Occupational Therapist

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join the STEPS Eating Disorders Inpatient Unit at Blackberry Hill. STEPS EDU is a welcoming, compassionate 10-bedded specialist unit working closely with community eating disorder services across the South West Provider Collaborative. As the Specialist Occupational Therapist, you will undertake comprehensive occupational therapy assessments, develop and deliver person-centred interventions, and contribute to the wider therapeutic programme.

Your role will include supporting meal planning, shopping and cooking skills, meaningful activity engagement, vocational support, equipment assessments for the ward and home and discharge planning. The service is entering an exciting period of transformation, offering opportunities to contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives. You should have significant post-qualification experience and be confident and working as an autonomous practitioner.

You need to have a strong interest in working with people experiencing eating disorders and be keen to continue your professional development within this specialist field of work. The successful candidate will receive a comprehensive induction, ongoing training, management and clinical supervision, and access to professional networks to support continued development within this specialist field., Evidence-based occupational therapy interventions for individuals.

Liaison with carers and other agencies, including social workers and accommodation providers. Home assessments for leave and discharge, sensory awareness, and sensory interventions for patients on the unit. Facilitating and co-facilitating groups with the MDT. Skills training for staff. Assessing patients for equipment. Addressing the physical health needs of patients. Working with the MDT to determine the best pathway for patients on the unit.

Supporting patients on leave to achieve goals, including managing eating outside of hospital and engaging in activities., Manage a complex/specialist OT caseload from assessment to discharge from therapy. Service users may have multiple needs, including a combination of physical and mental health conditions or learning disabilities. Service users may demonstrate challenging behaviours or have difficult family situations of relevance.

Ensure the highest professional standards and attitudes towards the care of service users are maintained at all times, and that care is delivered in accordance with evidence-based practice by all staff for whom the postholder has designated responsibility. Undertake complex occupational therapy assessments and develop complex therapy programmes. Assess and manage risk effectively in clinical and community settings, including the service users own home.

Work with service users and carers to identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall multidisciplinary team plan. Develop and implement specialist interventions for individuals or groups, in collaboration with the service user(s) and MDT, to achieve therapeutic goals. Use technical and creative skills to engage service users in therapeutic activities and encourage service users/carers in a compassionate manner to support them in achieving their identified goals.

Monitor and evaluate occupational therapy treatment to measure progress and modify treatment plans to ensure the effectiveness of clinical interventions. Provide reports and make recommendations on service user progress at clinical meetings, and participate in the clinical decision-making process regarding service user care programmes as part of the multidisciplinary team. Provide specialist clinical advice to other healthcare professionals, including those in the acute hospital sector with limited mental health or learning disability experience.

Provide professional advice, as requested and where appropriate, in relation to subject access requests. Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalen