Job summary
We are currently looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Adult ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Team. The ideal candidate will have a strong team work ethic, sense of accountability, accompanied by an ability to work under considerable pressure at times. This post is open to professionals with the right attributes to enhance a team.
If you are looking for a new challenge, enjoy variety in your work and wish to be part of a team striving to make a difference for our community by supporting people with ME/CFS, we want to hear from you. We are ideally looking for someone with knowledge of this condition and experience working with patients who have ME/CFS or other similar neurological conditions. The post mainly entails managing a caseload of complex patients who require self-management advice and support in the form of one-to-one and group therapy sessions. Experience of implementation of the NICE guidelines for ME/CFS would be an advantage.
We will provide the necessary support to ensure your development within this role. The service is based in Botolph Bridge Community Health Centre in Peterborough and the post worker will be required to work 24 hours a week at band 6 either at base or remotely. The successful applicant will also need to be able to travel to area clinics in Huntingdon, Doddington and Cambridge.
Main duties of the job
Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.
This is an exciting post to work seamlessly with patients across community care services within our region. The key aims and objectives of the service are listed below.
- To work autonomously as a member of the ME/CFS Service, multidisciplinary team, in providing care, advice & support to patients referred to the service with a diagnosis of ME/CFS or multifactorial fatigue.
- To promote education & guidance to patients, their carers & Healthcare professionals across Peterborough & Cambridgeshire .
The ideal candidate will have a strong team work ethic, sense of accountability, accompanied by an ability to work under considerable pressure at times. The post is open to professionals with the right attributes to enhance a team.
*DVLA have a number ofreciprocalarrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website
About us
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
- To undertake holistic assessment (including those with complex presentations and multi pathologies) making use of specialist clinical reasoning skills.
- To promote independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting.
- Conduct risk assessments and health and safety assessments, immediately reporting any changes/newly identified risks.
- To demonstrate the importance of gaining patient and carer consent in all interventions.
- To effectively communicate verbally with patients, carers and colleagues using tact and persuasive skills. This may involve using skills where patients have difficulties in communication, e.g. hearing loss, diminished sight, depression, speech problems, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems and pain.
- To actively manage positive relationships with other agencies involved in the patients pathway e.g. adult social care, psychological well-being service
- To contribute to the development of a high-quality specialist service for adults with ME/CFS in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.
- Manage a caseload of highly complex and challenging cases, as an autonomous practitioner. Assess, develop and implement occupational therapy programmes of care evidencing a high level of problem solving and reasoning skills.
- The post holder will be responsible for providing expert advice, education, & guidance on ME/CFS, to patients, carers and healthcare Professionals within Peterborough & Cambridgeshire, .
- Provision of care will be virtual (working from home) and clinic based including outreach clinics and occasional home visits across Peterborough & Cambridgeshire,
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
- To undertake holistic assessment (including those with complex presentations and multi pathologies) making use of specialist clinical reasoning skills.
- To promote independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting.
- Conduct risk assessments and health and safety assessments, immediately reporting any changes/newly identified risks.
- To demonstrate the importance of gaining patient and carer consent in all interventions.
- To effectively communicate verbally with patients, carers and colleagues using tact and persuasive skills. This may involve using skills where patients have difficulties in communication, e.g. hearing loss, diminished sight, depression, speech problems, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems and pain.
- To actively manage positive relationships with other agencies involved in the patients pathway e.g. adult social care, psychological well-being service
- To contribute to the development of a high-quality specialist service for adults with ME/CFS in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.
- Manage a caseload of highly complex and challenging cases, as an autonomous practitioner. Assess, develop and implement occupational therapy programmes of care evidencing a high level of problem solving and reasoning skills.
- The post holder will be responsible for providing expert advice, education, & guidance on ME/CFS, to patients, carers and healthcare Professionals within Peterborough & Cambridgeshire, .
- Provision of care will be virtual (working from home) and clinic based including outreach clinics and occasional home visits across Peterborough & Cambridgeshire,
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
- BSc /Dip COT
Experience
Essential
- Experience and good knowledge of carrying out complex assessments
- Evidence based approach to practice
- Practical experience of the management of ME/CFS
Desirable
- Personal and / or professional experience of ME/CFS
- Use of either standardised or non-standardised Outcome Measures
- Experience in complex fatigue management and/or talking therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, compassion focussed therapy.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision
- Knowledge and good experience of a wide range of medical conditions and different treatment approaches
- Ability to organise and prioritise caseload efficiently
- Knowledge of NICE guidance for the management of ME/CFS
Desirable
- Reflective practice.
- Can demonstrate how s/he has promoted 'best practice'
- Evidence of service improvement project
- Teaching skills / experience of implementation of group work
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Accepts responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others
- Knowledge of relevant outcome measures
- Seeks and uses professional support appropriately
- Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances.
Desirable
- Systmone
- Knowledge of current research in the field of ME/CFS
- Knowledge of BACME guidance for the management of ME/CFS
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Car owner / driver with the ability to travel across the Locality as required.
- Work from a laptop, at a desk, (either in the office or from home) for long periods.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
- BSc /Dip COT
Experience
Essential
- Experience and good knowledge of carrying out complex assessments
- Evidence based approach to practice
- Practical experience of the management of ME/CFS
Desirable
- Personal and / or professional experience of ME/CFS
- Use of either standardised or non-standardised Outcome Measures
- Experience in complex fatigue management and/or talking therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, compassion focussed therapy.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision
- Knowledge and good experience of a wide range of medical conditions and different treatment approaches
- Ability to organise and prioritise caseload efficiently
- Knowledge of NICE guidance for the management of ME/CFS
Desirable
- Reflective practice.
- Can demonstrate how s/he has promoted 'best practice'
- Evidence of service improvement project
- Teaching skills / experience of implementation of group work
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Accepts responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others
- Knowledge of relevant outcome measures
- Seeks and uses professional support appropriately
- Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances.
Desirable
- Systmone
- Knowledge of current research in the field of ME/CFS
- Knowledge of BACME guidance for the management of ME/CFS
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Car owner / driver with the ability to travel across the Locality as required.
- Work from a laptop, at a desk, (either in the office or from home) for long periods.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Botolph Bridge Community Health Centre
Valley Park Centre, Sugar Way,
Peterborough
PE2 9QB
Employer's website
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
