Occupational Therapist

Overview

This is an exiting new NHS commissioned pilot at HMP Chelmsford.

We are The Forward Trust (formerly RAPt and Blue Sky), the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime,  addiction and mental illness to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

What you will be doing?

This is a new role, created as a pilot, to support men with both mental/ physical health needs, which are not best to be met in the general prison population. This role is based on a 11 bed Enhanced Care Unit next to the prison health care department. As an Occupational therapist you will work with adults on an individual face-to-face basis or through facilitating therapeutic groups and work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages and should be committed to equal opportunities.

A large part of your role will be to assess a service user’s suitability for and deliver a wide range of interventions. You will provide support to both patient and prison officers based within the unit. This post is a lone working role, working alongside the officers, healthcare and psychology staff to collaboratively meet the needs of each individual.

You will be in a position of trust and building collaborative working relationships with partner agencies in addition to an excellent relationship with your manager will be a priority.

What we are looking for?

• Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties and people in primary care.
• Experience of organising, planning and prioritising own workload
• Knowledge of the criminal justice sector and/or community services
• Experience of Managing and developing staff providing both Clinical and line management supervision.
• Hold a BPS recognised qualification in Occupational Therapy.
• Experience of undertaking comprehensive risk assessments, including assessment of risk to self and others.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex and sensitive information, both verbally and in writing
• Inter-personal skills and ability to relate to a diverse range of people
• Understanding the need for evidence based psychological interventions, in particular low/high intensity interventions.
• Ability to reflect on and continuously develop own practice
• Ability to work flexibly in order to meet the needs of the service.
• Able to work across sites as required.
• Ability to utilise training and apply to practice

What we offer

• Training opportunities and career development
• Flexible working
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)