Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapist / Lead Occupational Therapist

Job Advertisement - Occupational Therapist

(Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist/Occupational Therapist/Lead Occupational Therapist)

Service: Children - Derwen - located in Dolgellau

Cyngor Gwynedd is committed to be an inclusive employer and to improve the diversity of our workforce.
⁠Your application form will be assessed anonymously. Neither your title, name nor email address will not be shared with the appointment panel for the purpose of drafting a short-list. You should consider this carefully when writing about yourself in the further information section.

Information about the post:

Are you....

• Eager to contribute to an employer which makes a difference to people's lives?

• Eager to work through the medium of Welsh?

• An enthusiastic and positive person?

• Possess good interpersonal skills.

If you have answered 'yes' to the above points, why not come and work for us?

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of Gwynedd's Social Work team.

As an Occupational Therapist you will make a huge difference to the lives of individuals here in Gwynedd by assisting them to live their lives in the way they wish to live.

You will support individuals through social and personal difficulties, at the same time as promoting their human rights and well-being. You will work with individuals, supporting their relationships and families, groups and their links with the community. You will assist them to identify their strengths, develop their skills and work on issues or challenges they may be facing.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain their registration as an Occupational Therapist with Social Care Wales and be able to demonstrate skills in accordance with the Job Description and the Person Specification (attached). ⁠ ⁠

Salary⁠: ⁠ S4 / PS1 / PS2 (dependent on experience)

L1 (Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist) - S4 (pt 26-28) £34,834-£36,648

L2 (Occupational Therapist) - PS1 (pt 29-31), £37,336-£39,186

L3 (Lead Occupational Therapist) - PS2 (pt 31-33), £39,186-£41,418

The member of staff will be enabled to pass the salary thresholds in accordance with experience and performance.

See the Information Pack ⁠ ⁠- More information about the post and expectations can be found in the Job Description and the Person Specification. There is also information about an attractive employment package that is available.

Cyngor Gwynedd operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted in the Person Specification.

We encourage all applicants for jobs with the Council to present applications in Welsh or bilingually.

(Applications submitted in either Welsh only or English only will be treated equally, but the applicant will be asked to carefully consider the language requirements of the post and the organisation and whether submitting an application in Welsh only would be more appropriate.)

Contact us:

For an informal talk, you can contact David Glyn Lewis on 03000840967

It is anticipated that the interviews will take place - to be confirmed

Application forms and further information are available from the Support Services, Cyngor Gwynedd, Council Offices, Shirehall Street, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH

Telephone: 01286 679076

E-mail: swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

CLOSING DATE: 17/02/2025

If you secure a place on the short-list for an interview, we will contact you via the E-MAIL address you noted on your application form. You will need to ensure that you check your E-MAILS regularly.

Children's Services Recruitment Pack (1).pdf

Person Specification

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

ESSENTIAL

Newly Qualified Occupaional Therapist (L1) -

Ability to work effectively as a team member.
A reliable and flexible person who is keen to work in new and creative ways.
Enthusiastic, self-reliant and decisive.
Support anti-discriminatory practices
Communicate effectively with service users, other agencies and providers
Committed to the values, principles, aims and objectives of the service.
A person who is keen to learn and develop
Being able to communicate effectively and create a relationship with individuals who use services, children and families.

Occupational Therapist (L2) -

See above (L1)

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -

See above (L1)

DESIRABLE

-

QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT TRAINING

ESSENTIAL

Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (L1) -
A relevant Social Work qualification in accordance with the Social Care Qualifications Framework for Wales
Registered with the Care Council for Wales as a Social Worker

Occupational Therapist (L2) -
In addition to the requirements above (L1); Consolidation Qualification (Consolidation First 3 Years in Practice) (or equivalent experience)

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -
See above (L1) and (L2)

DESIRABLE

Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (L1) -

Occupational Therapist (L2) -
Practicing Educator Qualification
AMHP Mental Health Act Recognised Qualification
Benefit Assessor Qualification (BIA)

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -
See above (L2)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

Newly Qualified Occupational Therpist (L1) -
Experience of working in a team
Experience of working directly with adults/children/young people and families
Experience of assessing needs and drawing up a care plan
Experience of working with other agencies

Occupational Therapist (L2) -
In addition to the duties noted above (L1);
Experience of dealing with safeguarding cases
Experience of community care work with adults and their carers.
Experience of working within different legislations

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -
In addition to the duties noted above (L1) and (L2);
Experience of doing court work (children's work)
Experience of dealing with complex cases

DESIRABLE

Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (L1) -
Experience of dealing with safeguarding cases
Experience of community care work with adults and their carers.
Experience of dealing with complex cases
Experience of working within different legislations

Occupational Therapist (L2) -
Experience of doing court work (children's work)
Experience of dealing with complex cases
Experience of mentoring within the social work role

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -
Experience of mentoring within the social work role

SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL

Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (L1) -

Ability to respond quickly and effectively to referals and prioritise appropriately.
Ability to undertake social assessments and create care plans.
Knowledge of relevant legislation, care management skills, understanding of good social work practices.
Ability to use a computerised information system in relation to service needs.
Being able to receive supervision and guidance effectively for the benefit of the Service and personal development.

Occupational Therapist (L2) -

In addition to the duties noted above (L1);
A diverse skills base based on experience of working with individuals who use services, children and families

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -
In addition to the duties noted above (L1) and (L2);
Court work skills (children's work)

DESIRABLE

Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (L1) -
A diverse skills base based on experience of working with individuals who use services, children and families

Occupational Therapist (L2) -
Court work skills (children's work)

Lead Occupational Therapist (L3) -

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

ESSENTIAL
Listening and Speaking - Higher Level
Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions. Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.

Reading and Understanding - Higher Level
Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal. Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.

Writing - Higher Level
Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English (help is available to check the work).

Those characteristics expected of the post holder should be described. These will be used as criteria when assessing each applicant.

Job Description

Purpose of the Post.

• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
• Helping vulnerable individuals to live their lives in the way they want to live.
• Assess the needs of adults and their carers in accordance with the requirements of the Social Care and Well-being Act 2014 and other relevant legislation and guidelines.
• Providing an Information, Advice and Support service to citizens to enable them to meet personal objectives.
• Helping people identify solutions, prevent dependency and promote independence.
• Providing information regarding the supportive resources available in the community, from the third sector, the Council and the Health Board in order to enable citizens to live as independently as possible and improve their quality of life.
• Ensuring that the needs of individuals are met in accordance with the Council's safeguarding arrangements and the statutory responsibilities.

Responsibility for functions . e.g. staff, budgets, equipment

• Finance - Providing practical and appropriate advice and guidance to service users to facilitate effective financial management in the Service.
• Equipment - Responsibility for any specialist equipment used to carry out the job

Main Duties

Level 1 - Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist (General Duties)

• Practice within the relevant legislative frameworks and guidance that underpin the provision of social services in Wales
• Apply the Code of Professional Practice as a registered professional
• Consolidate and develop the skills and knowledge gained through formal qualification through mentoring and guidance of experienced practitioners.
• Attend relevant first 3 years in practice workshops and complete the Consolidation Programme. Work with mentor to develop practice.
• Actively participate in regular reflective supervision and consult with your line manager and other experienced colleagues. Continue to develop your social work practice through ongoing reflection.
• Manage and be accountable for your own work
• Work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary and multi organisational teams, networks, and systems with guidance from your line manager and other more experienced colleagues.
• Exercise professional judgement and decision making increasing in complexity within the first 3 years of practice through mentoring and supervision from your line manager or guidance from more experienced colleagues.
• Manage ethical issues, dilemmas, and conflicts, with guidance and support increasing in complexity during the 3 years.
• Prepare and present professional reports and records through guidance from your line manager and more experienced social workers, ensuring information is correct, consistent and shared safely and appropriately
• Support and empower people to participate in decision making processes
• Advocate with and on behalf of, individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
• Work collaboratively with people in need of care and support, their carers and other professionals increasing in complexity throughout the 3 years
• Undertake strength-based assessments and practice in a way that promotes self-determination, independence and empowerment under the guidance of your line manager or other experienced colleagues and co working on more complex cases.
• Undertake outcome focussed assessment using a 'What Matters 'conversation to identify what is important to that individual, eligible needs and to develop outcome focussed plans that facilitate care and support with guidance from you line manager and other more experienced colleagues and co working on more complex cases.
• Prepare, produce, implement, and evaluate plans with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, and professional colleagues under guidance from your line manager or more experienced social workers.
• Identify, assess and investigate an Adult or Child at risk in accordance with relevant legislation and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures guided by line manager or more experienced colleagues and co-working on more complex cases.

Level 2 - Occupational Therapist (General Duties)

• Practice within the relevant legislative frameworks and guidance that underpin the provision of social services in Wales
• Apply the Code of Professional Practice as a registered professional
• Maintain up to date knowledge and maintain own professional development
• Develop social work practice through supervision and reflection
• Manage and be accountable for your own work
• Work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary and multi organisational teams, networks, and systems
• Exercise professional judgement and decision making in complex situations
• Manage ethical issues, dilemmas, and conflicts in complex situations
• Prepare and present professional reports and records ensuring information is correct, consistent, and shared safely and appropriately.
• Support people to participate in decision making processes
• Advocate with and on behalf of, individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
• Work collaboratively with people in need of care and support, their carers and other professionals in complex situations
• Undertake strength-based assessments and practice in a way that promotes self-determination, independence, and empowerment.
• Undertake outcome focussed assessment using a 'What Matters 'conversation to identify what is important to that individual, eligible needs and to develop outcome focussed plans that facilitate care and support.
• Prepare, produce, implement, and evaluate plans with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, and professional colleagues.
• Identify, assess and investigate an Adult or Child at risk in accordance with relevant legislation and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures,

Level 3 - Lead Occupational Therapist (General Duties)

• Practice within the relevant legislative frameworks and guidance that underpin the provision of social services in Wales
• Apply the Code of Professional Practice as a registered professional
• Maintain up to date knowledge and maintain own professional development. Support colleagues with their development through mentoring.
• Develop social work practice through supervision and reflection. Support colleagues at different points in their career with ongoing reflection through individual or group reflective practice activity
• Manage and be accountable for your own work
• Work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary and multi organisational teams, networks, and systems. Advising colleagues on complex areas of work through the mentoring role.
• Exercise professional judgement and decision making in complex situations.
• Support colleagues at different points in their career to develop confidence around professional judgments through the mentoring role.
• Manage complex ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts in complex situations.
• Support social workers at different stages of their careers with managing more complex issues through the mentoring role.
• Prepare and present professional reports and records ensuring information is correct, consistent, and shared safely and appropriately. Support social workers at different stages of their career with developing their report writing and record keeping skills through the mentoring role.
• Support people to participate in decision making processes
• Advocate with and on behalf of, individuals, families, carers, groups and communities
• Work collaboratively with people in need of care and support, their carers and other professionals in complex situations, supporting colleagues with advice and guidance at different stages in their career.
• Undertake strength-based assessments and practice in a way that promotes self-determination, independence and empowerment and support colleagues with advice and guidance at different stages in their career. Support social workers at different points in their career around this area of work through the mentoring role.
• Undertake outcome focussed assessment using a 'What Matters 'conversation to identify what is important to that individual, eligible needs and to develop outcome focussed plans that facilitate care and support.
• Prepare, produce, implement, and evaluate plans with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, and professional colleagues. Support social workers at different points in their career around this area of work within a mentoring role.
• Identify, assess and investigate an Adult or Child at risk in accordance with relevant legislation and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Support social workers at different points in their careers with developing their skills and decision making around working in safeguarding within a mentoring role.
• Be a role model and share good practice, advice and support to enable team colleagues, less experiences social workers to develop their careers. This will include mentoring, co-working on cases and supporting the services quality assurance be auditing and sampling files and practice and advising social worker colleagues on specialist areas of work within the mentoring role.

Local Duties

• Undertake manual handling work and teach families/carers how to use the equipment safely.
• Address the sensory side with children introducing strategies to help with the difficulties.
• Delivering workshops all over Gwynedd to parents on awareness of what the problems of sensory processing are and how this can look .
• Promote sensory awareness within Gwynedd council/specialist schools and events such as eisteddfodau etc through workshops/presentations.
• Work closely with RSL's and grants department to achieve small and major modifications to extension standard.
• Being part of meetings that senior employees usually attend as there is no senior representative on behalf of our profession when it comes to children. This would look at Derwen OT stucture, meetings to discuss money from an equipment perspective.
• A detailed assessment of the child and all the family to ensure that a New Modification / move/property meets the needs of all the family and not just the individual.
• Have an extensive awareness of the complex cases and some very rare conditions to understand the needs of the child, work jointly with a large number of agencies to come to understand the condition and level of care required, special equipment etc.
• Using a detailed knowledge pool of how the condition is affected by other difficulties e.g. how 'sensory integration' correlates with conditions such as autism and how this feeds into an assessment and understanding of the young person's behaviour.
• Refer ahead with a detailed request for modifications or support to move through Housing Options / New Property planning. Visit empty houses and support the family with further assessment on empty properties and refer for further adaptations if suitable.
• Attend specific meetings of grants, conversions, special housing
• Work closely with housing agencies and developers to create a specific plan for families and children with disabilities that reaches the child's long-term future care needs of an adult. Collaboration at a housing strategic level. Complete house developments. Visit building site and share specific views of equipment / socket site etc.
• Jointly assess with other agencies/professionals e.g. physio / health OT to find a solution with equipment / moving and handling/ movement within the property and outside to ensure the right equipment / adaptation is provided.
• Collaborate with a special equipment 'rep' e.g. a special bath, and more unique equipment and visit family and young person to assess with the right equipment for the need.
• Use sensitivity with unexpected conditions and work with family to cope with diagnosis and how to support them with future care needs.
• Provide a detailed and complete assessment with a comprehensive report on cases in the field of child protection / legal challenge.
• Refer to other agencies and charities to support equipment application / provision of general household and specialist equipment e.g. washing machine / bakery etc, energy charities, support moving out of properties for a period during conversion work.

Additional Duties

• Responsibility for self-development.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council's Health and Safety Policy.
• Operate within the Council's policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
• Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council's information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
• Commitment to reducing the Council's carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council's Carbon Footprint.
• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
• Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special Circumstances . e.g. the need to work unsociable hours, special working arrangements etc.

• Working unsocial hours occasionally as required.
• There will be an expectation for the post holder to be part of any arrangements that are established on a rota basis.

The above indicates an outline of duties only, in order to give an idea of the level of responsibility entailed. This job description is not exhaustive in detail, and job duties may change from time to time without changing its fundamental n