Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapists to join our band 5 OT Rotation, which includes a range of 9-month placements at Langley Green Hospital in Crawley. This provides a really good foundation for Occupational Therapists starting out in their careers or for other band 5 Occupational Therapists that wish to gain further experience.

There are currently 3 rotation placements available but we are working towards expanding opportunities across Sussex. The roles are as follows:

Placement A - A joint role between Crisis Home Treatment Team and Acute Day services

The Crisis Home Treatment Team is part of acute care and works closely with the acute hospital and community teams to support clients in a mental health crisis. It offers clients care and support in their own homes together with a day service group programme based as an alternative to hospital admission.

Acute Day Services provide psycho-educational groups for community mental health service users; based on the most up-to-date evidence base practice.

Placement B- Coral Ward is a 19 bedded mixed acute mental health ward.

Placement C -Opal Ward a 20 bedded mixed ward predominately for older adults. Our award winning ' Home First' team is also based here.

Please note that we welcome applications from students that are awaiting their HCPC registration (please declare in your application that you are qualified and awaiting your registration).

Main duties of the job

This Rotation offers OT's the chance to consolidate their knowledge, and develop OT specific and generic skills that are transferable across teams, and service user groups. We are looking therefore for people who will take the opportunities afforded by this, and who can foster effective working relationships with professionals and with service users.

The post-holders will be expected to assess and deliver, evidence-based OT interventions, to facilitate wellbeing, and optimise independent functioning in self-care, productivity and leisure activities, from an occupational perspective.

Interventions take place in home environments, community settings and the in-patient ward, with flexibility of working required to meet service user needs.

There is an expectation to be involved in projects or service developments happening within teams allowing the post-holder to develop their skills within this area.

Working for our organisation

All Occupational Therapists have access to supervision, yearly appraisal and CPD networks. For newly qualified Occupational Therapist we offer a Preceptorship programme. Additional training is supported and encouraged, together with leadership development programmes.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To be a core member of the local clinical team, using mental health and occupational therapy assessments.

• To manage a caseload of clients with mental health needs.

• To plan and implement client centred individual and group interventions, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.

• To identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall care plan.

• To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.

• To apply an understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and adaptations to the client's social and physical environment.

• To carry out carers assessments and implement a plan of care accordingly.

• Have a basic working knowledge of the medication prescribed for the persons in their care. To include usual dosage, common side effects and the need for any special monitoring. Any reported or observed side effects must be brought to the attention of the prescriber.

Person specification

Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
• Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
• Evidence of successful completion of a COT standard preceptorship programme

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
• Experience working as part of a team
• Experience running groups/activities
• Experience of being supervised

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.