Occupational Therapist (Staff Grade)
Job Specification, Terms & Conditions
Job Title, Grade
Occupational Therapist (Staff Grade)
(Grade Code 3298)
Campaign Reference
Closing Date
NRS02421
Friday 10th July 2015 at 12:00 Noon
Proposed Interview
Date(s)
Taking up
Appointment
Organisational Area
Week Commencing Tuesday 04th August 2015
Location of Post
This post is with the Dublin South Central Mental Health Service.
A start date will be indicated at job offer stage.
Health Service Executive (HSE) DML
There is an initial vacancy in the Acute Psychiatry Unit, Tallaght Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
Details of Service
Dublin South Central Mental Health Services covers a catchment population of 400,000. It
consists of seven community sectors, a rehabilitation service, two psychiatry of later life team
and two psychiatric liaison services. There are 25 Occupational Therapist working within the
service, dispersed throughout the sector areas. There are two Acute Units each with 52 beds.
The Occupational Therapist works as part of the MDT, and her or his main duties are to
participate in the multidisciplinary care of the person whilst they are an inpatient, to discharge
plan and to participate in the provision of the unit activity programme.
The post holder will be based in the Acute Psychiatry Unit to start with. Basic Grade Therapists
move to different teams within the service if they so choose as vacancies arise.
Reporting
Relationship
The postholder reports to the OT manager.
Current OT Manager: Áine O’Reilly (087 9473251)
Purpose of the Post
To provide the OT service to the Acute Psychiatry Unit. The main duties include OT
assessment and discharge planning and co-ordination of the unit therapeutic activity
programme.
Principal Duties and
Responsibilities
Professional / Clinical
The Occupational Therapist will:

Be responsible for assessment, planning, implementation and review of treatment /
intervention programmes for service users according to service standards.

Manage own caseload in accordance with the needs of the post.

Collaborate with service users, family, carers and other staff in treatment / intervention
planning and in the provision of support and advice.

Plan discharge or transition of the service user between services as appropriate.

Document all assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, reports and discharge
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summaries in accordance with local service and professional standards.

Communicate verbally and / or in writing results of assessments, treatment /
intervention programmes and recommendations to the team and relevant others in
accordance with service policy.

Participate in teams as appropriate, communicating and working in co-operation with
other team members.

Attend clinics, review meetings, team meetings, case conferences, ward rounds etc.
as designated by Senior Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapist Manager.

Arrange and carry out duties in a timely manner within settings appropriate to service
users needs and in line with local policy / guidelines.

Maintain quality standards of practice and participate in quality assurance and clinical
audit as appropriate.

Seek advice and assistance from his / her supervisor / manager with any assigned
cases or issues that prove to be beyond the scope of his / her professional
competence in line with principles of best practice and clinical governance.

Maintain professional standards in relation to confidentiality, ethics and legislation.

Operate within the scope of Irish Occupational Therapy practice and in accordance
with local guidelines.
Education and Training
The Occupational Therapist will:

Participate in mandatory training programmes.

Participate in continuing professional development including in-service training,
attending and presenting at conferences / courses relevant to practice, promoting and
contributing to research etc. as agreed with the Occupational Therapist Manager.

Engage in support / supervision with Senior Occupational Therapist / Occupational
Therapist Manager and participate in performance review.

Participate in the practice education of student therapists. Actively participate in
teaching / training / supervision of other Occupational Therapy and non-Occupational
Therapy staff / students and attend practice educator courses as appropriate.
Health & Safety
The Occupational Therapist will:

Work in a safe manner with due care and attention to the safety of self and others.

Implement agreed policies, procedures and safe professional practice by adhering to
relevant legislation, regulations and standards.

Be aware of risk management issues, identify risks and take appropriate action.

Document appropriately and report any near misses, hazards and accidents and bring
them to the attention of the relevant person(s).

Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)
Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National
Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene
Standards etc.

Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste
initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.
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Administrative
The Occupational Therapist will:

Comply with department procedures with regard to assessment, recommendation and
provision of all assistive equipment / custom made devices.

Keep up-to-date statistics and other administrative records as required within the
Occupational Therapy department.

Participate in the establishment and maintenance of standards for quality improvement
and adhere to existing standards and policies.

Assist in the organisation, maintenance and / or ordering of equipment and materials
used in assessment and treatment.

Contribute to the planning and development of the Occupational Therapy Service and
participate in service improvements.

Participate in audits / outcome measurement of intervention as directed by the Senior
Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapist Manager.

Represent the department at meetings and conferences as required by the Senior
Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapist Manager.

Engage in IT developments as they apply to service user and service administration.

Keep up to date with developments within the organisation and the Irish Health
Service.

Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/
or experience
Carry out other duties as assigned by the Senior Occupational Therapist /
Occupational Therapist Manager.
Each candidate must, on the latest date for receiving completed application forms for
the office, possess:
1.
Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
Category A:
(i) Individuals who qualified before the 31st March 2015 and have not engaged in the
practice of the profession in the Republic of Ireland,
and
(ii) Individuals who qualified before the 31st March 2015 and have been engaged in the
practice of the profession for less than 2 years fulltime, ( or an aggregate of 2 years
fulltime), in the Republic of Ireland between 31st March 2010 and 30th March 2015 must:
a)
Hold a qualification approved by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at
CORU;
(i)
Bachelor in Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Dublin
awarded to graduates on successful completion of the four year University of
Dublin pathway/programme to this award.
or
(ii)
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Occupational Therapy from the University of
Dublin
or
(iii)
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from University College Cork.
or
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(iv)
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the National University
Ireland, Galway.
or
(v)
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (Professional Qualification) from
the University of Limerick
or
(vi)
Diploma of the College of Occupational Therapy
or
b)
Hold a comparable qualification recognised by the Occupational Therapists
Registration Board at CORU.
or
c)
Hold a qualification previously recognised by the Department of Health 1
or
d)
Submit proof to the HSE of their application for recognition of their qualifications from
the Occupational Therapists Registration Board by the date specified by the HSE.
and
e)
Submit proof to the HSE of their application for registration on the Occupational
Therapists Register maintained by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at CORU
before a contract of employment can be offered.
and
f)
Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and
professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.
B) Category B:
Individuals who qualified before the 31st March 2015 and have been engaged in the
practice of the profession in the Republic of Ireland for a minimum of two (2) years
fulltime, ( or an aggregate of 2 years fulltime), between 30 March 2010 and 30 March
2015 must;
a) hold a qualification recognised by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at
CORU;
a)
b)
c)
d)
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Bachelor in Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Dublin
awarded to graduates on successful completion of the four year University of
Dublin pathway/programme to this award.
or
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Occupational Therapy from the University of
Dublin
or
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from University College Cork.
or
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the National University
Ireland, Galway.
In relation non Irish qualifications and in respect of persons to whom Directive 2005/36/EC applies
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e)
f)
or
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (Professional Qualification) from
the University of Limerick
or
Diploma of the College of Occupational Therapy
or
Hold a qualification previously recognised by the Department of Health 1
b)
and
c)
Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and
professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.
2.
Registration on the Occupational Therapists Register
Category A
Appointees who subsequently fail to achieve the necessary registration on the
Occupational Therapists Register maintained by the Occupational Therapists Registration
Board at CORU will not be able to continue in the role of an Occupational Therapist
beyond the 31st March 2017.
Category B
Appointees must have applied for registration with CORU by the 31st March 2017.
Post specific
requirements
Other requirements
specific to the post
Skills, competencies
and/or knowledge
3.
Annual registration
Practitioners must maintain live annual registration on Occupational Therapists Register
maintained by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at CORU.
4.
Age
Age restriction shall only apply to a candidate where s/he is not classified as a new entrant
(within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act,
2004). A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age
on the first day of the month in which the latest date for receiving completed application
forms for the office occurs.
5.
Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would
indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
6.
Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.
N/A
N/A

Demonstrate sufficient clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning skills and evidence based
practice to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role

Demonstrate the ability to plan and deliver care in an effective and resourceful manner
and the ability to manage self in a busy working environment

Demonstrate a commitment to the delivery of a high quality, person centred service

Demonstrate ability to take initiative and to be appropriately self-directed

Demonstrate the ability to evaluate information and make effective decisions in relation
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to service user care
Campaign Specific
Selection Process
Ranking/Shortlisting
/ Interview

Display effective communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to
collaborate and work in partnership with colleagues, service users, families, carers,
schools etc.

Demonstrate effective team skills

Demonstrate flexibility and openness to change

Demonstrate the ability to follow line management directions appropriately and to
utilise supervision effectively

Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development

Demonstrate a willingness to develop IT skills relevant to the role
A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied
in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the
requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or
knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about
your experience in light of those requirements.
Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called
forward to the next stage of the selection process.
Code of Practice
Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an
order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the
organisation.
The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice
prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice
sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be applied on a
principle basis. The Codes also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, feedback
facilities for candidates on matters relating to their application, when requested, and outlines
procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process, and
review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice. Additional information on
the HSE’s review process is available in the document posted with each vacancy entitled
“Code Of Practice, Information For Candidates”.
Codes of Practice are published by the CPSA and are available on
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs/code_of_practice in the document posted with each vacancy entitled
“Code of Practice, Information For Candidates” or on www.cpsa-online.ie.
The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as structures change the
job description may be reviewed.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be
neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.
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Occupational Therapist (Staff Grade)
Terms and Conditions of Employment
Tenure
The initial vacancy for this post is permanent and whole-time. This post is pensionable. A panel
may be created from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part time
duration may be filled. The tenure of these posts will be indicated at “expression of interest” stage.
Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed by the Health Act 2004
and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Act 2004.
Remuneration
The Salary Scale (01/11/13) for the post is:
Euro 33,969 – 36,040 – 37,743 – 38,982 – 40,031 – 41,118 – 42,191 – 43,293 – 44,389 –
45,484 – 46,638 – 47,851 – 49,062 – 50,033 LSI (pro rata)
Working Week
The standard working week applying to the post is 37 hours per week (pro rata)
HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service Needs (Extended Working Day
/ Week Arrangements); Framework for Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016”
applies. Under the terms of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to promotional
posts from Dec 16th 2008 will be required to work agreed roster / on call arrangements as
advised by their line manager. Contracted hours of work are liable to change between the
hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day services in
accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of
Towards 2016).
Annual Leave
The annual leave associated with the post is to be confirmed at Job Offer stage
Superannuation
This is a pensionable position with the HSE. The successful candidate will upon appointment
become a member of the appropriate pension scheme. Pension scheme membership will be
notified within the contract of employment. Members of pre-existing pension schemes who
transferred to the HSE on the 01st January 2005 pursuant to Section 60 of the Health Act 2004
are entitled to superannuation benefit terms under the HSE Scheme which are no less
favourable to those which they were entitled to at 31st December 2004
Every appointment of a person who is not already an officer of the Health Service Executive or
of a Local Authority shall be subject to a probationary period of 12 months as stipulated in the
Department of Health Circular No.10/71.
Probation
Protection of
Persons
Reporting Child
Abuse Act 1998
This post is one of those designated in accordance with Section 2 of the Protection of Persons
Reporting Child Abuse Act, 1998. You will remain a designated officer for the duration of your
appointment in this post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is
included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction. Such officers will, on receiving a
report of child abuse, formally notify the Senior Social Worker in the community care area in
which the child is living.
Infection Control
All HSE employees must have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they apply to the
role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control
of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc
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