Generic Therapy Assistant for Care of the Elderly

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide a high level of support to the therapy team

To be responsible for the therapy intervention for all those patients on your caseload, and work under indirect supervision. The more complex cases may require joint working with your senior colleague.

Able to accept delegation and work without direct supervision

Responsible for attending MDT whiteboards meeting to represent therapy and facilitate discharges.

To collect relevant patient information from a variety of sources to assist with clinical prioritisation and patient management; ward handovers, observation charts, medical and nursing notes.

Able to manage a ward or cohort of routine patients, escalating complex patients to a qualified therapist as needed.

Establish good therapeutic relationships with patients, and are responsible for ensuring that the patient and carer fully understand the role of physiotherapy and occupational therapy and in context with the wider MDT.

To undertake initial assessments and develop treatment plans reporting back to the supervising therapist.

To teach and supervise simple exercise programs and treatment e.g. balance training, stairs assessments, post-operative exercises and gait re-education.

To assess issue and teach the use of walking aids.

Implement the appropriate therapy intervention under indirect supervision.

Plan and Prepare for clinical intervention orientating patient activities towards successful rehabilitation and safe discharge – to promote and encourage independence.

Engages with community services and social services to facilitate simple comprehensive discharge plans independently, and knows when to escalate and work alongside qualified staff to establish discharge plans for more complex patients

Facilitate the safe transfer of people and equipment using approved moving and handling techniques after training

Fit, adjust and safely use a range of equipment and tools for a variety of therapeutic activities.

Maintain therapy equipment and materials

To accurately record all patient assessment, plans and intervention in the medical notes.

Following PAH Trust training, to facilitate the safe transfer of people and equipment using approved moving and handling techniques

Formulate a personal development plan and take part in the PAH Trust appraisal process

Maintain compliance with PAH Trust Mandatory training

Maintain responsibility for own professional continuing educational needs

To support departmental administration when appropriate, including participation in departmental audits

To contribute to the fieldwork education of students.

Provide support and education to patients and carers regarding all aspects of Physiotherapy.

Establish sound working relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

Actively participate in training and development maintaining a portfolio recording learning outcomes.

Recognise boundaries as a support worker

Demonstrate the awareness of trust wide and local policies and procedures

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Assist practitioner preparation with a minimum of 120 academic credits at Level 4, or certificate in higher education (Cert HE) or foundation degree in health or health and social care, or equivalent qualifications/ experience
• Maths and English level 2
• NVQ level 3 or equivalent

Desirable

• It may be necessary to complete additional modules/competencies within the first 12 months of employment to comply with trust core competencies

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a therapy assistant in an acute hospital setting
• A high level of understanding of the role of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Able to carry out assessments for routine patients, and demonstrate skilled clinical reasoning and decision making to justify treatment plans. Able to independently offer ideas, suggestions, and solutions to problems identified in the assessment

Desirable

• Relevant life experience
• Should have a basic understanding of community support servicesD

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

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

Address

The Princess Alexandra Hospital

Harlow

Essex

CM20 1QX

Employer's website

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