Specialist Occupational Therapist

The Walsall Early Supported Discharge (ESD) and Community Stroke Team is seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred rehabilitation for individuals recovering from stroke within their own homes and community settings.

The post holder will provide specialist occupational therapy assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation to adults with complex physical, cognitive, perceptual, and psychosocial needs following stroke. Working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team, you will support patients to maximise their independence, achieve their rehabilitation goals, and facilitate a smooth transition from hospital to community-based care.

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, including professional and legal accountability and managing clinical risk for all aspects of own work. Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as an individual practitioner or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing an evidence-based Occupational Therapy service for adults with a stroke. To use specialist clinical skills to assess and deliver Occupational Therapy intervention to service users with highly complex needs. In most cases to be the sole health professional with responsibility for that patient's episode of care.

To provide support to the Assistant Practitioners/Technical Instructors via supervision and Professional

Development Review. To work collaboratively with and to provide technical support to colleagues within community stroke rehabilitation services. To act as an accredited fieldwork educator for Occupational Therapy Students on placement.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state-of-the-art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

1. To manage a caseload of service users with highly complex needs due to stroke,

2. Using specialist Occupational Therapist assessment and intervention skills i.e. Vision, cognition,vocational rehab to include equipment orders and home adaptions.

3. Use specialist clinical skills to provide assessment and treatment programmes in community setting.

4. To supervise band 4 and 5 grades of therapy staff within the community stroke rehabilitation service

5. To act as an autonomous practitioner with advanced practitioner skills. This involves assessingclinical needs, planning, delivering, and evaluating therapeutic rehabilitation programmes to supportcommunity living of clients with complex needs and discharging from the service when appropriate.

6. To perform specialist stroke rehabilitation Occupational therapy assessments and interventions tofacilitate improvement in upper limb function, cognitive, vision and perceptual skills within recognisedframeworks of practice and treatment approaches. This may involve use of recognised standardisedassessments e.g. VISA, OCS, R-Bands, Brainwave R and Rivermead perceptual assessment battery.

7. To assess for and fit a wide variety of adaptive equipment to meet clients' needs regarding communityliving and performance of roles. This involves identifying potential risks and using highlydeveloped clinical reasoning skills to identify the appropriate piece of equipment and monitor andevaluate its use

8. To assess for and prescribe minor adaptations to property and identify needs for major adaptations andliaise with Social Services colleagues regarding provision

9. To assess clinical needs and manufacture specialist orthoses to meet clinical needs related tomanagement of muscle tone, joint stability, and pain. This will include monitoring and evaluating useand change in clients' health status within a planned review system.

10. To organise, facilitate and evaluate, group treatment and health education programmes for specificclient groups i.e. upper limb group and cognitive groups.

11. To effectively manage and prioritise a caseload of service users with complex needs acting as anautonomous practitioner with advanced specialist practitioner skills.

12. To provide appropriate written clinical reports within Single Assessment Processes and maintain clientcase notes to agreed departmental and professional standards.

13. To construct and monitor care plans. This includes supervising the practice of generic workers,Assistant Practitioners or Technical Instructors and care workers within the enablement service.

14. To liaise and work jointly with, appropriate health and social care providers to ensure that allidentified issues requiring intervention are addressed within available resources. This may includeattendance at multi-professional and multiagency meetings, case reviews and joint visits.

15. To provide technical support and advice to other health and social care providers regarding appropriateinterventions to address clients' issues.

16. To identify best / evidence-based practice related to appropriate client groups and implement within resources available.