Generic Therapy Assistant

Job responsibilities

Principle Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Clinical

• Provide timely and efficient clinical service to delegated patients according to clinical protocols and service priorities.
• Ensure patients receive a high standard of clinical care
• Undertake routine assessments of delegated patient.
• Liaise with supervising therapist/dietitian to discuss options for interventions
• Develop individual management plans for delegated patients in conjunction with the supervising therapist/dietitian.
• Implement interventions/care programmes in partnership with the service user, with the carer as necessary and in consultation therapist/dietitian.
• Carry out assessment and interventions in the most appropriate setting.
• Prescribe and fit equipment, assistive technology and adaptations to facilitate independence within agreed guidelines.
• Liaise with and make appropriate referrals to other agencies.
• Advise, instruct, and educate patients, carers and other professionals in the use of standard and specialist equipment, assistive technology, and environmental adaptation where appropriate.
• Work with other agencies in Health and social care, Housing, and Education in order to implement recommendations of treatment
• Monitor and evaluate the outcome of interventions in partnership with the service user, with the carer if necessary and in consultation with therapist/dietitian.
• Clearly document each intervention in the patients records as outlined in organisational policies and procedures
• Create discharge/summary written reports as required.
• Contribute to the review and development of patient pathways.
• Respond to unforeseen situations that take precedence over planned work.
• Provide advice, teaching and instruction for relatives, carers, and other health professionals to promote understanding of the aims of service/clinical area and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• Support the development of junior assistants and students
• Use communication skills to establish good working relationships with colleagues, service users and carers.
• Use verbal and non-verbal communication skills and sensitivity with patients, relatives and carers to overcome barriers to communication e.g. loss of hearing, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, anxiety, problems with cognition.

1. Leadership and Management

• Assist with the day to day running of the service/clinical area including general administrative duties to support this.
• Monitor stock levels, including maintenance and ordering of stock as required.
• Follow supervision guidelines and consult with clinicians to ensure optimum outcome for patients with clear presentation of facts and analysis to enable effective decision making.
• Conduct supervision of junior assistants
• Assist with the induction of new staff
• Contribute to supporting professional and work experience students
• Contribute to the development of the service/clinical area.
• Communicate effectively within the immediate team, the multi disciplinary team and with other internal and external organisations e.g. social care, primary care, voluntary sector services.
• Ensure equipment is used and stored in adherence with to relevant policies and post holder is up to date with competencies to use equipment within the service/clinical area.
• Adhere to health and safety policies and procedures
• Raise incidents and near misses using the incident reporting systems.
• Be aware of the need for judicious use of resources and maintaining stock control
• Be prepared to work flexibly in terms of time and workload to meet service needs.

1. Personal and Professional Development

• Adhere to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Professional Bodies Standards of Proficiency and Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• Understand the scope of the role and know the limits of practice and when to seek advice.
• Maintain own continuing professional development (CPD) including core competencies through the use of reflection and incorporating learning into working practice.
• Attend in-service training sessions.
• Share existing knowledge and skills and feedback from training.
• Demonstrate professional behaviours in all aspect of practice.
• Ensure compliance with supervision and appraisals standards and maintain a professional portfolio.
• Support team by participating in quality improvement projects.

4. Service Improvement and Governance

• Contribute to the evaluation of individual and group interventions through the use of outcome measures and audit
• Keep abreast of new clinical developments.
• Implement organisational policies, procedures, standards and guidance.
• Respond to requests for information and actions in a timely manner.
• Participate in the development of risk assessments for service/clinical area when required.
• Ensure maintenance of accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation in line with professional, legal and service requirements.
• Communicate clinical and personal information confidentially and in an appropriate format
• Follow Trust and departmental policies and guidelines

5. Professional Codes of Conduct

Be aware of and comply with the relevant codes of conduct and practice of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and professional Bodies. Any breach of these codes may lead to action by the Trust.

6. Safeguarding Children & Adults

Understand and work within policies and local procedures relating to Safeguarding Children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults

7. Health & Safety

Be responsible, in respect to your area of work, for ensuring so far as is reasonably practicable and in accordance with Trust policies a healthy and safe environment for relevant clients and patients, employees and trainees, volunteers, visitors and members of the public on our premises, contractors and other people using the Trusts services, and for the provision of the information, training and supervision that is required to achieve this responsibility. This requires you to:

• Comply with any health and safety regulations or trust policies or procedures that affect your area of work.
• Raise matters of non-compliance with your manager or other advisers to reach appropriate solutions.
• Are familiar with the Trusts Health and Safety Policy and your departments Health and Safety Control Book or Manual.

8. Manual Handling

Manoeuvre light and heavy goods and equipment and assist people to move, in accordance with manual handling regulations and good practice.

9. Equal Opportunities

Carry out your duties in line with Trust Equality policies and procedures, including relevant legislation, to deliver and promote equity of access to healthcare and equality of opportunity at work at all times.

10. Infection Prevention and Control

Be responsible, in respect to your area of work, for ensuring so far as reasonably practicable and in accordance with Trust policies, that all staff are aware of their individual responsibilities in regard to infection prevention and control, and for the provision of the information, training and supervision that is required to achieve this responsibility. This requires you to:

• Maintain a safe infection prevention and control environment for yourself and others
• Be familiar with and comply with Trust guidelines, policies and procedures relating to Infection prevention and control
• Raise matters of non-compliance with your manager or other advisers to reach appropriate solutions
• Ensure that infection prevention and control guidelines, policies and procedures are distributed to relevant staff
• Ensure procedures specific to your specialty are in place, in collaboration with the Infection Control Team
• Ensure that infection prevention and control forms part of staff appraisal

11. Mandatory Training

Be aware of and undertake mandatory and other training requirements necessary for the successful and safe performance of your job, including relevant updates.

12. Information Governance

Maintain and process all information concerning patients, staff, contractors or the business of the Trust to which the post holder has access, without divulging such information to any third party or make use of information gained in the course of employment, except where this is clearly within the remit of the post holder and the other partys responsibility

13. Restriction on Smoking

The Trust is Smoke-free. You may not smoke in Trust owned buildings or grounds except in the designated smoking zones.

Qualifications

Essential

• Good general level of education including level II qualification in English and Maths
• Relevant Level III QCF qualification

Desirable

• 4 level II qualifications grades A - D
• Completed courses relevant to therapy and /or dietetics

Other

Essential

• Current UK Driving Licence and access to own transport

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in health care, social care or education
• Experience of working with people with a range of health needs
• Experience of carrying out therapeutic interventions
• Experience of working in a team
• Experience in use of IT applications

Desirable

• Recent experience of working in therapy or dietetic services
• Experience of working shifts/ weekends

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the impact illness and disability have on function
• Knowledge of rehabilitation/ nutrition
• Knowledge of therapy/dietetic interventions
• Knowledge of the roles of other professionals and the principles of partnership working
• Knowledge of health, safety issues
• Knowledge of the NHS constitution
• Knowledge to promote and support equality and value diversity

Desirable

• Knowledge of relevant clinical assessments and treatments

Skills

Essential

• Communication skills including observation, listening and empathy
• Skills to empower people to realise and maintain their potential in relation to health and well being
• Ability to work well within a team
• Analytical and reflective skills
• Planning and organisational skills
• Negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Ability to cope with working in a stressful environment, including emotional or aggressive patients and carers
• Ability to concentrate and work in a busy environment

Desirable

• Supervisory skills
• Presentation skills, both written and verbal, and ability to adjust style and content as appropriate

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).