Children\'s Community Therapy Technical Instructor

We are looking to appoint cover, for 12 months for maternity leave, an experienced part time Children's Technical Instructor to support the treatment of babies and children who have developmental delay or disabilities, in community and educational settings across mid and east Cornwall.

The Children's Community Therapy Service is a specialist multidisciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Dieticians. Our skilled support staff, which will include this post holder, work closely with the clinicians to support delivery of therapy treatment. The Children's Community therapy team is a friendly team of 40+ Clinicians, support workers and clerical team delivering therapy to Children and families throughout Cornwall and the IOS over many different settings.

We are a close and supportive team with regular continuous professional development opportunities with regular Multidisciplinary Disciplinary Training and specific support staff training sessions. This post will sit within the Mid and East Teams, primarily community based, but there is also a degree of hybrid working from home when appropriate to do so. This post is open to individuals with the skills described within the Job description. This is a part time position working 28.25 hours per week.

Main duties of the job

• Under the guidance, and at the request of senior colleagues, to undertake skilled support work, monitoring and adjusting specialist equipment along with implementing therapy care plans for infants, children and teenagers with developmental delay or physical and/or learning disabilities in the community.
• Once sufficiently trained, to work unsupervised in the community, in educational establishments (including Special Schools), in patients' homes and Children's Community Therapy Service (CCTS) bases, liaising with teaching staff, parents and carers.
• To assist Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Dieticians in assessing children and implementing treatment, including assessments for specialist therapy equipment, wheelchairs and orthoses, and treatments including hydrotherapy, Serial Casting, Short Sensory Profiles, postural management clinics and dietetic support work.
• To assess for, prescribe and make minor adjustments to children's standard wheelchairs and buggies.
• To support children on the caseload of Children's Community Therapy Dieticians by carrying out dietetic monitoring, growth and weight monitoring, food diary management, meal observation and management of stock and resources.
• To contribute to the delivery of care for children with life limiting and life threatening disorders.

About us

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people - a figure that can increase significantly with visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.

We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School. The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles. Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation. Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is a research active organisation.

Job responsibilities

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

• Identity Checks
• Professional registration and qualification checks
• Employment history and reference checks
• Occupational Health clearance
• Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
• Right to work in the UK

For further information please visit: reserve the right to close this advert early. We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.

Person Specification

• Good general standard of education (GCE/GCSE Level) including English and sciences
• Training undertaken or intention to train to NVQ III or equivalent in relevant rehabilitation
• Qualification in Information Technology to include Microsoft Word, Excel
• Requires access to transport to attend multiple visits over different locations
• Formal or informal training or in specialist therapy courses relevant to this post
• A good level of experience of specialist therapy skills relevant to this post

Experience

• A good level of experience working with children in multi-professional and inter agency teams.
• Theoretical knowledge and practical experience of child development
• Administrative responsibility of monitoring stock, and placing orders
• Treatment and management of neurological conditions
• Experience of supporting therapists with specialist treatments e.g. neurological facilitation techniques, gait assessment, orthotic clinics

Practical & Intellectual

• Knowledge of current evidence based theory in speciality of neuro-developmental
• Good verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to plan and prioritise work load
• Experience of team working and supporting colleagues
• Skilled in the therapeutic handling/ facilitation/ treatment of infants/children/young adults
• Moving and Handling techniques
• Counselling and motivational skills.

Disposition

• Approachable with ability to communicate with, and gain the co-operation of, children and adults
• Able to work in distressing situations supporting families at time of crisis and bereavement responding appropriately
• Adapts positively to change
• To be able to adjust to work in the community in occasionally unhygienic domestic conditions

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.