Therapy Assistant Practitioner - EDDT

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will provide therapy intervention to patients in areas such as the Medical Assessment Unit (Chestnut) and the Frailty Unit (Aspen). It may involve working in other areas within the teams remit such as the Emergency Department (ED) and the Acute Admissions Unit (AAU).

The post holder will work under the supervision of qualified Therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the in hospital. This will include working in a wide variety of settings including the ward, the inpatient gym and activities of daily living suites. It may also include some Access Visits to a patients home, and potentially supporting on Home Visits with a qualified Therapist.

The post holder will be able to carry out a full episode of care from assessment to discharge, for a specified and designated clinical caseload identified by a qualified clinician.

This post requires the ability to work between the core hours of 8-8 pm, as well as undertake weekend shifts.

The post holder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team and department.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

INTERNAL INCLUDE: Supervising specialist clinician team leads and clinical pathway leads, clinical pathway teams, referring clinicians, MDTs, therapy administrative team.

EXTERNAL INCLUDE: GPs, Community Services, Social services, Local authorities, Voluntary Services, DoH Networks.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

1. To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of an Occupational Therapist or a Physiotherapist.

1. To work to departmental standard operating procedures and clinical protocols and in conjunction with the supervising clinician to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and service demands.

1. To be responsible for implementing programmes of care assessing patient progress and using initiative to suggest changes to treatment plan within agreed competencies. When care deviates from standard operating procedures report back to therapist.

1. To own competency level to be accountable for all aspects of own work. This will include the management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist.

1. To assess patients capacity, gain valid informed consent to treatment and where such capacity is lacking/absent to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient.

1. To undertake the assessment and treatment planning for patients identified within a specific and designated caseload.

1. To carry out home visits and access visits, with or without a therapist, as required.

1. To implement individualised clinical management programmes, utilising a range of treatment skills and options to plan a suitable programme of care.

1. To use recognised outcome measures to evaluate the effect of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy interventions and ensure that treatment programmes are progressing appropriately.

1. To provide information, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines and agencies. To promote understanding of the aims of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.

1. To participate in multidisciplinary/multi-agency team meetings and case conferences to ensure the co-ordination of patient care. This may include the review of patient progress and discharge planning.

1. To ensure accurate, comprehensive and up to date clinical records are maintained in accordance with Trust guidance and agreed criteria.

1. Deliver and install simple aids and equipment in the patients home and instruct patients and carers in use of this equipment as appropriate.

1. To identify and employ suitable verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients where there may be barriers to understanding or the inability to accept diagnosis. To facilitate the best possible communication outcome in every situation and use appropriate services e.g. interpreters, SALT.

1. To ensure that individual practice and that of the local pathway team is user focused and patient views are incorporated into treatment planning.

1. To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation and negotiation to gain co-operation in the continuation of the agreed treatment programme.

1. To communicate with empathy, patient information which may be of a complex and sensitive nature

1. To receive complex patient related information from patients, relatives, carers and other professionals to effectively plan and develop individual case management.

1. To communicate and advise regarding complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working within the Therapy service and with other professionals across health and other agencies to ensure the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service.

1. To be integral in discharge planning including liaison with referring hospitals or community staff to which patients are discharged, providing timely discharge reports.

1. To produce patient related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and/or treatment outcomes.

1. To participate in the measurement and evaluation of own work through audit, outcome measurement.

1. To follow service policy regarding current clinical and service developments.

1. To be accessible and provide clinical information to colleagues.

1. To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future.

Financial

Ensure adequate activities of daily living equipment is available and accessible, and work with Transferring Community Equipment Services (TCES) agenda.

Service Development

1. To contribute to the development of a designated Therapy speciality in line with Trustwide Pathway development.

1. To contribute to the implementation of service agreed policy and service changes for local work area in line with policy agreed for Pathway as a whole. The post holder will work with the other members of the Pathway Team to achieve this.

1. To contribute to developments within the Therapy service and the wider multidisciplinary/multi-agency team and if requested participate in related project groups.

Human Resource Management

1. To demonstrate own duties to other support workers and provide practical training to less experienced staff.

1. To participate in the Trust individual performance review process.

1. To be aware of and comply with Trust policies and procedures.

1. To facilitate effective team working within the pathway, leading, assisting and supporting other team members.

1. To contribute to the clinical induction of Therapy staff.

General

1. To maintain accurate computer and written records that meet professional Trust Standards.

1. To undertake general administrative tasks as required including filing, appointment booking, processing referrals, answering the telephone, and other duties as required.

1. To drive a lease car to visit patients homes, with or without passengers.

1. To be able to work flexibly between community and hospital, depending on demand, and be able to prioritise and organise own workload to facilitate this.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Evidence of study to or attainment of NVQ level 3, relevant qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience.

Desirable

• Experience working as a Band 3 Therapy Assistant

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working clinically in a physiotherapy or occupational service.
• Experience of working with patients in an acute setting.
• IT experience.
• Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation
• Able to use initiative and work independently, able to manage time, prioritise and organise own workload
• Able to exert moderate effort, on a day to day basis, for short to prolonged periods of time in order to undertake required moving and handling procedures/treatment sessions/fitting of equipment
• Able to use computer databases and complete records electronically

Desirable

• NHS experience
• Community and acute experience
• Working in a care-related environment
• Knowledge of respiratory conditions

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

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Lewisham

London

SE13 6LH

Employer's website

https://www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)