Clinical Services Professional Level 1 Position Description

Position Title: Clinical Services Professional Level 1

Division: Operations Support & Specialist Services

Reporting to: Service Manager

About Northcott

Who is Northcott?

Northcott is a not-for-profit disability service provider that works with customers to realise their potential. As one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit disability service organisations, we provide services from metropolitan and regional locations throughout NSW and the ACT. We have more than 90 years of experience and expertise in the disability service industry. A registered NDIS provider, we employ close to over 2,500 staff and provide empowering, personalised services to over 13,500 people with disability, their families and carers each year.

What do we do?

Northcott provides personalised and dynamic support, delivered by a committed team who will optimise and maximise support and services for every customer. Our experience and expertise gives confidence to our customers they are in good, trustworthy hands, while our commitment to innovation and pushing boundaries allows us to tackle any challenge currently creating barriers for our customers to reach their potential. Northcott’s diverse range of service offerings and strong community partnerships gives customers easy access to the supports they need or want through a single gateway from our many locations.

What is our promise to each customer?

We will work creatively and relentlessly with each customer to unlock, discover and unleash their potential, supporting and empowering them to be the best they can be now and in the future. Our customers are not numbers, they are unique individuals. We personalise our services to each customer’s current and future needs and goals, every single one, to ensure their development and growth. As advocates for our customer’s inclusion, we will empower them with confidence, choice and opportunity so they can live their life, as they choose, in their own way.

Key Objective of the Service/Department

Northcott Therapy provides support to children, young people and adults with a range of disabilities including intellectual disability, physical disability, autism and global developmental delay. Assessments and therapy are conducted in a family centred way to enable the customer to live as independently as possible at home, in education or work and in the community. Northcott Therapy provides timely and evidence based therapy and clinical support to people with a disability, their families and support networks by providing information, support, training and advice within a capacity building approach.

Key Objective of the Position

To provide timely, evidenced based and person centred therapy services to children and adults with a disability within a multidisciplinary team.

Person Specifications (Skills & Knowledge)

• Genuine interest, passion and commitment to the human services industry
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrated ability to manage a caseload and administrative responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Sound understanding of strengths based practice and a family-centred approach
• Competent in implementing relevant evidence based assessment and intervention approaches for children, young people and adults with a disability
• Ability to implement therapy following a strengths based practice and a family-centred approach
• Competent in implementing relevant evidence based assessment and intervention approaches for children, young people and adults with a disability
• Awareness of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Competent in use of information technology
• Sound knowledge of the Disabilities Service Act & Standards
• Ability and willingness to undertake travel across NSW/ACT when required.

Essential Qualifications & Experience Required

• Tertiary qualifications in allied health or relevant field (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, dietetics, psychology, nursing, orthotics, social work etc.)
• Registration with AHPRA and / or eligibility for membership of the relevant professional association
• Experience working with and delivering therapy services to children, young people and adults with a disability. (New Graduates may have limited exposure )
• Knowledge of relevant evidence based assessment and interventions for children, young people and adults with a disability
• Current drivers licence and willingness to drive.

Delegation Level

• Nil

Core Competencies of the Role

• Clinical Knowledge
  • Ability to develop the specialised knowledge required to provide a quality service
  • Demonstrates person centred approaches with all customers and families
  • Upholds professional and ethical standards of relevant professional association
  • Ability to effectively learn new job skills and can put them into practice either independently or with supervision
  • Adopts an evidence-based practice approach to work and an understanding of the importance of research
  • Has foundations of good clinical reasoning and how this can be applied in practice under the supervision of a more experienced clinician
  • Has a developing knowledge and ability to work with a variety of customer goals, funding and clinical models according to the needs of the business
  • Has a developing knowledge of a number of assessments, interventions, outcome measures and service delivery practices to meet the needs of the customers.
• Service Delivery
  • Manages a clinical caseload including billable hours as set by your Service Manager after consultation with your practice supervisor
  • Assesses, plans, implements and reviews therapy services relevant to their professional and clinical competency under the supervision of a more experienced clinician
  • Develops goal orientated plans in collaboration with the customer/ family and other stakeholders
  • Monitors and reviews plans with the customer and family to meet required goals and makes changes as required
  • Completes service delivery, including documentation etc. within the required timeframes, policies and procedures with assistance as required
  • Effectively manages tasks or program assignments including follow-up and delegation
  • Develops knowledge of a number of assessment, interventions, outcome measures and service delivery practices
  • Evaluates effectiveness of interventions using appropriate outcome measures
  • Liaises effectively with other internal and external stakeholders.
• Teamwork
  • Works under the supervision of a manager/ senior staff with work reviewed on a regular basis
  • Has the appropriate interpersonal skill to advise and assist managers and staff on routine policies and systems and issues
  • Understands and can contribute to the establishment of team priorities and work demands
  • Values the input and expertise of, and is willing to learn from others
  • May assist more experienced staff with projects or new initiatives.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
  • Defines extent of problem areas and develops solutions with the support of more experienced clinicians as required
  • Works towards and starts to adopt a solution focussed approach to practice and professional behaviour
  • Where appropriate, assists with the development and implementation of solutions around more complex issues
  • Makes decisions consistent with skills and experience and identifies when support to make a decision is required
  • Recognises decisions that have to be deferred until all pertinent facts are gathered and analysed.
• Education/ Clinical Supervision
  • Participates in formal supervision
  • Maintains own professional development program and seeks guidance and advice from more experienced staff as required
  • Recognises limits of professional competence and seeks guidance and advice from more experienced staff as required.

Duties

The typical duties of this position include:

1. Provide therapy services to children, young people, and adults with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual, and physical disabilities with supervision from senior staff
2. Work with customers and families to identify customer’s strengths, skills and goals
3. Identify barriers that may restrict the customer’s physical, emotional, cognitive and/or social development, wellbeing or participation
4. With support, use appropriate assessment tools and methods to assess strengths, skills and areas of development in collaboration with the customer
5. With support, analyse and interpret assessment findings and customer’s priorities to develop appropriate interventions in collaboration with other team members
6. Provide centre and community based therapy interventions addressing the customer’s needs. These may be delivered on and individual, group or consultative basis
7. Provide ongoing evaluation of therapy interventions and customer priorities and adapt interventions accordingly
8. Organise and manage caseload to maintain a billable percentage of 50%-65%
9. Ensure that targets contained in Service Description Schedules are achieved and that data entry into the customer management system (CareLink+) is consistent and timely
10. Maintain accurate clinical records, statistics, reports, related documentation and filing systems
11. Participate in regular supervision with senior staff and peers
12. Attend, present and participate in internal and external professional development activities
13. Attend organisation wide and discipline specific meetings
14. Liaise with other services to promote Northcott Therapy and advocate for customers’ needs and rights.

This list is indicative only and is subject to change. All Northcott employees are required to comply with any reasonable work requests as directed by their employer from time to time.

Northcott Policy and Procedures

All Northcott employees are expected to be familiar with and adhere to Northcott policies and procedures.