Occupational Therapy Assistant

Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.

Do you have a passion for working with people who are experiencing acute mental illness, within an inpatient setting?

Would you like to be part of an innovative model of care, which places therapy at its core?

Our team works to promote person-centred care by focusing on recovery through the provision of a multidisciplinary team, working within psychological approaches and through therapeutic activity.

Occupational Therapy is recognised as having an essential and core role within the multi-disciplinary team and is at the forefront of developing recovery and therapeutic interventions.

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapy Assistant who is looking to positively contribute to this innovative approach to promote the therapeutic engagement of service users.

This position would suit someone with a keen interest in working in the mental health field.

You will need to have good teamwork skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both staff and service users.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for supporting the Occupational Therapy team to carry out assessments, treatments, group work and individual interventions.

You will also have the opportunity to work within a dynamic and creative environment.

You will work closely with the team to implement and provide a therapeutic programme which supports the use of activity in order to aid recovery and enable a timely and sustained discharge.

Duties will include : -

Running therapeutic groups and activities with patients.

Creating a therapeutic environment with access to fresh air and sensory interventions.

Signposting patients for support in the community to support their recovery needs.

Supporting discharge planning.

Involving family, friends and carers in the care and treatment of patients.

Escorting patients on leave.

Supporting the Occupational Therapist in completing ADL assessments.

Equipment provision and audit.

About us

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust.

We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway.

Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs.

Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway.

Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple : We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well.

It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone.

And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties

Experience in running groups / activities

Experience of training others in technical / leisure / creative skills

Knowledge and Skills

Able to support individuals in their personal occupational needs which can include supporting them in their creative and physical activities within the service or in community settings

Ability to work cooperatively as part of a interprofessional team

Adaptability, flexibility and resilience

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Health care or relevant NVQ level 3 or equivalent skills

A recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical / life skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order)

• and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

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