Job summary
Do you want to work as a Band 3 therapy support worker and be involved in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of patients who have complex needs? We are looking for an enthusiastic Band 3 Occupational Therapy Support Worker to join the Medicine and Oncology Occupational Therapy Team. The hours are 21 hours a week.
The support workers work with patients and carry out treatment programmes under the guidance and supervision of a registered therapist in order to provide rehabilitation and other interventions to facilitate their safe discharge. Some clerical and administration tasks will also be undertaken (eg keeping records, filing, photocopying).
This is an excellent opportunity for somebody who has previous experience as a therapy or rehabilitation assistant in an NHS or care setting.
There is also a requirement to contribute to the weekends and bank holiday shifts as part of our service wide rota.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will work alongside the Occupational Therapists who cover the respiratory, renal, oncology and haematology wards.
Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Taking responsibility for your own caseload, working both individually and alongside other members of the team.
- Working with a variety of patient groups including those managing long-term conditions and those receiving end of life care.
- Gathering information about home circumstances.
- Completing specific functional assessments.
- Ordering equipment.
- Following rehabilitation plans set by qualified staff.
- Helping patients manage the symptoms they are experiencing due to their condition
- Being involved in discharges with the support of band 4's and qualified staff.
- Completing non-clinical duties including photocopying and filing.
Excellent communication skills are a must in this role as you will be expected to communicate with patients, carers and members of the MDT.
About us
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
The Occupational Therapy service is part of the Therapies, Outpatients and Phlebotomy Services (TOPS) Directorate, within the Specialist Clinical Services care group. We are a diverse directorate of AHPs, nursing and support staff, employing around 1000 staff, working together to deliver the high quality care we aspire to. Our HCPC registered AHP professionals comprise of physiotherapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, orthotists, prosthetists and speech and language therapists. We have a Chief AHP to lead us on our strategic direction, and many of the directorate leadership team have AHP backgrounds to support our staff. There are also Practice Development Therapists to support career development for all.
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will assist in the provision of a comprehensive occupational therapy service to patients. This will involve carrying out screening, initial interviews, specific assessments and ongoing treatment as identified by the occupational therapist. e.g, information gathering from nursing/medical records, assessment of personal and domestic activities. They must have effective communication skills and be able to confidently speak with patients, carers, relatives and colleagues. This will include contacting carers/relatives where appropriate as directed by the occupational therapist, and/or liaise with other colleagues/agencies in order to facilitate a treatment programme or a safe discharge home from hospital. They must also be able to work flexibly within the requirements of the team and manage their own time.
You will be expected to make referrals onto appropriate hospital and community services eg. Physiotherapy, ICELS, community OT and maintain comprehensive and accurate records in line with Trust policy.
The team work with patients who have long term conditions, and you must be able to provide emotional support to patients, families and carers to enable them to cope with the psychological effects of their injury/illness.
There is a non-clinical element to the role including organising and maintaining supplies needed by the therapists.
NUHs values and behaviours improve the experience for our patients and our staff. This means that in undertaking this role the post holder is expected at all times to behave in a way that demonstrates commitment to the delivery of thoughtful patient care and continuous improvement.
Please see job description and person specification for more details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will assist in the provision of a comprehensive occupational therapy service to patients. This will involve carrying out screening, initial interviews, specific assessments and ongoing treatment as identified by the occupational therapist. e.g, information gathering from nursing/medical records, assessment of personal and domestic activities. They must have effective communication skills and be able to confidently speak with patients, carers, relatives and colleagues. This will include contacting carers/relatives where appropriate as directed by the occupational therapist, and/or liaise with other colleagues/agencies in order to facilitate a treatment programme or a safe discharge home from hospital. They must also be able to work flexibly within the requirements of the team and manage their own time.
You will be expected to make referrals onto appropriate hospital and community services eg. Physiotherapy, ICELS, community OT and maintain comprehensive and accurate records in line with Trust policy.
The team work with patients who have long term conditions, and you must be able to provide emotional support to patients, families and carers to enable them to cope with the psychological effects of their injury/illness.
There is a non-clinical element to the role including organising and maintaining supplies needed by the therapists.
NUHs values and behaviours improve the experience for our patients and our staff. This means that in undertaking this role the post holder is expected at all times to behave in a way that demonstrates commitment to the delivery of thoughtful patient care and continuous improvement.
Please see job description and person specification for more details.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE (A-C) English and Maths or equivalent
- Working towards or achieved NVQ level 3 or equivalent in health related subject
Experience
Essential
- Ability to effectively manage own case/work load, with support
- Previous experience as a therapy or rehab assistant
- Previous experience of working in the NHS or a care setting
Communication Skills
Essential
- Effective written, verbal and listening communications skills.
- The ability to communicate with patients who have communication difficulties
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly as part of a team
- Problem solving skills
Planning and organisation skills
Essential
- Organisational and time management skills
- Skills in prioritizing work tasks
Physical skills
Essential
- Physical ability to undertake manual and therapeutic handling of patients and/or equipment on a daily basis in a variety of environments
- Basic computer skills
Other requirements specific to the role
Essential
- Commitment to support the Trust values
- Flexible working schedules including participation in weekend rosters where required
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE (A-C) English and Maths or equivalent
- Working towards or achieved NVQ level 3 or equivalent in health related subject
Experience
Essential
- Ability to effectively manage own case/work load, with support
- Previous experience as a therapy or rehab assistant
- Previous experience of working in the NHS or a care setting
Communication Skills
Essential
- Effective written, verbal and listening communications skills.
- The ability to communicate with patients who have communication difficulties
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly as part of a team
- Problem solving skills
Planning and organisation skills
Essential
- Organisational and time management skills
- Skills in prioritizing work tasks
Physical skills
Essential
- Physical ability to undertake manual and therapeutic handling of patients and/or equipment on a daily basis in a variety of environments
- Basic computer skills
Other requirements specific to the role
Essential
- Commitment to support the Trust values
- Flexible working schedules including participation in weekend rosters where required
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.