Highly Specialist Neuro-Oncology Occupational Therapist

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information please refer to the job description and personal specification

Undertake and oversee all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

• The Band 7 Occupational Therapist is responsible for the provision of a high quality and evidence-based service. The post holder is a skilled practitioner, who will act as a source of knowledge and expertise for patients, families and other members of the health care team. The post holder takes a lead role in planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating the occupational therapy service within areas of advanced clinical practice.
• Provide a holistic and advanced assessment of patients with primary Central Nervous System tumours. These patients may present with complex physical, emotional and psychological needs as a result of their cancer diagnosis and its treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, protons and systemic anti-cancer therapy.

Key areas of responsibility

• Working autonomously in ward (including CCU) and outpatient settings to provide complex clinical assessment of the physical, biomechanical, sensory, psychological, cognitive, perceptual, and interpersonal deficits affecting the functioning of individuals with neuro-oncology diagnosis and neurological problems arising from cancer; as well as support their families and carers through the use of advanced clinical reasoning.
• Developing and implementing individual specialised therapeutic rehabilitation programmes specific to patient's needs based on activity analysis using a client-centred, problem solving approach.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Education, Research and Development Responsibilities

• Leading the collection and collation of data and publication of evidence through approved research and audit e.g. publishing articles in recognized professional journals.
• Contributing to the development and implementation of education programmes within the Royal Marsden School of Cancer Nursing & Rehabilitation e.g. teaching on modules of the AHP post-graduate diploma/Masters courses, nursing and AHP diploma/degree courses and specific study days and conferences.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy.
• State Registration with Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) for Occupational Therapy.
• Evidence of experience in clinical supervision and appraisal.
• Evidence of experience in leadership, project management, audit, outcomes measurement and clinical governance.
• Evidence of experience in presentation and teaching skills.
• Post-grad study days/courses in oncology/neuro-oncology/palliative care.
• Significant post graduate clinical experience with a minimum of two years' experience in oncology and neuro-oncology.

Desirable criteria

• Membership of a clinical interest group in occupational therapy.
• Approved fieldwork supervisor course.
• Accredited wheelchair course.
• Accredited splinting and hand therapy course.

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential criteria

• Advanced knowledge of functional assessment and treatment techniques for oncology, neuro-oncology and palliative care patients, including physical, cognitive, psychosocial functional assessments and treatment, as well as specific symptom and lifestyle management techniques (e.g. relaxation, anxiety, breathlessness and fatigue management).
• Risk assessment: Ability to carry out risk assessments concerning patients and staff safety, including Manual Handling. Ability to assess risks associated with lone working, take responsibility for reporting to colleagues and ensuring self and patient are safe at all times. Ability to assess potential risks with regard to patients' discharge from hospital.
• Expertise in group dynamics, planning, facilitating, running and evaluating therapeutic groups.
• Advanced clinical reasoning as well as analytical and creative problems solving skills.
• Communication skills: Advanced communication skills with particular ability to work with complex/sensitive situations with patients, carers, OT colleagues and the wider MDT; Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills as required in an oncology and palliative care setting; Ability to deal with imparting bad news.
• Written and documentation skills: Ability to produce professional and accurate notes and records including management reports, service development proposals, multi-professional care plans, letters, assessments for hospital and external agencies.
• Reflective Skills: Ability to reflect on and make positive changes to own and departmental clinical practices.
• Team skills: Ability to facilitate supportive team working to maintain efficacy, efficiency and morale.
• Autonomous working: Ability to work in a highly motivated self-directed manner on clinical and departmental activities.
• Organisational skills: Ability to prioritise workload and organise time effectively to manage multiple priorities.
• Supervisory skills: Ability to fulfil supervisory and mentor role for junior staff and undergraduate students.
• Educational skills: Ability to teach both patients and carers in areas relating to rehabilitation; Proven ability to prepare and deliver presentations and education sessions to health care colleagues and members of public.
• IT skills: Ability to enter data, prepare reports, formal written documentation and multi-media presentations. Confident in the use of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Power Point and Excel.
• NHS/Trust: Sound understanding of current NHS and the Trust's issues.

Desirable criteria

• Membership of a clinical interest group in occupational therapy.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant post graduate clinical experience with a minimum of two years' experience in oncology and neuro-oncology.
• Evidence of experience in clinical supervision and appraisal.
• Evidence of experience in leadership, project management, audit, outcomes measurement and clinical governance.
• Evidence of experience in presentation and teaching skills.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination - What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

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