POSITION DESCRIPTION POSITION TITLE Occupational Therapist, Grade 2 REPORTS TO AWARD/AGREEMENT/CONTRACT POSITION TYPE e.g. Registered Nurse Div 1, Occupational Therapist Gr1, etc. HOURS PER WEEK 40 Inpatient Aged Care Rehab. O.T Stream Leader Aged Care, via Senior O.T. Inpatient Aged Care Services Health Professionals Award VF6 VF9 1. ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT Austin Health is one of Victoria s largest health care providers. Comprised of Austin Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, Austin Health is a major teaching and research centre with numerous university and research institute affiliations. Catering to diverse multicultural and veteran communities, Austin Health delivers vital state-wide services to Victorians and a vast array of specialty services to the people of Melbourne s northeastern corridor in a safety-focussed, team-orientated and stimulating work environment. 2. LOCAL WORK ENVIRONMENT This position is located in the Aged & Residential Care Department, which comes under the umbrella of the Subacute Clinical Service Unit. The majority of the services offered by the Aged and Residential Care Services are located at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital. Ward 10 is a 24 bed ward which has been designed specifically to care for patients still requiring low level acute care prior to their transfer to rehabilitation, residential care or home. This new ward provides a unique and rare opportunity for staff to be part of a dynamic and innovative team that provides high quality care. Our other Inpatient Services consist of two 28-bed Rehabilitation/Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) wards - Wards 11 & 12 and Ward 9 - a 31-bed Aged Care Unit incorporating an 8 bed Cognitive Assessment and Management (CAM) Program. Aged Care Services also operate a 60-bed high level residential care facility - Darley House. The Community Programs offered by Aged Care Services include an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS), Extended Aged Care at Home Packages (EACH), Transition Care packages, and the HARP funded Community Link Rapid Response Service. Our Ambulatory Services include the Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC), HACC funded Allied Health Service (LEAP), Continence Service, Memory Service and Wound Clinic. Page 1 of 5
An Aged Care medical inpatient consultancy service is also located at the Austin Hospital. A number of new programs have commenced in recent years under the Hospital Demand Management Strategy, these include the Emergency Department Aged Care Coordination Team, the Care Coordination Team and the Residential Care Team. Aged Care Services has a strong focus on continual quality improvement and is actively in research, many projects being managed by our Medical and Cognitive Research Unit. Our staff and services are supported by an Aged Care Clinical Nurse Educator, who is able to offer high quality inservice education tailored specifically to meet the needs of our nursing staff. 3. POSITION OBJECTIVE (Primary purpose and key performance objective) Perform the duties of this position efficiently to the standards of the department. To provide clinical services to the assigned caseload, and maintain close working relationships with other members of the Occupational Therapy Aged Care Stream. To assist the Senior Inpatient O.T. with programme change or development, represent O.T. on appropriate working parties/committees and provide supervision to other O.T. staff. 4. POSITION REQUIREMENTS (Main duties and other specific requirements, activity and end result/outcome, regularly performed) Position specific Patient Care: To assess patient s functional status, and evaluate the level of skill/impairment in relation to task performance. To educate patients and/or carers about the impact of current medical conditions upon functional performance. To adopt a collaborative approach with patients and/or carers, to establish and achieve realistic goals. To provide individual treatment to appropriate patients, to improve level of function. This includes manual handling/transfers of patients. To organise and/or conduct functional groups, ie breakfast, falls education groups, and refer patients as appropriate. To conduct home assessments, prescribe and carry/transport appropriate equipment to patient s homes, prescribe modifications and liaise with appropriate funding agencies such as DVA, A&EP. To document all patient assessments and treatments in the appropriate format and within specified time limits as per Key Performance Indicators. To meet regularly and work collaboratively with other Aged Care Occupational Therapy staff, particularly the Senior Inpatient O.T., to further monitor and develop service provision. To demonstrate a working knowledge of EBP and integrate this into clinical practice. To assist with patient assessment/treatment in other areas of Aged Care when required. To attend and participate in Case Conferences, Ward Rounds when appropriate. Staff Supervision: To be responsible for regular supervision of Grade 1 Occupational Therapists and training and supervision of Allied Health Assistant, working within inpatient Aged Care Services. Departmental Responsibilities: Page 2 of 5
To attend departmental staff meetings, stream meetings, and relevant case presentation and inservices. To assist in the planning and implementation of policies and procedures in the Occupational Therapy Department. To keep appropriate statistical records of clinical and non-clinical time. To participate actively in Performance Appraisal sessions, with stream leader and other appropriate Aged Care staff. To participate actively in Quality Improvement projects, within the Occupational Therapy Department, and Aged Care Services. Demonstrate ongoing compliance with O.T. Australia Code of Ethics. Teaching/Education: To assist in supervising Occupational Therapy and other students, allocated to the Occupational Therapy Aged Care Services stream. To educate other staff/disciplines, about the role of Occupational Therapy, and new O.T initiatives or changes to programmes. Professional Development: To attend relevant seminars, lectures and in-service education programmes. To keep an up-to-date knowledge of conditions and treatment relevant to the elderly population. To expand own clinical knowledge and competence by researching unfamiliar conditions/interventions, as required. To follow departmental policies and procedures relating to research and programme evaluation, when required and participate in the Evidence Based Practice program. Generic Abide by Austin Health corporate policies and practices as varied from time to time. Participate in Austin Health performance appraisal program as required. Undertake not to reveal to any person or entity any confidential information relating to patients and employees, policies, processes and dealings and not to make public statements relating to the affairs of Austin Health without prior authority of the Chief Executive Officer. Actively participate in the ongoing identification, assessment, treatment and prevention of risks. Participate in the emergency incident response activities, as defined within the Emergency Response Manual, as and when required, at the direction of management. 5. KEY SELECTION CRITERIA (Key skills, qualifications, knowledge and behavioural attributes, together with physical requirements, necessary for performance of the role) Essential for Performance of the Position * A commitment to Austin Health values: Integrity, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. A commitment to Austin Health values: Integrity, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. Qualification: Bachelor of Applied Science Occupational Therapy, or equivalent qualification, from an approved W.F.O.T. School Eligibility for membership of O.T. Australia. Eligibility for membership of AccOT Accreditation programme Experience in working with elderly clients, with particular skills in neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Experience in functional, cognitive and psychosocial assessment of elderly clients. Page 3 of 5
Commitment to working with patients and families as active participants and respecting their decisions regarding their involvement in service provision. Effective communication skills. Sound organisational ability in time and caseload management. Ability to work professionally within a multidisciplinary team, displaying respect for the needs, competencies and responsibilities of O.T. and other professions. Experience in supervising staff and students, displaying a knowledge of and response to different adult learning approaches. Commitment to ongoing clinical development and quality improvement. To possess current driver s licence and a willingness/ability to drive as part of duties. Ability to demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviour. Ability to implement individual and group interventions. Ability to evaluate Occupational Therapy programmes. Ability to document and disseminate professional information. Demonstrated commitment to professional development. Ability to manage Occupational Therapy practice in line with the organisation s and Occupational Therapy Department s mission and values. 6. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION (Other information to be made known to persons interested in appointment to this position) Pre-Existing Injury Prior to any person being appointed to this position it will be required that they disclose full details of any pre-existing injuries or disease that might be affected by employment in this position. 7. AUSTIN HEALTH VALUES The Austin Health values play a critical role in shaping how we operate as an organisation. They influence our performance planning, recruitment, training and development, and relationships with colleagues, work mates, our patients and their relatives and friends. The Austin Health values set standard that we expect all staff to live up to in the way they undertake their duties and responsibilities across the Hospital. Our Values: Integrity We work in the spirit of collaboration and honesty to build effective working relationships across the whole organisation. Accountability We are transparent, responsible and build trust by fulfilling promises and communicating effectively. Respect We care about others and treat each other with consideration, equality and fairness. Excellence We continually strive to advance patient focused care through innovation, research and effective stakeholder management. 8. DOCUMENT REVIEW DETAILS Page 4 of 5
Date Position First Documented (if known): / / Date of this Position Description Review: 13 /_02 /_12 Signature of Manager: Date: / / Signature of Employee: Date: / / Austin Health is a Bully Free and Smoke Free Employer Austin Health is committed to providing employees with a healthy, smoke free work environment where bullying and harassment does not occur. Consistent with this and Austin Health s corporate values of integrity, accountability, respect and excellence, Austin Health will not tolerate employees: Behaving in a bullying or harassing manner in the workplace; or Smoking on Austin Health premises or in Austin Health vehicles. Page 5 of 5