Job summary
We currently have an exciting opportunity to work with the community falls service as a Band 4 falls assistant practitioner working with the St Helens Community Falls Team. The post holder will be responsible for carrying out holistic falls assessments in people's own homes within the St Helens area, to reduce the risk of falls.
Nationally approximately 30% of people over 65 years will suffer a fall each year. The effects of these falls can be catastrophic for an individual. These can include major fractures, and head injuries. Even for less serious injuries the results can be serious with loss of confidence and independence being a common problem. The effects of a fall can also affect families and carers.
To help reduce these fall the St Helens Community Falls Service working closely with other Health and Social Care Professionals assess patients in their own homes and where needed arranging appropriate interventions.
Interview Date - To Be Confirmed
Main duties of the job
- To work alongside the Falls Prevention Team and collectively with a wide range of other health and social care professionals within Contact Cares to undertake assessment and intervention to people deemed at risk of falling.
- To work across professional boundaries and within legislation, policies and procedures and core values.
- To work in a variety of settings including clients own homes/nursing home to assess and provide intervention to improve client mobility and reduce falls risk.
- Actively participate in the services training strategy, including in-service training and multi-agency training The St Helens Community Falls Team will aim to reduce the number of people falling or where a fall does occur reduce the severity, likelihood of injury and better enable individuals to get up after a fall.
The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Duties
- Assess falls, risk, health education and advise / educate individuals, families and carers on:
Safe movement and posture
Footwear and walking aids
Bone health, nutrition and hydration
What to do after a fall
- Monitor and review progress.
- Record outcomes, observe changes in condition and report concerns or improvements to senior clinicians.
- Work within a multidisciplinary team.
- Liaise with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, GPs and social care professionals.
- Support clinical documentation.
- Maintain accurate records, contribute to care plans and follow data protection and governance requirements.
Environmental Safety
- Assess home environments for hazards (e.g. loose rugs, poor lighting, trip risks).
- Recommend practical changes and equipment to improve safety.
- Liaise with occupational therapy, housing, or equipment services when appropriate.
Health Promotion and Education
- Educate individuals, families, and carers on falls prevention strategies.
- Promote physical activity and hydration.
- Carry out falls risk assessments in peoples homes or community settings.
- Home and environmental safety checks.
- Assess home environments for hazards (e.g. loose rugs, poor lighting, trip risks).
- Recommend practical changes and equipment to improve safety.
- Liaise with occupational therapy, housing, or equipment services when appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Duties
- Assess falls, risk, health education and advise / educate individuals, families and carers on:
Safe movement and posture
Footwear and walking aids
Bone health, nutrition and hydration
What to do after a fall
- Monitor and review progress.
- Record outcomes, observe changes in condition and report concerns or improvements to senior clinicians.
- Work within a multidisciplinary team.
- Liaise with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, GPs and social care professionals.
- Support clinical documentation.
- Maintain accurate records, contribute to care plans and follow data protection and governance requirements.
Environmental Safety
- Assess home environments for hazards (e.g. loose rugs, poor lighting, trip risks).
- Recommend practical changes and equipment to improve safety.
- Liaise with occupational therapy, housing, or equipment services when appropriate.
Health Promotion and Education
- Educate individuals, families, and carers on falls prevention strategies.
- Promote physical activity and hydration.
- Carry out falls risk assessments in peoples homes or community settings.
- Home and environmental safety checks.
- Assess home environments for hazards (e.g. loose rugs, poor lighting, trip risks).
- Recommend practical changes and equipment to improve safety.
- Liaise with occupational therapy, housing, or equipment services when appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Assistant practitioner foundation degree
- Good written and spoken English
- Good numeracy skills
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Significant years' experience in a relevant community setting
- IT qualification - EDCL or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Knowledge of different methods of communication
- Knowledge of the current legislation and guidelines relating to falls prevention
- Experience of team working
Desirable
- Experience of training others
- Experience of working under distanced supervision in a community setting
Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office
Desirable
- Ability to motivate, support and pass on knowledge to others
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel to various locations across region
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Assistant practitioner foundation degree
- Good written and spoken English
- Good numeracy skills
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Significant years' experience in a relevant community setting
- IT qualification - EDCL or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Knowledge of different methods of communication
- Knowledge of the current legislation and guidelines relating to falls prevention
- Experience of team working
Desirable
- Experience of training others
- Experience of working under distanced supervision in a community setting
Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office
Desirable
- Ability to motivate, support and pass on knowledge to others
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel to various locations across region
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.
