At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our dynamic team to facilitate safe and early patient discharges in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: Be part of the NHS, dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare services.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working hours, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a diverse workforce that values collaboration and innovation in healthcare.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in patients' lives while developing your skills in a supportive team.
- Qualifications: Must have a degree in occupational therapy or physiotherapy and relevant experience.
The predicted salary is between 48117 - 48117 £ per year.
- ACST Practitioner (Access to Community Services Team)
- NHS Af C: Band 6
- Main area Therapies Grade NHS Af C: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
- 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Sunday) Job ref 302-26-8173550L-EMC
Site Royal Albert Edward Infirmary Town Wigan Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 26/08/2026 23:59
People at the Heart. One Team. Your Career at WWL.
Job overview
The Access to Community Services Team (ACST) currently have a vacancy for an enthusiastic and dynamic practitioner.
This can be an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist.
The vacancy is permanent full time (37.5 hours).
The ACST are based primarily on the Emergency Care Centre at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary where their remit is to plan and facilitate safe and early discharge from the Emergency Care Centre.
The team is dynamic and proactive in their approach to healthcare and currently provide a full operational service between the hours of 8am - 6pm, 7 days per week.
Substantial NHS Band 5 experience or equivalent is essential.
The successful candidate will have a good understanding of working within an acute setting with patients presenting with complex medical, functional and social problems.
Experience of working in a range of settings and knowledge of community services would be an advantage.
This post involves working across professional boundaries and challenges traditional practice.
To support this we provide a sound supervision structure and training.
Evidence of personal development is essential.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will work with our established team consisting of Nurses, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists and will have the ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
You will be expected to perform comprehensive generic assessments within the Emergency Care Centre and short stay areas to achieve a safe and effective discharge from hospital.
Working for our organisation
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas.
At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’.
We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
- People at the Heart
- Listen and Involve
- Kind and Respectful
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity.
We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
- Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Key results from the job holder
- To work as part of the ACST within Emergency Care, Short Stay areas, and Clinic areas to provide a quality service to all patients identified for or referred to the Team
- To proactively seek out patients who would benefit from ACST assessment and ensuring patients are signposted to a wide range of community based services
- To act as a source of knowledge on the management of patients, regarding facilitated discharge and preventing unnecessary admissions, providing an advisory service to patients, relatives, carers and other healthcare professionals
- To take a role in the specialist assessment and treatment of patients, who may have complex and or chronic presentation and to determine clinical diagnosis and management indicated and to maintain records as an autonomous practitioner
- Develop specialist knowledge around community services to enable appropriate signposting of patients being discharged
- To develop knowledge and skills to support frail elderly patients through an evidence-based falls pathway from the acute hospital into the community
- To work in conjunction with other ACST members ensuring patients follow a seamless care pathway and receive the highest standard of care
- To participate in service improvement activities to ensure ACST achieve Team and Organisational Objectives
- To educate and train health professionals and students in the management of patients identified for or referred to the ACS
- Following training will be able to interpret basic investigations as abnormal e. g. bloods and x-rays to contribute to the overall patient management plan
- To produce informative and detailed information for out of Trust patient transfers for continuing patient management
- To take delegated responsibility from the team leader for managing patients appropriate for the ACST and be responsible for providing specialist assessment and management plans for patients, relevant to your discipline
- To support Team Manager and Clinical Lead by engaging in specific projects to target and address the root cause of inappropriate readmissions to hospital
- To support Service Manager and ACST Clinical Lead in the achievement of Team and Organisational Objective
- Planning and Organisational Duties
- To be responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the Team Leader. To plan and organise efficiently and effectively regarding patient management and use of time
- To decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands, and ensure that they remain in accordance with those of the team as a whole
- To deputise for the Team Leader in terms of operational issues as required
- To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the ACST service
- To support the Team Manager and Clinical Lead with service improvement initiatives to support the achievement of ACST and Organisational objectives
- To support Team Manager and Clinical Lead by engaging in specific projects to target and address the root cause of inappropriate readmissions to hospital
- To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by the Team Leader.
- To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work
- To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of Evidence Based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with the Team Manager/Clinical Lead.
- Use information gained to make recommendation for change
- To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and be consistent and reliable in relation to attendance.
- Communications and Key Working Relationships
- To communicate complex patient-related information (as well as non-patient information) effectively and work collaboratively with other health professionals to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service.
This will include case conferences, ward rounds, meetings and discharge planning as appropriate
- To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of condition.
Use communication skills such as persuasion, motivation, explanation to encourage patients to undertake their management programme
- Demonstrate highly developed communication skills (verbal and non-verbal) to gain informed consent with patients where there will often be barriers to effective communication e. g. loss of hearing, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, fear et
- To assess capacity, gain valid consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal, departmental and professional standards requirements.
Communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in form of reports and letters.
Responsibility for Finance
- To be responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all resources and advise the Team Leader of anything that is required to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the team.
Responsibility for Human Resources
- To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Plan (PDP) as both appraiser and appraisee.
Responsibility for Health & Safety
Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions.
This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Responsibility for Teaching
- To be an active member of the in‑service training programme by the attendance and delivery of presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions in‑house and by attending external courses and engaging in reflective practice.
- Be responsible for the safe and competent practice of junior staff through teaching, training, supervision and practice.
- To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of management, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
- To provide advice, teaching and training to other members of the MDT regarding the role of the ACST and the management of patients.
- To assist the ACST Clinical Lead to train, supervise and performance manage junior members of the team using formal appraisal documentation.
- Supervise, educate and assess the performance of students to graduate standard.
Work with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the required level of qualification.
Person specification
Qualifications
- Diploma or degree in occupational therapy/physiotherapy (as relevant)
- Professional registration
- Evidence of post qualification personal and professional development
Skills
- Have an understanding of the core skills of Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy within the D2A process
- Supervisory skills
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure.
- Effective written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Able to manage own workload and determine priorities
- Able to reflect and critically appraise own performance and utilise self-directed learning.
- Effective overall personal time management
- Comprehensive clinical reasoning skills relevant to caseload
- Ability to work flexibly
- Knowledge
- Post graduate training/ CPD in relevant area of practice
- Knowledge of current best practice
- Comprehensive knowledge of a range of relevant medical clinical conditions
- Knowledge of a range of assessment tools
- Comprehensive knowledge of relevant interventions
- Understanding of Health, Safety and Risk Management Policies
- Documented evidence of continuing professional development
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
ACST Practitioner (Access to Community Services Team) in Wigan employer: Wwl
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust is an exceptional employer that prioritises the wellbeing of its staff while delivering high-quality healthcare services to a diverse community. With a strong commitment to professional development, including support for CPD and research opportunities, employees are encouraged to grow within a collaborative and engaging work culture. Located in Wigan, the Trust fosters a supportive environment where every team member's contribution is valued, ensuring that both staff and patients thrive together.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land ACST Practitioner (Access to Community Services Team) in Wigan
✨Get Involved with Local Health Initiatives
Join local community health events or volunteer for organisations like public health agencies. This not only builds your experience but also helps you network with industry professionals who might know of openings at places like Wwl.
✨Tap into Professional Associations
Check out associations like the Institute of Healthcare Management. They often have job boards, networking events, and conferences that are perfect for connecting with potential employers in health sciences administration.
✨Stay Updated with Industry Trends
Follow health policy news and trends—being knowledgeable about the current landscape will not only help you in interviews but also make you stand out as a candidate. You can discuss recent developments and their implications when chatting with folks at Wwl.
✨Apply Through Our Website for Better Visibility
When you find roles that excite you, especially at places like Wwl, don’t forget to apply through our website. This can sometimes give you an edge by showing the employer you’re savvy and committed to finding the right fit.
We think you need these skills to ace ACST Practitioner (Access to Community Services Team) in Wigan
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in health sciences administration, it's super important to spotlight any relevant experience you have in healthcare settings. Whether you've worked in a hospital, a clinic, or any related environment, make sure to detail those roles in your CV – focusing on your responsibilities and achievements that align with the job at Wwl.
Showcase Your Administrative Skills:Administrative skills are key in this field, so don’t hold back! Make sure your CV reflects your proficiency in things like scheduling, data management, and compliance with health regulations. Mention specific software you’ve used, such as patient management systems, as this will demonstrate your hands-on abilities and readiness for the role at Wwl.
Craft a Meaningful Cover Letter:Your cover letter should reflect your passion for the health sciences field and your eagerness to contribute to Wwl. Share a bit about why you’re drawn to this sector, any impactful situations or challenges you’ve encountered, and how they’ve shaped your desire to work in health sciences administration. This personal touch can really set you apart!
Tailor Your Documents to the Job:Don't use a one-size-fits-all approach! Make sure your CV and cover letter are specifically tailored for this role. Highlight any certifications you have relevant to health administration, and ensure you clearly connect your previous roles to the skills needed for the full-time position at Wwl. This way, you're showing them you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in being a part of their team.
How to prepare for a job interview at Wwl
✨Showcase Your Administrative Skills
In health sciences administration, being organised is key. Make sure you can demonstrate your skills in managing schedules, paperwork, and data accurately. Be ready to discuss specific tools you've used, like electronic health record systems or scheduling software, and how they improved efficiency in your past experiences.
✨Know Your Regulations
Familiarity with healthcare regulations and compliance is crucial. Brush up on HIPAA, GDPR, or other relevant policies before your interview. We recommend preparing examples of how you've ensured compliance or handled sensitive information in past roles—this will show you're not just knowledgeable but also responsible.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Interviews for administrative roles often involve scenario-based questions to assess your problem-solving skills. Practice responses to common situations you might face, such as dealing with a challenging patient or managing a sudden schedule change. This will not only demonstrate your ability to think on your feet but also highlight your interpersonal skills.
✨Align Your Goals with the Organisation
As a full-time candidate, employers will want to know how your long-term career goals align with their mission. Take some time to research Wwl’s values and be ready to tie your passion for health sciences administration into their objectives. Demonstrating enthusiasm and career alignment can be a game-changer in this competitive field!
