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

An exciting opportunity has become available for a band 6 Occupational Therapist in the Eastbourne Assessment and Treatment Service. This a Permanent post within the West Team. We encourage staff who are also looking for a job share/ flexible working, part time post or are interested in a secondment opportunity to apply.

We are a community based mental health service for adults with complex mental health needs across the Eastbourne & Seaford area. Although this role is based at St Mary's House in Eastbourne, there are aspects of the role which involve being able to travel across the area.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist with a passion for working with this client group. You need to be caring, compassionate and a good communicator, with a commitment to improving the lives of our service users through creative, evidence-based practice. You will need to be flexible and adaptable as modern mental health services are constantly changing in response to best practice. As a lead practitioner you will be responsible for working collaboratively with service users and their carers on your caseload to create care plans that meet their needs and maximise their independence.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate previous experience of assessment skills, an ability to effectively manage and reduce risk, inclusive care and treatment planning as well as robust caseload management. You will be well supported by the lead OT to develop and utilise your skills as an occupational therapist within your role as lead practitioner, and will be provided with a job plan to support this. You will also work closely with our occupational therapy technician to deliver time bound interventions, which have been identified through the application of your standardised OT assessments. The interventions offered by the service are time limited and recovery focussed with a plan to transfer the case elsewhere within the service or to an external partner.

You will promote and develop the role of Occupational Therapy within the clinical area with the support of the Specialist Occupational Therapist and the wider MDT. You will be actively encouraged and supported to implement evidence - based practice changes, and develop own knowledge and experience, as well as educating the rest of the Multi-Disciplinary Team on the role of OT, and the nine key OT interventions delivered within the service. You will actively support, and assist the lead OT with the screening of OT referrals received via the OT referral pathway within the service, and attend regular in-service OT meetings.

Working for our organisation

The successful candidate will provide effective guidance, supervision and appraisals for junior staff, and students on practice placement. Previous experience of this is preferred although not essential.

In return the successful applicant will be supported by a professional, highly motivated and caring MDT. You will be provided with regular clinical and managerial supervision, as well as OT group supervision and peer support. You will have access to a variety of AHP training opportunities to assist you to realise your potential, including regular CPD opportunities whilst achieving a greater degree of job satisfaction. We actively support OT student placements in partnership with the universities, and you will be encouraged and supported by the lead OT to fulfil the role of practice educator. As a Trust employee you will enjoy the standard NHS annual leave entitlement and pension schemes. We offer and support flexible working and part time working, and encourage those looking to develop their own learning and career development to apply.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We value our team's ideas and are always working towards improving how we deliver patient care and carer support. We look forward to receiving your application.

We also welcome applications from occupational therapists who wish to return to practice, and endeavour to support you in this process. Please contact us to discuss further'.

For more information call Team Leader Rhian Tucker or Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist Lisa O'Connell on 01323 747224.

Person specification

Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
• Evidence of post graduate level study/training
• Registration with the HCPC as an occupational therapist
• Management/Leadership training
• Training in the use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Experience as a qualified occupational therapist in mental health
• Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
• Experience of both group and individual work
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of supervising staff and students
• Experience as a Care Coordinator
• Experience in a clinical area related to the post
• Leadership experience
• Experience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of occupational therapy clinical approaches used in mental health

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.