Care of the Elderly Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

This position is accountable to Head of Therapy. It will provide therapy intervention and care in the patients home, in the hospital setting or in intermediate care beds. The position contributes to the community therapy pathway to support initiatives to avoid hospital admission, shorten patients stay in hospital and maximise clinical outcome when discharged from hospital.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work under the supervision of qualified therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the community and in intermediate care beds if required.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner is able to carry out a full episode of care fromassessment to discharge, for a specified and designated clinical caseload identified by a qualified clinician.

The postholder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team anddepartment.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

To undertake all aspects of clinical and care duties under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist.

To carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist

Assess and provide for equipment needs

Progress patients in their homes to maximise their function and independence

To provide information, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, colleagues, other disciplines and agencies. To promote understanding on the aims of Therapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment programme.

Contributes to advice and education sessions for relevant patient groups

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.

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

Maintain accurate clinical records of all interventions

To produce patient related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating toassessment findings and/or treatment outcomes

Input to databases as required

Referring to the qualified practitioner when necessary, to work independently with aspecified client group to manage equipment provision and functional assessmentand rehabilitation, from pre- operative phase to post-op rehabilitation

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

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

To manage own day to day workload and maintain level of service within the pathway at the local site, and assist other members of the team to make appropriate prioritisation choices. To ensure the effective exchange of information across thepathway team and co-ordination of service delivery.

Work force

To provide guidance and teaching to therapy assistants working for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

To be proactive in the community with therapy and nursing staff within the Lewisham Enablement Team to feedback on patients progress, immediately highlighting any clinical concerns

To participate in supervision and appraisal with a designated senior therapist

To attend staff meetings

To contribute to the clinical induction of therapy staff

To be able to independently progress patients exercise programme and mobility,including issuing walking aids, for the specified patient group

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential

• o Evidence of study to or attainment of NVQ Level III, relevant qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience

Experience

Essential

• o Experience of working clinically in physiotherapy / occupational therapy service
• o Experience of working in community
• o IT experience

Desirable

• o Community and acute experience
• o Working in a care environment

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• o Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation
• o Able to use computer databases and complete patient records electronically
• o Able to supervise staff
• o Understanding of care pathways and key issues for Trust

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Lewisham

Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LH

Employer's website

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