Senior Occupational Therapist

Full-time, Maternity Cover for1 Year commencing January 2026 Role Summary: The person appointed to this post will be responsible for As Senior OT in Acute General Medicine in (St Michaels Hospital) the post holder will be expected to utilise high level clinical skills, intervention, education and rehabilitation skills to ensure that they and all Occupational Therapy staff in this area provide all patients with a timely, quality and equitable service. Essential Qualifications / Experience: Qualifications Be registered on the Occupational Therapists Register maintained by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at CORU. Experience (length and type) 3 years minimum post qualification experience. Experience of at least one year working in Acute care General Medicine services Have a working knowledge of local and international initiatives towards OT role in patient flow and/or hospital avoidance Experience of Neurological assessment and treatment Complex postural assessment and seating prescription skills High standard of cognitive assessment and treatment skills Experience working within level IV hospital Experience working specifically in one or moreof the following areas: Care of the Older Person. Orthopaedics, Neurology, Respiratory Medicine, Gastroenterology, Palliative Care, Endocrine and Discharge Planning. Core Competencies Education and Development Education and Development of Others Continuing Professional Development Acting as a Clinical Resource to Colleagues, Service users and Carers Providing a Quality Service Demonstrates the ability to monitor, evaluate, audit and maintain the quality of the service. Evidence based practice & Research. Seeks opportunities and leads initiatives for improving services Provide a Quality Service. Be competent in The Occupational Therapy Process. Professional Practice Professional Behaviour Professional Reasoning Manage a caseload Teamwork Communication Therapeutic and Professional Relationships Outline of Duties and Responsibilities: Clinical: As Senior OT in Acute General Medicine in (St Michaels Hospital) the post holder will be expected to utilise high level clinical skills, intervention, education and rehabilitation skills to ensure that they and all Occupational Therapy staff in this area provide all patients with a timely, quality and equitable service. Within Acute General Medicine the Senior OT, will act as O.T. team lead for varied medical teams and MDT teams that come under the umbrella of acute medicine. (This may include cover to ED and OPD also if required.) The main areas within the Acute General Medicine remit are but not limited to: Care of the Older Person, Respiratory Medicine, Cardiology, Palliative Care, Discharge Planning/Facilitation, Orthopaedics, Gastroenterology, and Endocrine. This role involves working within Unscheduled Care and key to this role is an understanding and initiatives to assist patient flow An ability to utilise rapid, sound clinically reasoning is often required by post holder. Due to the varied nature of clinical presentations into this area, the post holder will have clinical experience in the assessment and treatment of patients that may present with acute or established cognitive issues. Experience working with complex discharge planning is essential. Experience in complex postural assessment and prescription of postural programmes to include complex seating is required. When appropriate, the post holder will guide staff in the safe discharge planning that may involve arranging and undertaking home visits, assessing patients safety within the home and making recommendations for appliances or alterations in conjunction with community services as necessary. Effective and timely communication is vital to this role , ensuring that they and their OT teams communicate effectively in advising the family/carer and MDT towards potential OT intervention duration and OT treatment plan early on in the patient journey As part of the department supervision and CPD policy, the post holder will meet with the Occupational Therapy Manager on a regular basis, operational issues will be reviewed here as well as clinical and professional development. Management/Administration Duties: The post holder will be responsible for overall organisation, development, administration and day-to-day running of the Occupational Therapy services in St. Michaels Hospital, in relation to their role as Senior Occupational Therapist in Acute General Medicine. As part of their role towards effective patient flow and effecting safe and timely discharges for the organisation, the post holder may be responsible for covering other areas within the general OT Department, The post holder will have responsibility for their own and the OT teams effective management of their caseloads, utilising effective prioritisation of referrals received into the service. The post holder may have input along with other seniors into the development of service review / audit / research to ensure a continuous monitoring of the effectiveness of service and innovative practice where possible will be encouraged. To review patients progress, record information and report to the multi-disciplinary team through clinical meetings and written reports. The post holder may from time to time be expected to provide families and carers with written recommendations. To comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information legislation. To participate in family meetings and case conferences where relevant. To provide advice on a consultative basis to other occupational therapists within the department. To review and devise policies and protocols within acute medicine and /or ED / OPD as the need arises. To provide support, formal and informal supervision and adequate in-service training to other departmental staff grade and students, in order to safeguard the high standard of practice. To ensure that they and all Acute General Medicine Occupational Therapy staff provide timely administrative records and statistics to support the Manager of the Occupational Therapy Services in the administrative tasks of the Department. To take responsibility for the maintenance and replacement of stock and equipment with possible shared emphasis on Slan Abhaile discharge stock and seating initiatives. Education: As part of their CPD and CORU registration, the post holder will be required to keep up to date with current trends and with developments in Occupational Therapy, including attendance at courses, quality improvements, and audits as agreed by the Occupational Therapist Manager. To attend and participate in the in-service programme within the department and the Hospital To be responsible for the organisation of clinical training of all Occupational Therapy staff within Acute General medicine service. To be involved in the training of other professionals, as required, such as student nurses, medical students, allied health students. To ensure continuing education and development of skills of Staff Grade Occupational Therapists. To arrange regular supervision of staff grade therapists. To increase knowledge and understanding of Occupational Therapy to co-workers in St. Michaels Hospital. General: To attend staff meetings and liaise with members of Occupational Therapy services. To be involved with quality assurance and other related projects. To undertake any other duties as required by the Manager of Occupational Therapy Services. Conditions of Employment: Annual Leave Entitlement: 30 days per annum pro- rata. Annual leave is calculated January to December of each year. Sick Leave Regulations: Please refer to contract of employment. Probationary Period: The appointee shall hold office for a probationary period of six months. The terms of the Hospitals Superannuation Scheme (VHSS & SPSPS) will apply to this position. A minimum of 1months notice of termination of employment is required. Notice of termination of employment must be received in writing. Uniform Policy must be adhered to at all times. Please note the following: The Hospital Board is not responsible for loss or theft of personal belongings. Fire orders must be observed and staff must attend fire lectures every 2 years. Mandatory training must be adhered to and recertified before expiry timeframes occur i.e. Manual Handling, Basic Life support, Intravenous assessment, Hand hygiene education, waste management and Mission effectiveness programme. All accidents within the department must be reported immediately. In line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (1989 & 2005), smoking within the Hospital building is not permitted. All Staff are advised to avail of Hepatitis B Vaccination with Occupational Health. Policies/Legislation: All hospital policies and procedures form an integral part of an employment contract and may be subject to update and revision, from time to time, in consultation with union representatives as appropriate. Employees are required to comply with all hospital policies, procedures (e.g. Dignity at work, Trust in Care, Computer Usage Policy) and the hospitals ethical codes of practice. Confidentiality In the course of your employment you may have access to, or hear information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients, students, staff and / or other health service business. Such records and information are strictly confidential and, unless acting on the instruction of an authorised officer, such information must not be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required. Hygiene During the course of employment staff are required to ensure that the hospitals hygiene and infection control policies are adhered to at all times. All employees have responsibility to prevent transmission of infection by adhering to and implementing optimal hand hygiene and adhering to the Hospitals Hygiene processes. Hygiene is a fundamental component of St Michaels Hospitals quality system to ensure the safety and well-being of its patients and staff and plays a role in the prevention and control of healthcare associated infection. Benefits of working at St Michaels Hospital Defined benefit pension scheme. Access to learning and development opportunities. Library facilities. Subsidised staff restaurant. Subsidised pharmacy. Access to subsidised gym facilities. Access to health services credit union. Group discount for health insurance. Excellent access to public transport including dart and bus routes. Tax saver commuter ticket scheme. Bike to work scheme. This job description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and may include any other duties and responsibilities as may be determined from time to time.