Prosthetic Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

2. JOB PURPOSE

The Prosthetic Service covers Plymouth, Cornwall and South and West Devon for the provision of modular and conventional limb build and laminating, including the fabrication, provision, maintenance, and repair of highly-specialist prosthetic clinical/technical prescriptions for amputees and patients with congenital limb absence and deformities including complex cases.

Workshop services are provided full time at the Thornberry Centre in Plymouth and part time at the Camborne and Redruth Hospital and therefore some travelling may be required, however the post holder may also be required to work in other locations subject to the contractual demands upon the service.

This role is to manufacture, repair and adapt, specialist prostheses to prescriptions provided by the prosthetic clinician and completed to available technical specifications provided by suppliers and in-house standard operating procedures.

You will also be supporting the Workshop Manager to implement quality assurance, health and safety and risk management policies within the workshop environment.

4. SCOPE AND RANGE

1. To provide specialist technical manufacturing, repair and adaptation of complex prostheses and associated componentry to required prescriptions and specifications.

5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1 Manufacturing and Technical

1. To work as a prosthetic technician undertaking a range of activities principally for modular limb build and laminating, including the fabrication, provision, maintenance, and repair of prosthetic clinical/technical prescriptions for amputees and patients with congenital limb absence and deformities with the support of the senior technical team.

1. To fabricate, service and repair, all types of modular lower and upper limb prostheses in accordance with the appropriate technical manual where one is produced by the component manufacture, if not a risk assessment must be carried out. Assist in the determination of materials and component specification to suit the clients needs using one or a combination of the following:

Documentation

Liaising with and advising the Prosthetist or other relevant members of the team

Experience

Knowledge.

1. To undertake technician only appointments, meeting with service users, assessing technical issues and faults, advising on solutions and effecting repair and maintenance, or referring on to the clinical team as appropriate.

1. To ensure all specialist devices produced, modified, or repaired are fully evaluated prior to supplying to the patient thus ensuring safety, function, alignment, suitability of body-device interface, mechanical integrity, and cosmetic appearance.

1. To cosmetically profile prostheses of all levels as appropriate.

1. Working independently within the workplace managing your assigned workload within agreed timescales.

1. To assist the senior members of the technical team in carrying out development and design tasks as directed to enable the team to overcome difficult client requirements attending fitting appointments with the Prosthetist if required.

1. To train to maintain, service and repair limited elements of hand-crafted conventional prostheses with the assistance of senior technicians.

1. Ensure appropriate records are kept and maintained as per departmental policy.

1. To quality check all your own manufactured, repaired and adapted work undertaken, prior to passing in for final inspection, ensuring patient and practitioner safety at all times.

1. To fabricate bespoke sockets to sites of amputation or congenital deformity using a range of materials and techniques.

1. To assist the workshop manager in ensuring machines and equipment are kept clean in accordance with workshop procedures, reporting any faults that require attention.

1. To carry out any additional relevant workshop tasks as required.

1. To demonstrate the necessary skill, aptitude, and knowledge to safely use a wide variety of specialist workshop machinery, equipment, and materials in order to carry out the functions of this role.

1. To ensure compliance and implementations of LSW policies and procedures such as Quality Control, Health & Safety and COSHH.

5.2 Financial and Resource Management

1. To be responsible for own use of materials and assist the workshop manager with the stock management of materials, componentry and other products used in the course of manufacture & assembly, repair and modification of prostheses within the services.

2. To contribute to the continual review and development of practices and policies, of the manufacturing, repair and maintenance process, reviewing materials, processes and equipment and supporting the workshop manager in initiating changes where potential improvements to quality, cost or efficiency/output are identified.

3. To raise ordering requirements of Workshop tooling and non-stocked consumables to the Workshop Manager.

5.3 Other

1. Assist in the care for patients, staff, self and others in all aspects of Health & Safety, Risk and quality control systems (ISO, MHRA etc).

1. To contribute to the COSHH process.

1. To occasionally participate in research and audit activities when required by submitting any required data and information.

1. To contribute to the service development and implementation and maintenance of technical procedures, standards and protocols for the department to ensure the delivery of the highest level of patient care at all times. This may involve highlighting cost-effective options as appropriate.

1. To assist the Workshop Manager to implement changes required as identified from risk assessments within Workshop areas.

1. To participate in teaching and training of technical procedures to relevant staff and placement students as required.

1. To attend and contribute to team meetings.

1. To monitor own performance against agreed objectives through the appraisal process and line management supervision.

1. To participate in the risk assessment process.

1. To support the Workshop Manager to implement quality assurance, health and safety and risk management policies and raise concerns regarding the workshop environment.

1. Assist with the implementation of organisational policies, e.g. corporate, HR and Health and Safety.

1. In the absence of senior technicians, to attend the morning huddle and relay relevant information regarding the days' clinic to all workshop staff.

6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

1. Occasional direct communication and working with patients, patients families and carers is required Technician only, fitting / delivery / repair appointments. Patients may have physical or learning disabilities and may have barriers to understanding. These contacts are usually carried out alongside the clinician or an assistant but are occasionally one to one.

1. Commercial companies regarding consumable items, workshop tools and manufacturing techniques.

1. Prosthetists to discuss work specification and potential manufacturing issues.

1. Departments administrative staff.

1. Other technical staff to support work and resolve issues arising during daily duties.

1. Workshop manager to ensure consistent standards and procedures across all workshop activities.

1. Workshop Manager to receive duties and discuss issues.

1. Stores Person & workshop manager for stock ordering requirements, ordering omissions, component delays and progressing of jobs.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• City & Guilds in Engineering Apprenticeship, or an equivalent profession specific qualification, plus additional, knowledge, skills and experience to Degree level.

Desirable

• Engineering Degree

Experience

Essential

• 2 years-experience post award of relevant qualification working in the manufacturing techniques and delivery of prosthetics service
• Effective Team Working

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of workshop environment and health and safety.
• Up to date working knowledge of manufacturing techniques and componentry.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to manufacture, fault find, repair, and maintain the full range of lower limb prostheses.
• Appropriate hand skills to work with the full range of workshop machinery and tools.
• Ability to communicate technical information at all levels.
• Ability to organise and prioritise.
• Ability to plan allocated manufacturing caseload with available resources to meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain accurate and legible technical and patient records.
• Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to follow instructions and work under direction.
• Effective team player.
• To be flexible & responsive to the continually changing healthcare environment.
• Ability to travel between locations
• Adaptable, flexible and reliable.
• Artistic ability is essential for cosmetic shaping purposes.
• Good hand-eye co-ordination

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Livewell Southwest

Address

The Thornberry Centre

1, Brest Way

Derriford

Plymouth

PL65XW

Employer's website

https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)