Therapy Assistant Practitioner, Pelvic Health

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a full list of duties please refer to the attached job description document.

Key Duties:

Domain 1: Formal Knowledge and Experience

Entry requirements as personal specification.

Able to demonstrate substantial experience in health and care settings, including in the relevant field of work.

Demonstrates the values of the NHS and commitment to personal and professional development.

Domain 2: Supporting service users

Develops, manages, and maintains positive, appropriate relationships with service users, families and carers, demonstrating respect, kindness, compassion and empathy at all times.

Consistently deploys care, treatment and support strategies to promote and provide person-centred care, including providing information, advice and guidance to service users, carers, families, health professionals and others.

Understands the social, cultural, and economic influences, individual circumstances, behaviours, and lifestyle choices that impact on health outcomes for service users and their families, including health inequalities.

Understands the aims and principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and importance of relevant interventions for individual service users and their families, including making every contact count.

Understands a range of organisations in the health and social care system and services provided, referring service users to services appropriately.

Understands and can explain the main legislation, legal and ethical responsibilities that shape health and social care and the role of agencies such as the Care Quality Commission.

Able to work collaboratively with a variety of health staff, social care staff, professional staff and others. Understands and demonstrates the principles of team and partnership working.

Recognises the importance of support workers in service delivery, including the diverse roles undertaken by AHP support workers. Is able to define own role, for example by describing their duties and the roles of others.

Has a thorough understanding of the function and role of their service and can actively advocate for this to other teams and services.

Domain 3: Clinical, Technical and Scientific Roles and Responsibilities, Knowledge and Practice, Support and Interventions.

Developed knowledge of clinical, technical and/or scientific theory and practice, within their immediate field of practice. Understands the importance of evidence-based practice.

Demonstrates an understanding of role boundaries, the importance of supervision and carrying out appropriately delegated tasks. Able to understand and follow procedures, protocols and plans.

Following appropriate training and demonstration of competency, works unsupervised with service users within the scope of the role and operational policies, protocols and procedures, adhering to evidence base practice.

Understands and gains valid consent prior to action or providing care, and records this appropriately.

Assesses a defined group of patients with mobility, functional/cognitive impairments, and impairments of activities of daily living, including assessment of a patients fitness to treat, recognising at deteriorating patient and escalating accordingly any concerns to a registered therapist/ward staff.

Gathers and interprets relevant information including social history, and through working under protocols facilitates early discharge planning, liaising with family/care agencies as needed.

Works unsupervised to assess, plan, implement, progress/grade and monitor own treatment and care plan interventions, including adapting to circumstances/patients needs.

Actively participates in the planning and development of personalised care plans by offering objective clinical and evidence-based information to inform planned activities.

Monitors the effectiveness of treatments through evaluation of outcome and use of clinical knowledge and evidence base to progress the patient within defined protocols and recognises the reason for any unmet goals

Understands the impact of complex or urgent care needs and other factors encountered when prioritising care activities within their own or the teams defined workload.

Identifies the need for ongoing rehabilitation/support and liaises with the MDT to recommend the appropriate level of care on discharge. This could involve referral to other agencies.

Completes visits in the community setting to provide necessary assessments or interventions to support safe discharge. This may be completed alone or with another therapist/member of staff.

Assesses for, recommends, orders, issues and fits equipment as per scope of practice, as required by the service user, including demonstration of safe use of equipment to service users, carers and other staff.

Recognises an emergency, summons assistance and acts as a member of the MDT within parameters of own competence and defined role. In settings where a registered practitioner is not present, initiates immediate first aid whilst awaiting the arrival of appropriately qualified practitioners.

Domain 4: Communication and Information Management.

Communicates effectively, through a variety of methods with patients, carers and relatives to maximise rehabilitation potential through interpersonal, verbal and nonverbal skills. This may require explanation, instruction, persuasion, motivation, negotiation and reassurance.

Exchanges information with service user and families using active listening, compassion, empathy, and coproduction techniques with the service user.

Demonstrates the ability to provide and receive complex and sensitive information, including relating to service users. Judges the appropriate method of communication, ensuring information is provided in an accessible way.

Actively listens and receives information, gives and acts on feedback. Understands the communication needs of others and adapts communication style accordingly.

Manages barriers to effective communication and adapts own communication style as appropriate.

Liaises and communicates effectively with registered therapists, acute ward and community teams and other members of the MDT, regarding referrals, ongoing care, rehabilitation needs and discharge requirements of individual patients.

Understands role requirement and the importance of accessing, maintaining and storing documentation relating to care, in accordance with local guidance and legal requirements for maintaining confidentiality and data protection.

Maintains complete accurate and contemporaneous treatment records including valid consent to interventions, utilising digital platforms as required, in line with local and HCPC standards.

Domain 5: Safe and Inclusive Environments.

Contributes to the maintenance of healthy and safe working environments through appropriate practice, use of resources, techniques and behaviours and understanding of relevant legislation.

Contributes to the application and evaluation of organisational procedures and protocols.

Identifies and acts immediately to manage risks/unsafe practice or environments, including assessment of moving and handling, using local policies and procedures

Acts with integrity and honesty, ensuring individuals do not experience harm by reporting situations, behaviours or errors that might lead to adverse outcomes for service users

Is aware of the environment in which they work and how to maintain health and safety for themselves and others.

Reports any adverse incidents, accidents, near misses or complaints in a timely manner, taking appropriate action where necessary, according to Trust policy.

Ensures safe use of all mechanical and electrical equipment or medical devices used in the care of patients.

Domain 6: Research and Service Improvement.

Participates in, contributes to, and may lead, audits, service evaluation and quality improvement projects relevant to own work.

Applies research governance, ethics, protocols and guidelines and may undertake more complex research activities including data collection and analysis. Disseminates research findings.

Domain 7: Leadership and Management.

Acts in a professional manner, demonstrating NHS Constitution values.

Demonstrates role modelling, including advocating for service users, their families and carers and other support staff.

Takes appropriate action when the performance and practice of others should be positively recognised or requires improvement.

Takes responsibility for management, prioritisation and leadership of own workload within the defined area of work, and within scope of practice. At times working without direct supervision.

Identifies and develops own leadership skills, for example by volunteering for broader opportunities within their organisation.

Is responsible, with minimal guidance, for maintaining own knowledge, skills and competencies through a range of relevant CPD activities and maintenance of an appropriate portfolio.

Is aware of limitations of own knowledge and skills and actively seeks feedback, advice and guidance from the supervising therapist where appropriate.

Completes all required mandatory and compulsory training, maintaining 100% compliance as per trust requirements.

Works with registered therapists to supervise, mentor and manage Therapy Support Workers /less experienced staff and apprentices, including induction of new staff and students.

Contributes to the learning of the organisation, colleagues and team, for example by giving and receiving constructive feedback and contributing to learning resources for others. Supports students on placement.

Provides administrative support to the therapy team e.g. appointment booking, stock control of consumables, ordering, monitoring of equipment.

See attached job description for domain 8 and other details.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience as a Senior Therapy Assistant/or equivalent working with different patient groups/conditions
• Experience of working in an acute/healthcare setting with direct patient contact, including experience of working with pelvic health patients
• Evidence of work using a wide range of Therapy related skills including grading, adaptation and progression of interventions
• Evidence of supporting other staff to develop

Desirable

• Experience of organising and/or providing training to others
• Experience of group working
• Experience of using/fitting adaptive equipment

Qualifications

Essential

• Functional Skills (level 2) or Maths & English GCSE (grades 9-4 or A*-C)
• National Care Certificate
• A foundation degree Health and Social care or equivalent level 5 qualification and A-Levels and GCSEs or equivalent(s), or as a level 5 apprenticeship (e.g. Assistant practitioner apprenticeship), or equivalent clinical experience/expertise within an AHP profession underpinned by theoretical and practical experience

Desirable

• Evidence of attendance at healthcare related course e.g. Dementia awareness, stroke specialist seating.
• A relevant further education qualification eg BTEC (Therapy Support Worker) or NVQ 3 in Healthcare or equivalent

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Evidence of enthusiasm and commitment to the role in Worcestershire
• Proactive in self development
• Able to maintain confidentiality and professionalism
• Compassionate
• Evidence of appropriate personal attributes e.g. responsible, reliable, flexible, well-organised, initiative
• Evidence of good team working
• Ability to problem solve

Other Job Requirements

Essential

• Right to work in the UK/Valid Visa
• Ability to meet the physical, emotional and challenging demands of the role
• Able to meet the moving and handling requirements of the post
• Able and willing to work contracted hours over 7 days, extended daily hours pattern as required
• Able to contribute to the Therapy Weekend and Bank Holiday rota
• Able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post - Full driving licence and access to a vehicle (or alternative mode of transport)
• Able and willing to commute between sites

Skills/Knowledge and Abilities

Essential

• Knowledge of Basic aims and principles of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Evidence of managing/ prioritising own caseload/working independently
• Ability to work autonomously using own Knowledge/skills and initiative in complex situations, acknowledging role boundaries
• Effective and appropriate written and verbal communication/interpersonal skills
• Evidence of thorough, relevant self-development/ CPD activity
• Completion of broad-based competencies in therapy related skills
• Evidence of patient handling skills
• Computer Literate eg. Microsoft word, PowerPoint, outlook

Desirable

• Evidence of activities involving leadership /management skills
• Understanding of professional, legal and clinical governance issues
• Previous experience of Electronic Patient records

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

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

The Alexandra Hospital

Woodrow Drive

Redditch

Worcestershire

B987UB

Employer's website

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