Job summary
We are looking for dynamic and motivated individuals to join our ward-based Therapy associate teams at both Tunbridge Wells Hospital and Maidstone Hospital sites. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new team being introduced into MTW with the purpose of enabling patients and preventing hospital acquired deconditioning. As a founding member of the team you will be involved in its initiation, growth and development and will be essential for its success.
You will be ward based but you will be supervised by a Senior Therapist. As such you will have wide and varied opportunities for career development and training. The department offers a supportive working environment which actively supports Continuing Professional Development, through an established appraisal system, in-service training, and post graduate library facilities.
You must have experience at Band 3 or Band 4 level, and ideally within the acute NHS environment.
You will provide therapeutic care to patients on the wards with a view to enabling patients to be actively engaged and progressing in tasks such as washing and dressing, toileting, mobilising and eating and drinking. You will also carry out regular exercise and communication programmes as prescribed by the ward therapists.
Main duties of the job
You must have excellent communication and negotiation skills and be able to work with a variety of disciplines in a collaborative manner. Your role will involve liaising and working closely with nursing and therapy colleagues as well as communicating progress reports with discharge teams and the wider MDT both verbally and in written formats.
If the opportunity to drive change for the benefit of patients and be part of an innovative and forward-thinking service excites and inspires you then this is the post for you.
To deliver enabling care to inpatients as part of the "Therapy Associates on the Wards" service to:
- Minimise the deconditioning of individual patient's while on an inpatient ward
- Optimise the independence of individual patients in personal care, mobility, transfers, nutrition and hydration etc
- Reduce the dependency of double handed packages of care
- Reduce number of avoidable patient falls
To be based on a ward and to work as a member of the Multidisciplinary ward team
About us
MTW is a large acute hospital trust in the south-east of England. We provide a full range of general hospital services and some aspects of specialist and complex care to around 600,000 people living in west Kent and East Sussex. We have a team of over 8,000 full and part-time staff. We also provide specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex via the Kent Oncology Centre.
Would you like to work flexibly?In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace.Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace.Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- English functional skills (Level 2) or equivalent
Desirable
- Foundation degree Health and Social Care, or equivalent level 5 qualification; plus, A-levels and GCSEs or equivalent(s), including Functional Skills (level 2) Or - as a level 5 apprenticeship, such as the Assistant Practitioner apprenticeship Care Certificate
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- A minimum of three years' experience as an AHP Support Worker/Assistant Band 3 or equivalent
- To demonstrate a practical and a basic theoretical knowledge of common medical/surgical conditions and therapeutic treatment within an acute hospital setting
- Can demonstrate understanding and awareness of rehabilitative approaches to the Therapy Associate role
Skills
Essential
- Example of having used communication skills as part of clinical practice
- Good communicator - verbally and written - with patients and others
- IT skills
- Good time management and organisational skills.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- English functional skills (Level 2) or equivalent
Desirable
- Foundation degree Health and Social Care, or equivalent level 5 qualification; plus, A-levels and GCSEs or equivalent(s), including Functional Skills (level 2) Or - as a level 5 apprenticeship, such as the Assistant Practitioner apprenticeship Care Certificate
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- A minimum of three years' experience as an AHP Support Worker/Assistant Band 3 or equivalent
- To demonstrate a practical and a basic theoretical knowledge of common medical/surgical conditions and therapeutic treatment within an acute hospital setting
- Can demonstrate understanding and awareness of rehabilitative approaches to the Therapy Associate role
Skills
Essential
- Example of having used communication skills as part of clinical practice
- Good communicator - verbally and written - with patients and others
- IT skills
- Good time management and organisational skills.
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.
