Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapist
JOB GRADE : 11 – 12 (Band 3A)
APPROVED BY : Head of Department
Rehabilitation Services
EFFECTIVE DATE : 1
st Mar 2010
REVISION DATE : 1
st Dec 2024
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Occupational Therapists (OT) use activities with specific goals to ensure maximum recovery and optimal
independence of individuals with disease or injury within a multi-disciplinary setting.
OT at JG 11/12 will have a comprehensive, and broad theoretical knowledge base within a professional field of
practice and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge. They are competent in their areas of clinical
practice with defined skills to exercise clinical judgements. They can be entrusted to work with a considerable
degree of autonomy.
They actively seek new knowledge and utilises evidence-based practice to enhance and underpin their practice,
contribute to problem solving and service improvement.
They may take on responsibility to support supervision of staff or training and may be assigned with some
additional responsibilities or accountability to services or resource management for exposure and selected
development in educator, researcher and/or leadership roles
Ng Lih Yen
Head of Department
Rehabilitation Services
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MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
(A) SPECIFIC
1. Clinical Practice & Improvement
a. Quality Care
• Maintain consistent standard of care in:
i. Conducting Assessment and Therapy Planning
ii. Review patient’s electronic case notes, take patient history and interpret
assessment results
iii. Conducts assessments and selects appropriate and specific outcome measures at
therapist’s own discretion
iv. Formulate patient-centered and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Timely) goals in collaboration with patient and relevant stakeholders
v. Communicate assessment results, therapy plans, goals and outcome measures to
patients and other relevant stakeholders
vi. Document results of case history taking, assessment results, therapy plans, goals
and outcome measures
• Performing Therapy Interventions
i. Occupational Therapy intervention is planned and delivered to facilitate patients’
occupational performance based on medical condition(s), indications and
contraindications, findings, goals and treatment plans. Occupational Therapy
interventions may include:
1. Sensory-motor retraining; cognitive and perceptual training;
application of physical, electro-therapeutic and heat agents;
functional and re-training activities; and prescription, fabrication,
provision and/or train the use of orthoses and assistive devices and
equipment
2. Patient education and caregiver training that empower patients and
caregivers with methods to enhance health, mobility and function
through self-management strategies
3. Professional communication with patients, caregivers, doctors,
nurses and other allied healthcare workers
4. Documentation of patient assessment, progress and management
plans and outcome measures in accordance with the guidelines
determined by the department and the hospital
ii. Therapy interventions are based on patient motivation, safety, as well as therapy
outcome measures collected
iii. Formulate and review discharge or continuity of care plans in consultation with
relevant stakeholders
iv. Evaluate therapy progress and outcomes using selected therapy outcome
measures at regular intervals to support patients in achieving their treatment goals
• Maintain and Manage Workload
i. Achieves target caseload and clinical key achievement areas
ii. Practices according to the clinical standards set by the department, hospital and
the Allied Health Professions Council
iii. Adhere to organizational and departmental guidelines
• To participate in quality improvement activities/ projects (relating to improvement in clinical
care)
i. Actively participate as a member for quality improvement projects at Department
level
b. Safe & Effective Care
• Maintain zero harm to patient
• Uphold professional ethics
• Adhere to clinical care standards
• Adhere to patient quality service according to standards by the hospital and department
• Identify and comply with safety practices as determined by the hospital (eg. Infection
control workplace health and safety, safe manual handling)
• Respond to incidents in compliance with organization’s incident management guidelines
• Participate in safety and quality audits
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2. Education
a. Clinical Supervision & Mentoring
• Evaluate teaching outcomes at personal level
• May assist in co-supervision/co-training of non-exempt staff for professional development
purposes
i. Supervise therapy assistants
• May assist in supervision of student
i. Work with volunteers, observers and students on attachment programs
ii. Supervise and mentor occupational therapy students
• May assist in co-supervision of exempt staff for professional development purposes
i. Plans induction and clinical orientation for new team members
b. Facilitation of Education
• Deliver in-service training and education to intra/inter-department colleagues
i. Provide rating and comments/ remarks during presentation/ in-services
• May assist to conduct professional trainings
c. Planning & Development
• May assist to organize and coordinate continuing education activities and collating
feedback from colleagues (eg. In-service coordinator)
• May assist to develop and review resource materials
• May assist to develop and review patient and caregiver educational materials
3. Research & Innovation
a. Update Knowledge in Practice
• Apply and demonstrate evidence-based practice
• Critically evaluate current research literature and share with others
b. Develop Research & Innovation
• May participate and support research data collection/ design/ analysis to contribute to
evidence-based practice guidelines
i. Collect research data and conduct survey
c. Create & Communicate Evidence
• May assist to development abstracts/ posters/ oral presentations
4. Leadership & Management
a. Management Services & Resources
• Assist to plan and provide coverage in team, where necessary
• Oversee inventory management processes
• Perform peer and clinical audits on compliance to clinical standards
b. Collaboration & Communication
• May assist in leading department workgroup to deliver and improve service and care
• May participate in department clinical and/or non-clinical projects (eg. Department welfare,
SMF workgroup)
c. Plan, Influence & Lead Change
• May assist to manage information and data to identify gaps and potential areas of change
i. Participate in the development and review of clinical practice guidelines
ii. Participate in the development and promotion of clinical services
• May assist to evaluate and present findings to the department to influence change
5. (B) GENERAL
Actively involved in institution and department’s initiatives
Any other duties assigned by the supervisor
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ORGANISATION RELATIONSHIP
(SUPERVISOR’S SUPERIOR) PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
(SUPERVISOR) SENIOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
(JOB HOLDER) OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
JOB REQUIREMENTS
(A) EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Entry Level:
a. Recognized Diploma/ Degree in Occupational Therapy
b. Non-recognized Diploma/ Degree in Occupational Therapy with relevant qualifications e.g.
Qualifying Exams
c. At least 1 year of experience as an Occupational Therapist in JG11 (if Diploma graduate) and
demonstrate competencies expected of this job grade. Nil experience expected of fresh Degree
graduate.
(B) PROFESSIONAL LICENCE
a. Registered with Allied Health Professional Council (AHPC)
b. Member of the Singapore Occupational Therapist Association (highly recommended)
ABNORMAL PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITION
a. Managing patient with behavioral/ psychiatric issues within acute/ home setting
b. Manual handling
c. On-road assessment for driving rehab and/or motorized aid training
d. Managing hot water bath for splint fabrication
e. Risk of communicable disease infection
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REFERENCE
Band 3A
(AH 11-12)
Band 3B
(AH 13-14)
Band 4A
(AH 15-16)
Band 4B
(AH 17-18)
Core
focus
• Consolidate skills and
experience
• Build foundation
• Develop focused
expertise
• Contribute to service
needs and goals
• Further career and
professional
aspirations
• Develop deep
expertise within a
defined field
• Develop and change
practice/ services in
complex
environments
• Drive service
development,
planning, delivery,
improvement and
extend the parameters
of their field of practice
Scope of
responsibi
lities
• Deliver safe and
effective clinical
services in routine
environments
• Utilise knowledge to
solve problems
• Contribute to problem
solving, service
improvement and
self-development
• Deliver safe and
effective clinical
services in complex
environments
• Translate new
knowledge into
practice
• Initiate and/ or lead
problem-solving,
service development
and improvement
• Deliver and develop
safe and effective
high-level services in
complex
environments in
specific tracks e.g.
clinical practice/
education/ research/
clinical management
• Drive translation and
generation of new
inquiry/ knowledge to
transform care
• Exercise the highest
degree of professional
autonomy and
decision making
• Lead and coordinate
translation and
generation of new
inquiry/ knowledge to
address system and
national issues
Level of
influence
• May include training
and supervision of
junior staff and
support staff
• May be accountable
to department for
defined areas of
service delivery and
resources
• Training, supervision
and performance of
staff within practice
team
• Accountable to
department for some
aspects of service
• Management of
section/ department
• Accountable to
institution’s and
Cluster’s priorities for
some aspects of
service development
and performance
• Accountable to
institution’s, Cluster’s
and national priorities
for all aspects of
service development
and performance
• Policy and decision
making within systems
to impact patient
outcomes