Clinical Services Professional Level 2 Position Description

Position Title: Clinical Services Professional Level 2

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
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills
• Advanced skills and experience in providing therapy services to children, young people and adults who have autism spectrum disorder, intellectual and physical disabilities and other complex needs
• Experience implementing therapy following strengths based practice and a family-centred approach
• Proficiency in implementing relevant evidence based assessment and intervention approaches for children, young people and adults with a disability
• Understanding of the National Disability Insurance scheme and experience working in a fee for service model
• Competency in the use of information technology
• 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
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience delivering evidence based therapy services to children, young people and adults with a disability
• Advanced understanding of relevant evidence based assessment and interventions for children, young people and adults with a disability and demonstrated ability to assess, plan and monitor intervention
• Demonstrated experience implementing therapeutic services to people with a disability and their families applying strengths based and family centred approaches
• Professional training relevant to discipline or disability services preferred
• 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
  • Practices within professional and ethical standards
  • Effectively learns new job skills/ knowledge and can put them into practice
  • Maintains evidence based practice and up-to-date job related information
  • Ability to work independently with customers
  • Demonstrated clinical reasoning skills for delivery of effective and client centred service.
• 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
  • Ability to deliver a range of different therapy models with some assistance as required (e.g. transdisciplinary)
  • Develops goal orientated plans in collaboration with the customer / family and other stake-holders
  • Monitors and reviews plans with the customer and family to meet required goals and makes changes as required
  • Completes service delivery (including clinical documentation, reports, programs)within the required timeframes and according to Northcott policies and procedures
  • Effectively manages tasks or program assignments including follow-up and delegation
  • Is familiar with a number of relevant assessment, interventions, outcome measures and service delivery practices.
  • Evaluates effectiveness of interventions
  • Ability to undertake more complex clinical work with limited supervision
  • Communicates effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Teamwork
  • Contributes to the team on areas of specialisation or a specific role
  • Works under the supervision of a manager/ senior staff with work reviewed on a regular basis
  • Contributes to the establishment of team priorities and work demands
  • Demonstrates willingness and ability to support manager with operational decisions, activities and problem-solving of local issues
  • May assist more experienced staff with projects or new initiatives
  • Demonstrates value of others’ contributions and expertise and a desire to learn from others.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
  • Defines extent of need and develops solutions
  • Effectively identifies and evaluates alternative solutions
  • 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
  • Flexible in modifying decisions.
• Education/ Clinical Supervision
  • Participates in the direct clinical supervision of undergraduate students etc
  • Participates in formal supervision
  • Maintains own professional development program 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 an autism spectrum disorders, intellectual, physical disabilities and other complex needs (under supervision as required)
2. Works with the customer and families to identify customer’s strengths, skills and goals
3. Identify barriers that may restrict the customers’ physical, emotional, cognitive and/or social development, wellbeing or participation
4. Use appropriate assessment tools and methods to assess strengths, skills and areas of development in collaboration with the customer
5. 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 customers needs. These may be delivered on and individual, group or consultative basis
7. Provide ongoing evaluation of therapy interventions and customer priorities and adapt intervention accordingly
8. Organise and manage caseload to maintain a billable percentage of 75%-85% working time
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. Attend, present and participate in internal and external professional development activities
11. Attend organisational-wide and discipline specific meetings
12. Liaise with other services to promote Northcott Therapy and advocate for customers’ needs and rights
13. Maintain accurate clinical records, statistics, reports, related documentation and filing systems.

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.