Occupational Therapist - Alfriston School

Provide therapy with children with communication, motor, and sensory needs within a school setting.
Complete assessments and produce reports to contribute to annual review and Educational Health and Care Plan meetings.
Ensure the service is provided in close collaboration with education staff and other professionals to meet the needs of the child or young person.

Clinical Work:
Assessing and diagnosing a wide range of motor, perceptual, sensory and functional difficulties.
Planning appropriate therapy interventions, making fine judgements about type and timing of treatment negotiated with education staff and parents.
Delivering group and individual therapy as required.
Providing advice, training and therapy programmes to education staff, parents and other health professionals.
Managing parental and/or school anxieties regarding intervention and prognosis.
Evaluating treatment outcomes.
Transferring and discharging.

Professional Responsibility:
Demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence based practice and outcome measures.
Be responsible for managing own time appropriately and prioritise tasks accordingly in order to carry out clinically related administrative duties, relevant to the caseload and operation of the school.
Independently manage a complex caseload whilst recognising own professional boundaries and access supervision, advice and support when necessary.
Work closely with relevant parties about individual students and practically demonstrate therapeutic approaches where appropriate.
Provide relevant in-service training to school staff and parents, via presentations, talks and career evenings on topics related to the role of the occupational therapist and occupational therapy. To reflect on and evaluate training provided.
Be responsible for maintaining up to date and accurate case notes in line with professional standards and school policies
Collect clinical data and write reports for Annual Reviews and Educational Health and Care Plans.
Adhere to local and national standards and guidelines relating to Professional Practice and maintain registration with the Health Professions Council.
Recognise and demonstrate commitment to personal development and acquisition of further skills and knowledge relating to clinical areas and evidenced by PDP and Professional Log as specified in the job purpose and the application of these skills to clinical practice.
Undertake other duties and responsibilities as reasonably directed by the Heads of School.

We are looking for an experienced highly motivated and committed Occupational Therapist to join a friendly, hard-working team, supporting pupils to improve or maintain skills for day-to-day activities and well-being. The ideal candidate will be a qualified Occupational Therapist with extensive experience providing therapy to children with communication, motor, and sensory needs within a school setting.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner to further their experience and contribute to the health and welfare at the school. The role demands exceptional people skills, and attention to detail together with energy and enthusiasm and the willingness to go the extra mile while providing extensive therapy to children with communication, motor, and sensory needs within a school setting., Current Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration
Professional Qualification in Occupational Therapy - BSc degree or Equivalent.
Evidence of continuing professional development, Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
Member of a relevant Royal College of Occupational Therapy Specialist Group section
Essential Experience
Working with children/adolescents with additional needs (educational, social, emotional or mental health)
Working with parents / families who need support
Working with a range of professionals and agencies

Essential Knowledge and Skills
To operate as a practitioner with knowledge of SEN and associated mental health difficulties to ensure that individual occupational needs are identified.
To have a broad understanding of Occupational Therapy models and approaches across the spectrum of health conditions, to include physical and mental health.
To have a baseline knowledge of the Occupational therapy clinical evidence base, assessment and intervention approaches specific to the people we support, which can be developed through time in post.
Evidence of ability to problem solve and make effective use of clinical supervision and informal support from more senior practitioners to bring about learning and effective outcomes for clinical intervention.
To develop the skills and knowledge of approaches to support people through situations where there may be high levels of distress, where they may require complex reasoning to solve crisis situations or fluctuations in health needs.
To have experience of making best use of clinical supervision and take a lead role within your own access to and positive use of the supervision process to bring about professional development and learning.
Ability to communicate information to a broad range of individuals in a sensitive, appropriate manner.
Demonstrate the values and beliefs through daily practice that reflect the core Occupational Therapy philosophy.
Ability to develop and maintain strong and positive relationships whilst maintaining clear role, ethical and professional boundaries.
Have attention to detail in order to ensure safeguarding and medical records are accurate
Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, families and agencies.

WHY WORK FOR ALFRISTON SCHOOL?
Alfriston School is based in Beaconsfield. The school benefits from outstanding modern facilities, all of our classrooms are fully equipped with interactive screens and access to class sets of laptops or iPads. All teachers are provided with a laptop that is renewed every three years. The school enjoys a recently modernised performing arts and music facilities that include the use of a dance studio, sound/recording studio and performance space, along with our exceptional sports facilities that caters for a range of indoor and outdoor activities including mountain biking, trampolining, cycling, football and many others. The school also enjoys use of its spacious swimming pool designed by a bespoke architect, as part of an upgrade of the sports facilities at Alfriston, the architects developed a concertina-like roof structure that echoes the shape of the pitched roofs on other buildings in the area causing minimal sound reverberation which is beneficial for the use of our students with
their Special Educational Needs.

Staff often remark that Alfriston it is a great place to work. Staff retention is high which we think reflects the supportive and friendly environment in which we work. Our pupils are inspirational and full of potential. Staff feel they are people "You just want to be with!"
Having been rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in July 2013 it was noted "The excellent personal and academic opportunities offered ensure that the school makes a huge difference to the lives of students. As a result, all groups achieve outstandingly well from their individual starting points."

The school culture of teamwork and aspiration is reflected in the report where it states "The headteacher has a very ambitious vision for the school. Senior leaders and managers place a significant focus on improving staff performance through regular high-quality training and checks on their work. The governing body makes an excellent contribution to the school's effectiveness and work tirelessly to raise achievement through its regular visits to check teaching and learning."

Alfriston offers a wide and diverse range of professional development opportunities for staff, including the opportunity to train with Astra School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), a local Ofsted-outstanding school-centred teacher training provider.

Alfriston School also offers staff:

• A friendly working environment


• Supportive and caring colleagues


• Excellent opportunities for professional development


• Onsite parking


• Transport links (Chiltern Line and close to the M40)