Assistant Therapy Practitioner in Leeds

Do you have a keen interest in both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy? Do you have a passion for holistic patient-centred care? Then why not join us at Leeds Teaching Hospitals; the recognised Leeds Way Values underpin our way of work and Leeds as a city has so much to offer.

We are looking to appoint a motivated and experienced therapy support worker to join the Multi-Speciality Optimisation Team (MOT) as a Band 4 Assistant Therapy Practitioner. The successful applicant will join the integrated Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy team, covering wards designated for those patients who no longer have medical care needs, yet require further therapy intervention prior to discharge or have complex social needs. The team works together to assess physical, cognitive and social needs to achieve and facilitate the best outcome for patients when leaving hospital. This will be a new post to the team with the aim of reducing the time patients spend in hospital once they no longer require further medical intervention.

Main duties of the job

• The post-holder should have an understanding of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy and the ability to work through their respective processes.
• They will independently manage a non-complex caseload within the boundaries of the job role & seek support as needed from registered members of the team.
• The successful applicant will have knowledge of discharge pathways.
• Excellent communication skills are essential for this role.
• Teamwork is paramount, both within the MOT and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Applicants should have excellent time management skills to aid individual caseload prioritisation, alongside supporting the wider team.
• Experience of working with patients with complex physical and social needs will be beneficial in the role.
• In-service training is provided and the post holder would also join the support worker group which will provide peer support for non-registered staff.
• The Trust has an excellent Organisational Learning department which provides a wide range of opportunities to learn & develop in a wide variety of areas.

Job responsibilities

To work within the occupational therapy and physiotherapy teams providing highly skilled and specialised clinical, administrative and organisational support, working in the Emergency and Speciality Medicine service at SJUH. The post holder will work independently to manage the initial phase of the therapy assessment pathway, will be responsible for the screening of patients attending Elderly Medical specialist ward and determine the most appropriate initial assessments and interventions. The post holder will manage a caseload of patients independently and be able to work with infrequent supervision from OT and Physiotherapy support. On occasions the post holder will assess home environments to ensure safe discharge, without the supervision of a qualified member of staff.

Day to day supervisory support and overall management will be provided to the Joint Therapy Support Worker by occupational therapy and physiotherapy staff. The post holder is responsible for:

• Assessing and providing care and therapy interventions for individual patients, adapting the process as indicated.
• Assessment and intervention may take place in patients' homes, clinics or wards.

Knowledge, skills and experience required

• GCSE English and Maths grade C minimum or Functional Skills equivalent.
• Experience working as a therapy support worker in an acute setting.
• Experience in organising and running groups.
• Able to understand and apply therapy process and patient pathways regarding the delivery of therapy/care.
• Communication skills - written, verbal and numeracy.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work as part of both uni and multi professional teams.
• Ability to work independently/manage workload under guidance.
• Ability to respond and act upon feedback from others.
• Problem solving.
• Time management.
• Organisational skills.
• Show initiative.
• Demonstrate continued professional and personal development.
• Ability to move and handle patients and equipment.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Experience of working in a Healthcare, Education or Social Care setting as a carer or similar.
• Demonstrate an awareness of people with disabilities and problems.
• Demonstrate understanding of both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.
• Previous experience of working in a therapy setting.
• Experience of using Information Technology systems.
• Completion of the CARE certificate. Otherwise will be a mandatory training requirement during the first 3 months of employment.

Core behaviours and skills

• Interpersonal Skills.
• Ability to work as part of a Team (OT, PT and MDT).
• Ability to manage a workload provided by more than one professional.
• Problem-solving.
• Time Management.
• Organisational Skills.
• Administrative Skills.
• Able to work in a stressful environment.
• Ability to use initiative.
• Ability to influence and persuade.
• Ability to take responsibility for personal development.
• Ability to move and handle patients and equipment.

Core knowledge and understanding

• Understanding of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy job roles.
• Awareness of the needs and problems of those with illness and disabilities.
• Awareness of the functional effects of the patient group in the clinical area caused by illness and/or disability.
• Understanding of legislation, guidelines and protocols that affect the clinical area.
• Awareness of Health and Safety.

Principal duties & areas of responsibility

• To accept responsibility for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy initial assessments to facilitate rehabilitation and discharge from hospital.
• To plan and prioritise clinical tasks.
• To deliver the service using patient pathways and protocols to support your delivery of therapy process and taking into account each patient's individual physical, social and emotional needs.
• To make contact with patients to initiate assessments and intervention.
• To analyse and make decisions about the most appropriate environment in which to carry out intervention.
• To independently carry out home and community assessments.
• To motivate and persuade patients and carers to participate in therapy intervention.
• To assess and advise patients regarding transfers, falls, equipment and risks.
• To assess, prescribe and train patients and carers in the use of assistive equipment.
• To assess, deliver, fit and demonstrate equipment in patients' homes and to provide advice and training to patients and carers as required.
• To interpret and analyse information from assessments, judge how to progress intervention and when to liaise with a qualified member of staff e.g. Nurse, Doctor, Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist.
• To assess risk factors and judge when to summon assistance or adapt the treatment session.
• To communicate with patients and carers using a variety of communication strategies and tools to ensure information is understood and treatment is progressed.
• To liaise with other team members, internal and external agencies.
• To identify the need for and refer to internal and external agencies using appropriate referral system.
• To record interventions accurately and timely using team/trust documentation, complying with Therapy guidelines and legislative requirements.
• To complete activity data using team/trust documentation and outcome measures.
• To be able to work in a stressful environment.
• To be able to deal effectively with emotional and/or aggressive patients/carers.
• To participate in ward rounds, case conferences and meetings as required.
• To collect, respond to and feedback relevant information to the senior therapist.
• To promote Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy as a treatment medium to others.
• To lead and participate in departmental/service developments, projects audit and reviews.
• To carry out designated ordering and maintenance of stock, equipment and resources.

Person Specification

• Relevant clinical experience.
• Minimum 2 years as Therapy Senior Support worker in a hospital setting.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Able to manage workload delegated by a number of therapists.
• Able to respond to and act upon feedback from others.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Good organisational skills.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in relevant health care related subject.
• Completion of CARE Certificate otherwise mandatory training within first 3 months of employment.
• 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.