy clinical resource for the care of the trauma patient and occupational therapy service
• Promote the role of occupational therapy in the trauma patient
• Lead senior decision-making processes in the care of the trauma patient
• Identify and prioritise the requirements of the trauma service within a constantly changing environment
• Develop guidelines for safe and effective practice in the care of trauma occupational therapy service
• Explore and champion new initiatives, practices and models of care, in line with best practice, to improve the patient experience and outcome
• Seek to identify opportunities to assist with and contribute to strategic planning eg development of business cases
• Develop and implement new service initiatives in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders.

Research

• Understand the principles of research and research methodology which underpin an analytical approach to clinical practice
• Lead and facilitate research projects relevant to care of trauma
• Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in respect of relevant research
• Lead the dissemination of research findings locally and nationally within occupational therapy
• Explore innovative ways to contribute to research related to care of trauma
• Research and report on emerging practices and new evaluation tools for care of the trauma occupational therapy service

Health and Safety

• Promote a safe working environment in accordance with Health and Safety legislation.
• Be aware of and implement agreed policies, procedures and safe professional practice by adhering to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.
• Actively participate in risk management issues, adequately identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risk within their area of responsibility.
• Document appropriately and report any adverse incidents, near misses, hazards and accidents in accordance with organisational guidelines.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

Management

• Responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of service in designated area(s).
• Review and allocate resources within the designated area, in collaboration with relevant others.
• Promote quality and changes in work practices, procedures, techniques or technology having regard to the development of best practice, advanced practice and emerging practices in Occupational Therapy.
• Foster and lead a culture and practice of; evaluating service outcomes; data collection; implementing quality improvement initiatives as appropriate.
• Oversee the upkeep of accurate records in line with best clinical governance, organisational requirements and the Freedom of Information Act, GDPR, and render reports and other information / statistics as required.
• Develop and implement strategic service and business plans, quality initiatives, audits etc. based on up to date evidence-based practice and report on outcomes.
• Work within the multidisciplinary team and liaise with staff to ensure effective communication.
• Communicate with other clinical specialists nationally and internationally to further develop clinical excellence and research.
• Serve on and provide specialist advice to committees / working groups that may be set up relevant to the area of clinical speciality.
• Represent the department / team at meetings and conferences as appropriate.
• Liaise with the Occupational Therapist Manager regarding the needs, interests and views of Occupational Therapy staff.
• Promote good team working, and a culture that values diversity.
• Engage in IT developments as they apply to service user and service administration.
• Keep up to date with developments within the organisation and the wider Health Service.

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.