Job responsibilities
Job Title: Complementary Therapy Coordinator
Spinal Point Range: 11,14,17
Hours: 2 days per week (15 hours per week)
Department: Supportive Care
Location: St Michaels Hospice, Bartestree
Reports to: Head of Supportive Care
Responsible for: Complementary Therapy Volunteers (approx. 20), Complementary Therapist (1)
Job Purpose: To provide complementary therapy to hospice patients, carers and their families and to manage the complementary therapy team. To be the expert representative for complementary therapy within the Hospice.
Responsibility Areas:
Service Provision
Carry a caseload that offers complementary therapy to patients, their families and carers.
Plan, implement and evaluate individual programmes of complementary therapy within professional qualifications, communicating and liaising with other members of the patient care team as appropriate.
Make sure that records are updated in a timely and appropriate way.
Liaise with paid Complementary Therapists and other patient care teams to ensure the complementary therapy service is known, meeting needs, providing support and is part of the overall provision and development of patient and carer care.
Undertake Clinical Health and Safety risk assessment in delivery of service.
Ensure there is an effective system for the supply of clean laundry.
Be responsible for the development, implementation and review of policies, procedures and clinical care guidelines relating to the provision of complementary therapies.
Provide quarterly reports for the SMT/OMT on the complementary therapy provision at SMH.
Managerial
Manage complementary therapy volunteers, including recruitment, induction, development and providing regular meetings for the team.
Ensure complementary therapy team keep up to date with their professional development and education and support them to offer a high standard of care at SMH.
Liaise with the education department in the provision of CPD opportunities, including the teaching of relevant courses.
Ensure all complementary therapy staff and volunteers complete the mandatory training required for their role.
Undertake one audit / PDSA review per year.
Act as a role model, information resource and advisor in the field of complementary therapies.
Provide support and supervision for complementary therapy volunteers.
Act as gatekeeper for complementary therapy referrals, ensuring paid Complementary Therapists and volunteers are matched appropriately according to priority, individual skills, training and timetable.
Ensure that complementary therapy volunteers are updating records in a timely and appropriate way and adhering to all relevant hospice policies and procedural guidelines.
Establish and collate statistical information and maintain accurate records as required.
Manage delegated budget in line with agreed budget, all resources required for the practice of complementary therapy treatments e.g. oils, tapes, equipment and needles and ensure the safe storage thereof.
Attend Supportive Care Team meetings.
Work closely with the wider MDT to ensure optimum care for SMH patients and family members.
Liaise with the wider patient care team including IPU, Day Hospice, Therapies Team, Supportive Care and community providers to identify priorities in the provision of complementary therapy; including attending IPU and Day Hospice handovers as needed.
Attend Team Leads meetings of the Supportive Care Team where appropriate.
Developmental and Educational
Lead the development and implementation of the Complementary Therapy operational plan, as part of the overall SMH Care Strategy.
Represent complementary therapy at St Michaels Hospice at regional and national groups and conferences.
Provide support, teaching and advice to all members of the patient care team on the role and availability of complementary therapies to enable them to use the service appropriately.
Occasional teaching on staff and volunteer induction and education programmes.
Plan and deliver inductions for new complementary therapy team members, including ensuring they are trained in all relevant systems within the hospice, from EMIS to laundry.
Contribute to the induction of all new clinical staff, as requested, to ensure all new staff members are aware of the complementary therapy service and how to best use it.
Keep aware and informed of current developments in the use of complementary therapies and palliative care and the implications on clinical practice.
To work alongside the wider multidisciplinary team in promoting the Rehabilitative Palliative Care approach enabling people to live fully until they die.
Provide quarterly reports to SMT/OMT on the progress of the developments of complementary therapy within the overall SMH care strategy.
Person Specification
1) Specialist Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Fully trained in an evidence-based complementary therapy with demonstrable clinical experience of modifications to the therapy to suit patient need.
Knowledge and understanding of a range of Complementary Therapies.
Desirable
Experience of:
providing complementary therapy (CT) to palliative patients
providing CT for individuals affected by progressive life limiting disease
managing a volunteer team
working within a multidisciplinary team
Service development
2) Skills and Behaviours
Leadership: Motivates and empowers others in order to reach organisational goals.
Planning and organising: Organises and schedules events, activities and resources. Sets up and monitors timescales and plans.
Communication: Speaks clearly, fluently and in a compelling manner to both individuals and groups.
Interpersonal sensitivity: Interacts with others in a sensitive and effective way. Respects and works well with others.
Resilience: Maintains effective work behaviour in the face of set-backs or pressure. Remains calm, stable and in control of themselves.
Team working: Develops effective and supportive relationships with colleagues
3) Special Conditions
This post is conditional to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Our values
Respect, dignity and the privacy of our patients and families always come first
Compassion and respect towards each other
People are at the heart of everything we do
Transparency and candour
Collaborative working and a common-sense approach
Equal Opportunities Statement
At St Michaels Hospice we are committed to an equal opportunities approach in everything we do. This means that we seek to ensure anyone connected with St Michaels, from patients and families through to donors, supporters, volunteers and staff are treated fairly, appropriately and with dignity and respect.
