About this role
Job summary
We are looking for a passionate individual with relevant experience working as a senior therapy support worker to join our Integrated Therapy Team as a band 4 Therapy Assistant Practitioner. Applicants need to have a willingness to learn and develop in line with the collaborative ethos of the team and service as well as a passion for providing therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation to people with neurological and complex physical and cognitive presentations. This exciting role will work across sites at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Alexandra Hospital supporting the Acute Stroke and Complex Care and Neurology teams. The role will require the successful applicant to work alongside the therapy team and independently with a defined caseload. They will provide skilled therapeutic input on rotation between both Teams, gaining experience, knowledge and skills through specific training and CPD opportunities as well as experiential learning and development. The successful applicant will join an existing team of Therapy Assistant Practitioners within the Service and have opportunities to further develop the role and their knowledge and skills, supported by a team of highly experienced qualified Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy clinicians.
Main duties of the job
Rotation between the Acute Stroke Team and the Complex Care/Neuro Team.
In each area the role will involve application of core skills of patient assessment and treatment to support the acute phase of rehabilitation.
Maintenance of a home first approach with the aim of facilitating most appropriate ongoing management and support on discharge while recognising and supporting the complex needs of some patients requiring longer term inpatient rehabilitation.
Completion of competencies to support TAP role.
Provision of patient assessment within competent scope of practice and with a defined patient caseload.
Provision of therapeutic treatment with an integrated approach.
Completion of community visits as required and with support where needed (competencies are associated with this).
Assessment for and provision of equipment where needed to support safe and optimal function.
Attendance to meet caseload need across both Worcester and Redditch sites - this may be flexible and variable dependent upon caseload but could require attendance at Redditch for some or part of the week most weeks with Worcester being the main base for both the Acute Stroke and Complex Care/Neuro Teams.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job description Job responsibilities
Post Title -Therapy Assistant Practitioner
Pay Band - Band 4
Hours - 37.5
Location / Department - Therapies, Stroke/Neuro/Complex Care
Key Working Relationships -
Therapists and Line Managers in given speciality across the three sites, Therapies Management Team, Medical and Nursing Staff, other health care professionals and members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), support staff, community care co-ordinators, discharge co-ordinators, patients, carers, relatives, students, palliative care team, community equipment stores.
Risk Assessment -
This post involves frequent manual handling activities e.g. hoisting, positioning, assisting sitting/standing, transferring, toileting, providing personal care, giving physical support during walking practice/exercise and occasional pushing of large items of equipment/furniture. There is a frequent requirement for moderate physical effort, including repetitive techniques e.g. passive exercises, bed exercises, and an occasional requirement for intensive physical effort for several short periods throughout the day, including loading and unloading of equipment from transportation. The ability to safely use tools to adjust equipment is required. Close contact with patients frequently exposes the post holder to bodily fluids/infections e.g. sputum, urine, blood, vomit, and faeces. The above can be occasional and carried out within the acute hospital or within a patients home environment. The above requires the ability to ensure the safety of both patients and staff. The post holder may be required to lone work within the acute hospital or in patients home environments, e.g. the delivery and fitting of equipment (mobile phones are supplied when staff are working in the community).
There is frequent need for prolonged concentration and involvement in emotionally distressing situations, such as dealing with bad news, terminal illness, death, and bereavement, where empathy and support for patients, carers and other team members will be needed. Work pattern is often unpredictable with frequent interruptions/changes.
Job Purpose -
Working as part of the Therapy and wider MDT, Therapy Assistant Practitioners (TAP) use enhanced skills in a specialist area to provide direct high quality and effective therapeutic care and support to a defined group of patients. Within the scope of the role, the post holder will independently (unsupervised) plan and deliver individual or group tasks where the understanding of role boundaries and the importance of supervision and carrying out delegated tasks and plans is essential.
This role requires understanding of factual and theoretical knowledge of principles, policies, protocols, procedures, processes within a defined group of patients. Although work is guided by standard operating procedures and protocols, the post holder must be able to make judgements to plan activities assess, treat and progress/grade and adapt treatment of patients in line with competencies set and assessed by the Registered Therapist. This knowledge should be utilised to contribute to effective discharge planning as part of the MDT.
The post holder will also co-ordinate and assist with the training and management of other Therapy Support Workers, thus providing a quality and effective support service to the Therapy Team. They will contribute to service development and demonstrate personal development as well as being responsible for supervision of others and delegation of tasks to other non-registered staff.
The post holder will participate in the weekend service. The speciality being dependant on experience. This service may include the treatment of children.
Working hours will be dependent upon the service provided within each speciality, this may include 7-day working, working contracted hours within an extended daily pattern or participation in a relevant weekend /bank holiday rota.
Key Duties -
Detailed further in supporting information but in the following 8 domains -
Domain 1 - Formal Knowledge and Experience
Domain 2 - Supporting service users.
Domain 3 - Clinical, Technical and Scientific Roles and Responsibilities, Knowledge and Practice, Support, and Interventions.
Domain 4 - Communication and Information Management.
Domain 5 - Safe and Inclusive Environments.
Domain 6 - Research and Service Improvement.
Domain 7 - Leadership and Management.
Domain 8 - Personal and Professional Values and Behaviours.
WAHT Vision and Values -
The Trust aims to provide local services for local people. It has developed its vision to reflect this commitment:
Being open and honest we all communicate clearly and honestly, asking for.
help when we need it and making it easier for the people around us to share.
ideas and concerns
Ensuring people feel cared for we all take responsibility for actively supporting.
and nurturing a kind and compassionate environment for ourselves and others
Showing respect for everyone we all act with consideration and fairness,
valuing each other as individuals and appreciating our different perspectives.
To continue to be the major provider of acute/specialist services for the people of Worcestershire (and wider) with a strong reputation for providing outstanding, high quality, reliable, accessible and integrated healthcare for local people.
Standard Clauses -
The purpose of this post should remain constant, but the duties and responsibilities may vary over time within the overall role and level of the post. The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other reasonable duties. Any such changes will be made in discussion with the post holder in the light of service needs.
Competence
The post holder is responsible for limiting his / her actions to those which s/he feels competent to undertake. If the post holder has any doubts as to his or her competence during his / her duties, then s/he should immediately speak to their line manager or supervisor.
Codes of conduct
All employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional body, to enable them to practise within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. Those staff that are not required to be registered with a professional body are required to comply with the Trusts codes of conduct.
Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff, and other Health Service business.
Records Management
All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records that they gather, create or use as part of their work within the Trust (including patient, financial, personnel and administrative), whether paper or computer based. All such records are considered public records, and all employees have a legal duty of confidence to service users. Employees should consult their manager if they have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which they work.
Health and Safety
Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992) and all relevant Trust Health and Safety Policies and Guidance. This ensures that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients, and visitors to the Trust.
Infection Control
Employees must accept personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention and Control practice. Employees should ensure they are familiar with, and comply with, all relevant Infection Control policies for minimising the risk of avoidable Health Care Associated Infection. All Employees must undertake annual mandatory updates in Infection Control.
Non-Smoking Policy
The Trusts approach to smoking is in line with the governments on-going initiatives for an eventual smoke-free environment. It aims to adhere to the Worcestershire Health Community Campaign to help Worcestershire stop smoking.
A no smoking environment policy exists within all Trust premises including entrances and exits to hospital buildings and on other Trust property (with the exception of staff resident in staff residences, as these are the homes of staff). In June 2014, a ban was implanted which meant staff, contractors and volunteers were no longer permitted to smoke in any of the hospital grounds, including car parks.
Further to this, The Alexandra, Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals, have all become smoke free to all patients and visitors as of 17 June 2015. This means that, as well as staff, members of the public, patients and visitors are not allowed to smoke in any of the acute hospital grounds, including car parks.
Risk Management
It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all employees of the Trust that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, taking appropriate actions, and reporting all incidents, near misses, and hazards promptly. It is a contractual obligation that all employees must co-operate with any investigations undertaken.
Children and vulnerable adults
You have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the children / young people / vulnerable adults that you come into contact with or are responsible for in your job role and sphere of competence.
Person Specification
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
Skills/Knowledge/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
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 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
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)
Desirable
Able and willing to commute between 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 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1DD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)