Occupational Therapy Support in Accessible Homes (AH)

Occupational Therapy Support in Accessible Homes (AH)

Job description

Full Time, Permanent

About Accessible Homes

Accessible Homes team sits within housing at Bristol City Council, rather than within the social care teams. The service covers all of Bristol and is responsible for assessing need and supporting the provision of housing adaptations, equipment and Technology Enabled Care to help people live safely and independently at home.

Our team is made up of occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, caseworkers, occupational therapy technicians, surveyors and a technology enabled care team. This in house service enables peoples' cases to follow a clear process from the OT's assessment through to the adaptation works such as a ramp or a wet room, without getting lost between various services.

Being based in housing means we can step in earlier, often before someone reaches crisis point, and work with housing colleagues within Bristol to determine whether a home can be adapted, whether someone needs to move, and how quickly that happens. It's complex work. Every case sits at the meeting point of a person's needs, a property's limitations and what we can realistically fund and deliver. Getting that right for people in Bristol only works because of how closely the team pulls together.

The OT service

Our OTs carry their own caseloads, from Assessment Centre visits through to complex rehousing decisions and urgent pre-tenancy adaptations. Alongside individual casework, our staff sit on panels like Making Best Use of Stock for Council rehousing support and Case Referral Panel for complex cases. They provide advice about the wider housing stock and hold a lot of the team's knowledge about what does and doesn't work when adapting a home. It's a busy, high demand service.

How OT Support fits in

It's a brand-new post, created due to the high demand for our OT service and the need to reduce waiting times, and provide an efficient service to people across Bristol. The OTs and OTAs need increased capacity to focus on the parts of the job that require their clinical assessment and input.

OT Support will take on work such as referral processing, correspondence, waitlist management and Assessment Centre coordination, and, over time, will start supporting referral triage, working alongside our OT Managers and Senior Practitioners to build a genuinely complex skill.

Because it's a new role, a lot of what OT Support does day to day will be shaped over your first few months here, by what you bring to it as much as by what we've already planned. Every task on your list connects directly to something that matters, whether that is a service user waiting less time, an OT having more time to focus on clinical matters, or a case that is followed up on within appropriate time.

What it's like working with us

We're a team that helps each other out. We are supportive of each other, and we're used to figuring things out collaboratively rather than in silos.

You'll have a proper induction, regular supervision and a mentor alongside you as you learn.

If you're a self-starter, organised, digitally savvy, calm under pressure, and genuinely interested in helping people stay independent in their own homes, you'll fit in well here.

Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

How do I apply?

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey please select the apply button below.

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and we reserve the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Contact: AHOTManager@bristol.gov.uk if you have any questions about this job.

Relevant information about disabled adaptations and Accessible Homes service:
Home Adaptations at Bristol City Council
Accessible Homes Adaptations Policy
RCOT – Care Act 2014 – Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

At Bristol City Council, we value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We therefore welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.