09 Oct
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Huddersfield
Job description
Job summary
To work as a specialist Frailty Occupational Therapist within the CHFT Acute Frailty service. This is a rapidly developing service with the aim of providing a comprehensive geriatric assessment to frail patients presenting to the acute areas of CHFT.
This is a challenging and exciting post working within an evolving integrated multidisciplinary team.
You will be required to assess frail patients across CHFT this will include the new emergency department, medical assessment unit, and Frailty Same Day Emergency Care unit (FSDEC).
You will utilise your core occupational therapy skills to support the complex needs of frail patients.
Working within a multi-disciplinary team to provide holistic assessment meeting the needs of our patients with a strong focus on the home first approach.
You will get the opportunities to expand your knowledge with skill sharing competencies alongside your occupational therapy skills to formulate individual treatment plans.
The Acute Frailty Team has growing opportunities for development with positive encouragement for individuals to be involved in service development.
Our service operates 7 days per week including weekends and bank holidays.
Main duties of the job
- Candidates must have previous NHS experience either as an undergraduate or postgraduate
- To act as specialist clinician for the Acute Frailty Service within the Acute Medicine directorate.
- Work autonomously within Trust policies and professional practice, maintaining accurate and comprehensive up to date records.
- To manage own specialist caseload, demonstrating excellent skills in effective prioritisation in fast paced environment.
- Provide and develop the core components of the specialist therapy role including clinical practice, management and education.
- Act as a clinical role model ensuring best practice in all assessments.
- To support the Team Leader in the day to day running of the Acute Frailty service.
- To support and advise in the wider MDT, on the delivery of excellent care of the frail patient.
- To participate in the assessment, planning, implementation of individualised treatment plans for frail older adults.
- To recognise the changes in patients' conditions which require the intervention.
- To advocate for patients following holistic assessment.
About us
We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes.
We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.
We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care;
children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.
We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres.
These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.
We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services.
They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.
Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To effectively identify patients living with frailty.
To identify and provide specialist therapy input to patients living with frailty.
Complete Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment on patients presenting to CHFT.
This must involve a truly holistic approach to assessments including aspects which may not traditionally fall in a therapists role.
To assess, plan and implement specialist therapy interventions, ensuring that each patient has a coherent and comprehensive management plan.
These plans will be developed with the patient and relatives / carer according to their needs and include referral to other disciplines and services, observing the principles of holistic care.
Promotes and provide effective communication with other professionals, patients, carers and with other care settings.
To maintain accurate, appropriate and concise patient records, involving documentation on electronic patient management systems.
To promote and provide relevant and clear information, education and advice for patients, carers and families, according to their needs.
Act as the patients advocate, supporting and promoting their involvement in decision making.
To provide specialist advice and information to professional colleagues, patients, carers and the public.
To take an active role in risk assessment, supporting implementation of strategies to minimise risk; ensuring incidents and near misses are reported, through promoting a no blame culture.
To establish and maintain effective communication, both verbal and written.
To be aware of team members skills / competency and be able to delegate tasks and skill share appropriately.
Act as an innovative and enthusiastic role model, providing leadership, guidance and advice to staff on operational and professional issues.
Attend and participate in clinical meetings as required including providing feedback and disseminating information as appropriate
To effectively manage a rapidly changing and complex caseload, demonstrating highly skilled prioritisation and autonomy.
To act within the Acute frailty service as a specialist resource providing advice for colleagues within the MDT.
To work collaboratively with health and social care community and acute colleagues
To ensure effective care pathways and transfers of care.
To ensure a high standard of patient care is provided including implementing and reviewing clinical standards relevant to the work undertaken.
To work across a 7day service, working a variable shift pattern including weekends and bank holidays. .
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with HCPC
- Relevant Degree / Diploma
Desirable
Clinical Educator Training
Knowledge
Essential
- Recent and extensive clinical experience working with frail patients. This should include assessments, complex and autonomous decision making and discharge planning.
- Awareness of relevant Legislation, NSF'S / Local and National initiatives.
- Excellent Clinical Reasoning skills in situations of complex health and social needs
- Evidence of CPD, self-directed learning and reflective practice
- Experience in dealing Knowledge and experience of assessing risk on discharge and implementing risk reduction measures
- Knowledge of best practice in relevant clinical areas
- Understanding of Clinical Governance
- Critical Appraisal Skills
- Ability to recognize the emotional demands of the post and demonstrate the necessary resilience.
- Ability to recognise own limitations and have a willingness to share and learn skills from others
- Excellent time management
- Previous NHS experience either as an undergraduate or postgraduate
Desirable
- Experience in contributing to service improvements.
- Experience in dealing with complaints
- Experience mentoring students
▶️ Specialist Frailty Occupational Therapist
🖊️ Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
📍 Huddersfield