Job summary

Base: Adult Community Mental Health Team Hemel Hempstead. There is currently a vacancy, to cover maternity leave, for a highly motivated and innovative band 6 or band 5/6 Occupational Therapist to work within our Community Mental Health Team in the North West of Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This post is a 12 month fixed term contract to cover maternity leave. The successful applicant will need to evidence a sound knowledge of Occupational Therapy interventions with people who have Mental Health problems.

Main duties of the job

This is a great opportunity for a band 6 or experienced band 5 looking to gain experience as a band 6. This is a 12 month contact to cover maternity leave. The role includes managing a clinical OT caseload, carrying out comprehensive assessments and delivering evidence based interventions using the Model of Human Occupation. Assessments and Interventions take place at the unit, in service users homes, or in the community. There is the opportunity to develop both individual and group interventions to help the service user achieve their personal and recovery goals.

This post also includes a small care coordination caseload whose primary difficulties are experienced within their occupational functioning.The post holder will also learn the process of, and develop skills in Community Mental Health Team initial assessments and duty, with a view of undertaking them independently.

The OT team consists of an OT Assistant Therapy Practitioner and a Band 5 Occupational Therapist. The team offers 1-1 and group interventions and has successfully facilitated a number of face to face, and virtual groups using the Recovery Through Activity framework developed by Sue Parkinson. The OT team has made links with several community resources enhancing the quality OT provision. The post holder would have the opportunity to develop this further, expanding on the current groups provided.

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from theCare Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers – everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Then please read on…”

Date posted

23 November 2022

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£33,706 to £40,588 a year 5% of basic salary, subject to a min of £1,136 & max of £1,915

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

367-WEST-6616

Job locations

The Marlowes Health & Wellbeing Centre -Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead

HP1 1LD

Job description

Job responsibilities

See attached job description and person specification

Car driver essential, or access to a car (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving).

Hertfordshire is a lovely county to live/work in, lots of beautiful countryside to explore with great transport links to other parts of Hertfordshire and London.

The Community Mental Health Teams provide assessment and treatment to service users along 2 care pathways – one for those with psychotic disorders and the other for those with non-psychotic disorder and personality disorder. The Service encourages joint working between professions to provide in-depth interventions for the people who use the service. The multi-disciplinary team consists of Nursing, Social care, Medical, Psychology, Art and Drama Therapy, STaR workers, Employment & Vocational advisors and an Accommodation Worker. The clinical team is supported by a number of administrative and data staff.

The Community Occupational Therapy staff across Hertfordshire meet regularly for professional development and peer support which receives regular positive feedback. There is an extensive in-house training programme for all OT staff to develop, consolidate, and share specific OT skills. There is the opportunity for the post holder to complete the Assessment of Motor and Processing Skills assessment (AMPS) and /or the Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI). The post holder will have the opportunity to supervise and delegate tasks to junior staff and offer placements to occupational therapy students. The community OT teams offer a supportive environment with regular professional supervision provided by the lead OT.

Job description

Job responsibilities

See attached job description and person specification

Car driver essential, or access to a car (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving).

Hertfordshire is a lovely county to live/work in, lots of beautiful countryside to explore with great transport links to other parts of Hertfordshire and London.

The Community Mental Health Teams provide assessment and treatment to service users along 2 care pathways – one for those with psychotic disorders and the other for those with non-psychotic disorder and personality disorder. The Service encourages joint working between professions to provide in-depth interventions for the people who use the service. The multi-disciplinary team consists of Nursing, Social care, Medical, Psychology, Art and Drama Therapy, STaR workers, Employment & Vocational advisors and an Accommodation Worker. The clinical team is supported by a number of administrative and data staff.

The Community Occupational Therapy staff across Hertfordshire meet regularly for professional development and peer support which receives regular positive feedback. There is an extensive in-house training programme for all OT staff to develop, consolidate, and share specific OT skills. There is the opportunity for the post holder to complete the Assessment of Motor and Processing Skills assessment (AMPS) and /or the Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI). The post holder will have the opportunity to supervise and delegate tasks to junior staff and offer placements to occupational therapy students. The community OT teams offer a supportive environment with regular professional supervision provided by the lead OT.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
  • HCPC registration (or applied for)
  • Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages.
  • Desirable

  • Membership of ROCT
  • Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability
  • Training in the use of the Model of Human Occupation in practice areas
  • Experience and Knowledge

    Essential

  • Application of the OT process and use of functional assessment and activity analysis
  • Working knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
  • Working knowledge of standardised assessment and outcome measures appropriate to area of practice
  • Experience of the application of an OT model in practice
  • Desirable

  • Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability
  • Documented evidence of continuing professional development
  • Communication Skills

    Essential

  • Ability to provide and receive sensitive and difficult information regarding services users care and social situation
  • Applied knowledge and understanding and ability to use a range of communication skills to overcome barriers to engagement
  • Physical Skills

    Essential

  • Full driving license with access to car unless you have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 2010
  • Person Specification

    Qualifications/Training

    Essential

  • BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
  • HCPC registration (or applied for)
  • Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages.
  • Desirable

  • Membership of ROCT
  • Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability
  • Training in the use of the Model of Human Occupation in practice areas
  • Experience and Knowledge

    Essential

  • Application of the OT process and use of functional assessment and activity analysis
  • Working knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
  • Working knowledge of standardised assessment and outcome measures appropriate to area of practice
  • Experience of the application of an OT model in practice
  • Desirable

  • Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability
  • Documented evidence of continuing professional development
  • Communication Skills

    Essential

  • Ability to provide and receive sensitive and difficult information regarding services users care and social situation
  • Applied knowledge and understanding and ability to use a range of communication skills to overcome barriers to engagement
  • Physical Skills

    Essential

  • Full driving license with access to car unless you have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 2010
  • 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 (Opens in a new tab).

    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 Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

    UK Registration

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

    Additional information

    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 (Opens in a new tab).

    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 Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

    UK Registration

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