Job overview

Supported by the West Midlands Neonatal Delivery Network, The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust (SaTH) is delighted to of been awarded funding for permanent therapy roles in Neonatal care here at The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford. 

The successful candidate will delivery Occupational Therapy in neonatal care, working alongside Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Dietitians, as well as the well-established nursing and doctor neonatal team all specialising in neonates.

With the re-release of the Occupational Therapy in Neonatal care practice guidelines hot off the press, as the successful candidate much of your practice will be driven by these guidelines. Working in this highly rewarding specialist clinical area, you will also be working closely alongside the Band 7 OT Neonatal Clinical Lead to develop and support this new service. A Collaborative and Professional approach will be key to building strong relationships with fellow MDT Colleagues, Consultants, infants,  Parents and Care Givers in order to achieve best possible care.   

Main duties of the job

The role of OTs in neonatal care is unique to the profession and incorporates both physical and mental healthcare models. Working with all infants preterm, high-risk preterm and with those receiving palliative care, OTs provide intervention to support both the infant and their parent/caregiver to develop successful functional physiological and practical strategies to develop parent and child relationships and preventative disability strategies.

Based on evidence published in the RCOTs neonatal services and early intervention practice guidelines, successful candidates will be required to participate in the delivery of a service achieving the following best practice criteria: 

Occupation-based assessment
Developmentally supportive care
Pain management 
Skin-to-skin care
Touch
Postural support
Infant feeding
Parent engagement 
Parent support
Identifying developmental concerns 
Early intervention 

This post is currently based at The Princess Royal Hospital Telford though pending hospital transformation process, the role will move to The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in years to come in line with the planned relocation of Women's and Children's services.  There is no current requirement for weekend working as part of this therapy service to neonates. 

Working for our organisation

As SaTH continues its improvement journey, the development of this post and other AHP roles is incredibility exciting and will make a real difference to the experience mothers and babies and their wider families have at such a special though often challenging moment in their lives.

The successful candidate will not only have the benefit of working in a rewarding and unique specialist area, but you will also be a part of a much wider therapy team. As an employee within SaTH's Therapy Centre, you will have access to a wide range of professional support, including Band 7 Neonatal OT Clinical lead, Professional lead for OT and on joining the SaTH therapy team you will become an integral member of SaTH's Therapy Centre, shaping and develop services for the benefit of patients, their families as well as other employees. 

The Therapy Centre at SaTH consists of over 300 employees, including clinical and non-clinical support staff, apprentices, consultant therapists and Heads of Profession for Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Dietetics, all working together to achieve the same vision: To provide excellent care for the communities we serve.  

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full duties and responsibilities please refer to the attached document entitled Job Description.