Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Therapy Assistant Practitioner to work within Front Door Therapy Services at the William Harvey Hospital.

The post holder will assist in the assessment, recovery, and discharge of patients across all acute areas within the Emergency Care Department, including our newly expanded Frailty Assessment Unit. This role is an essential part of the on-site Therapy team.

The team comprises Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistant Practitioners, and Discharge Managers, who work collaboratively to assess therapy needs and plan safe, effective discharge arrangements for patients admitted through our busy Emergency Department.

PLEASE NOTE - WE CANNOT OFFER VISA SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE . If you hold a Graduate/Post Study work visa, you will only be able to work this role fixed term until the expiry date of your visa.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 4 you will work generically, providing high quality care through effective team work and will be expected to follow through treatment plans from admission to discharge. The team strives to provide high quality care and think innovatively to improve the service we deliver. As a team member you will assist and support the therapists in the Therapy and Discharge Service team and work closely with all members of the multi disciplinary team.

The post holder will be expected to carry out initial assessments of patient's needs and progress treatment plans to facilitate safe discharge from hospital which may involve home visits and close liaison with community support services.

As a therapy team we are constantly involved in service development and the post holder will be involved alongside the therapy team in new projects, service developments and initiatives to ensure best practice at all times.

Regular supervision is available. There is regular in-service training provided by both therapies and other MDT members. There is an opportunity to enrol on the apprenticeship scheme to develop your clinical skills further. External training opportunities may also be applied for as appropriate.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in Documents to download.

If you have further queries please dont hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in Documents to download.

If you have further queries please dont hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

Essential

• NVQ 3 or equivalent
• Understands the health and social needs of the local community
• Previous experience of working as a band 3 therapy/ rehabilitation assistant within an NHS setting or equivalent experience with transferrable skills

Desirable

• Completion of Trusted Assessor Training
• Postural stability instructor

Clinical skills and experience

Essential

• Ability to follow prescribed programs of treatment
• Able to use and take initiative to seek additional work to assist the team as a whole (e.g. team administration tasks)
• Works independently, manages caseload and carries out directed tasks with patients
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• IT skills
• Clinical moving and handling skills

Desirable

• Facilitating therapy groups with Allied Health Professionals
• Previous experience of working with patients within an in-patient setting
• Working with members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Competent presentation skills
• Facilitating therapy groups
• Previous experience of working with patients within an in-patient setting
• Working with members of the multi-disciplinary team

Governance

Essential

• Understands issues of confidentiality and information governance

Personal/professional attributes

Essential

• Able to listen and develop a rapport with patients and relatives
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Polite and respectful
• Confident and friendly
• Effective Team Player
• Willingness to work flexibly
• Awareness of own limitations
• Sets and maintains personal and professional boundaries

Other requirements

Essential

• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Vision, Mission and Values
• Able to travel around East Kent, and between Trust hospital sites

Person Specification
Qualifications and training

Essential

• NVQ 3 or equivalent
• Understands the health and social needs of the local community
• Previous experience of working as a band 3 therapy/ rehabilitation assistant within an NHS setting or equivalent experience with transferrable skills

Desirable

• Completion of Trusted Assessor Training
• Postural stability instructor

Clinical skills and experience

Essential

• Ability to follow prescribed programs of treatment
• Able to use and take initiative to seek additional work to assist the team as a whole (e.g. team administration tasks)
• Works independently, manages caseload and carries out directed tasks with patients
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• IT skills
• Clinical moving and handling skills

Desirable

• Facilitating therapy groups with Allied Health Professionals
• Previous experience of working with patients within an in-patient setting
• Working with members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Competent presentation skills
• Facilitating therapy groups
• Previous experience of working with patients within an in-patient setting
• Working with members of the multi-disciplinary team

Governance

Essential

• Understands issues of confidentiality and information governance

Personal/professional attributes

Essential

• Able to listen and develop a rapport with patients and relatives
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Polite and respectful
• Confident and friendly
• Effective Team Player
• Willingness to work flexibly
• Awareness of own limitations
• Sets and maintains personal and professional boundaries

Other requirements

Essential

• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Vision, Mission and Values
• Able to travel around East Kent, and between Trust hospital sites

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

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Address

William Harvey Hospital

Kennington road

Ashford

TN24 0LZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website