Band 6 - Senior Hand Therapist - UCLH in City of London

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) are searching for a passionate and experienced Band 6 Senior Hand Therapist to join their highly skilled team. UCLH is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically-led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas.

Job Purpose

The post-holder works autonomously; providing a specialised patient assessment, including those with complex presentations & formulates a specialist therapy management plan. The post-holder contributes to the planning and delivery of the Hand Therapy service at UCH. The post-holder supervises less experienced Hand Therapy staff, assistants and students. The post-holder assists with the planning, management and teaching of education programmes for more junior staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. The post-holder participates in the departmental quality assurance programme. The post-holder assists with operational management of the team in the absence of more senior team members. The Hand Therapy team currently comprises of 7 members of staff and provides a service to mainly the orthopaedic and rheumatology department. They require the ability to perform manual handling tasks such as specialised splinting and physical assessment and treatment of the upper extremity. The post-holder is responsible for the daily operational activities and supervision & management of the less experienced Hand Therapy staff. The post-holder is required to demonstrate highly developed time management & prioritisation skills. The post-holder is required to assist work with their service lead on service development and quality assurance projects.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Carries out complex standardised and non-standardised Hand Therapy assessments of physical & functional ability, cognition, home situation and psychosocial issues.
• Gains valid informed consent & has the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
• Provides highly specialised Hand Therapy, including wound care, manual therapy and specialised splinting, in multiple settings according to patient need.
• Works in areas where the environment may have artificial lighting, variable temperatures, poor ventilation and ergonomics.
• Works with the possibility of exposure to body fluids, unpleasant smells, infections & exposure to verbal or physical aggression, including patients displaying highly emotional and confrontational behaviours.
• Sensitively deals with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care e.g. communicating news of poor prognoses such as chronic pain management or life long disability or conveying news of realistic outcomes following injury or surgery.
• Provides education to patients, carers, relatives and other health care professionals in the management of the patient’s condition.
• Monitors, reviews and modifies treatment plans/goals to measure progress and ensure effective outcomes under the guidance of more experienced therapists as required.
• Responsible for the safe manual handling of patients during mobility & functional transfers.
• Provides one to one patient care or group work depending on individual requirements.
• Works as a sole practitioner in clinic locations as required.
• Respects the individuality, values, cultural & religious diversity of patients & contributes to the provision of a service sensitive to their needs.

Requirements

• Degree or Equivalent in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy.
• HPC registration.
• Awareness of current evidence pertaining to hand therapy and application to clinical practice.
• 6 months experience of working in a hand therapy service.
• Evidence of clear understanding of the therapy role in a hand therapy setting.
• Experience of working with a broad spectrum of physical conditions.
• Experience of working as a member of a MDT.

Benefits

• Access to free Bank Partners Core Skills training.
• Weekly salary.
• Opportunity to work across multiple sites to gain invaluable experience.
• Priority of shifts over all agency workers.
• Competitive pay.

Apply now for this fantastic career-progressing opportunity by uploading your CV, and a member of our recruitment team will be with you shortly.