Senior Therapy Assistant Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Paediatric Occupational Therapy and MSK Physiotherapy Teams are seeking to appoint a motivated individual with excellent communication and organisational skills to join the Paediatric Occupational Therapy and Paediatric Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy teams. The successful candidate will be integral to the continued delivery of a high quality and patient-focused service whilst demonstrating our trust values of:

• VISION
• OPENNESS
• INTEGRITY
• COMPASSION
• EXCELLENCE

Within the Paediatric Occupational Therapy team, the post holder will work primarily with specialist equipment provision. The candidate will carry out work alongside, and under the guidance of, occupational therapists and technical instructors. They will assist with the provision, monitoring, and maintenance of equipment to support and enable a child’s function and independence. This includes minor and complex specialist seating, moving and handling equipment, and aids to support activities of daily living.

Within the Paediatric Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Team, the post holder will support the team with the delivery of therapy treatments, hydrotherapy, and group sessions. Across both teams, there will be an element of clinical administrative duties. The candidate will have an agreed level of autonomy and responsibility for their agreed workload. Motivation to assist and support service development is essential. Excellent time management skills are required to manage your own work plan.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is an integrated provider of acute, intermediate, and community health care serving the population of Bolton. This provides us with an opportunity for our services to work closely with our partners in primary care and the local authority to ensure a seamless service for our patients.

Key Responsibilities:

• To use a range of communication tools to effectively communicate with and gather information from service users/carers and feedback accurately to therapy colleagues, in order to progress any treatment programmes. This will include clients who may have difficulties understanding or communicating e.g., speech and language difficulties or learning difficulties.
• To carry out specific care and treatment under the guidance and delegation of Band 4 and qualified staff.
• To recognise improvements or adverse developments in the client’s condition, report to senior staff, and document it using the Trust’s electronic patient record system.
• To implement intervention programmes either in groups or on an individual basis, under supervision of a registered therapist.
• To prepare the child/young person and environment for therapeutic intervention when required.
• To use risk assessment skills when delivering therapy programmes and monitoring equipment.
• To maintain hygiene and cleanliness of all relevant clinical areas.
• To monitor, maintain, store, and dispose of equipment in accordance with health and safety procedures.
• To physically move and handle patients or equipment within health and safety guidelines, in a variety of settings.
• To liaise directly with the wider multi-disciplinary team in order to gain clinical information relating to a child/young person.
• Under the guidance of a therapist or senior therapy assistant, provide instruction, information, and training to the child/young person and carers or education staff to support them in achieving identified goals and/or safely use equipment.
• To possess basic IT and keyboard skills, enabling the use of relevant organisational IT systems necessary to fulfil the role e.g., booking appointments, writing clinical notes, or accessing emails.
• To work within own limits of competence, levels of responsibility, and accountability within the team and organisation.
• To manage time effectively in order to fulfil needs of own workload as well as team priorities.