Rehabilitation Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Post: Rehabilitation Assistant

Accountable to: Living Well Team Lead

Job Purpose:

To support high quality rehabilitative palliative care for patients referred to Phyllis Tuckwell, and people within our community, to enable everyone to have the best possible experience at the end of life.

To work with patients living with advanced disease or a terminal illness, with their carers and their family. The role will involve working in the community, one to one and with groups of people using a range of interventions to enable a patient to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to actively manage their condition and maximise their ability to engage in activities that are meaningful to them. This will empower patients to live fully and enjoy the best quality of life possible according to their preferences, needs and choices.

To work as an integral member of our multi-disciplinary team on the inpatient unit, across our sites and in the community.

Responsibilities

1.0 Clinical

To work to support patients, carers and families as individuals or in a group with others for peer support, to support the development of their skill, knowledge and confidence in managing their condition and to help to maintain functional ability.

To assist colleagues to assess a patients functional ability and establish what is important to them and their goals.

To support a rehabilitative palliative care approach.

To manage own caseload of patients as delegated by the Living Well Team Lead or a Therapy colleague.

To motivate patients to be as independent as possible and support their ability to engage in what is important to them including personal care, movement, domestic, social and leisure activities.

To be responsible for reporting any changes in the patients condition, treatment plan or progress to members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To understand the physical symptoms, emotional and the psychological, social, spiritual and cultural needs of the patient and utilise these to support improvements.

Following training and supervision, assess and teach patients to use mobility aids and minor pieces of equipment as required.

To develop knowledge in falls prevention.

To support a patients autonomy by using a range of solutions including information, assistive technology and skills in motivating and facilitating behaviour change.

To know own limitations and seeking advice from the appropriate professional when required.

To be able to work alone in the community whilst understanding own competency levels and scope of practice.

To ensure equipment is clean, well maintained and stored appropriately reporting faults to appropriate colleagues.

To liaise with the multi-professional team including attendance at MDT meeting as required.

To read and contribute to patient clinical records to effectively manage delegated caseload.

2.0 Administrative

To support team working by answering telephone calls, making appointments and room bookings, scheduling, filing, taking and relaying messages, photocopying and printing.

To monitor stock and ordering supplies as required.

To clean and maintain equipment and maintain infection control standards in the working environment.

To have good IT skill across a range of platforms.

3.0 Communication

To communicate effectively with patients and their families and carers with compassion and by utilising skills that help to motivate and empower.

To utilise effective communication skills to work with a range of people living with communication difficulties including hearing, sight and speech and language impairment.

To gain consent and act in accordance with a patients choices.

To work within the multi-disciplinary integrated team communicating appropriately at team meetings.

To maintain accurate and up to date patient notes in line with professional standards and Phyllis Tuckwell policy.

4.0 Professional

To work within established standards and policies to deliver high quality patient care.

To be responsible for ensuring a safe working environment in all care settings.

To participate in surveys and audits as directed by your line manager.

To be responsible for time management and organisation of daily workload and schedules as allocated by senior member of staff.

To maintain confidentiality according to the Caldicott principles.

5.0 Training and Development

To participate in statutory and mandatory training.

To participate in clinical supervision, one to ones, appraisals / performance review and look for opportunities for self and professional development ensuring skills are developing.

To contribute to service planning.

To support HCA colleagues to develop competencies in falls prevention, provision of walking aids and in engaging patients in and providing opportunities for meaningful activities.

6.0 Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Role holders are required to understand their responsibilities in the safeguarding context, ensuring that Phyllis Tuckwell reduces the risk of harm or abuse of adults and children at risk.

You are required to:

adhere to Phyllis Tuckwells Safeguarding Policy (held on the NEST), which supports the local authoritys multi agency safeguarding policy, the law (Care Act 2014) and Mental Capacity Act 2005 (including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards).

inform the appropriate PT professional where there is concern that an adult or child may be at risk of harm, abuse, or neglect.

Phyllis Tuckwell is committed to an Equal Opportunities approach, valuing, and respecting everyone as individuals, with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances.

This job description is underpinned by Phyllis Tuckwells philosophy, culture, and core values, which actively embrace diversity and inclusion and promotes total team spirit.

This job description is current and subject to yearly review in consultation with the jobholder. It is liable to reflect and anticipate necessary changes to support the PT strategy.

Person Specification

Education, Training and Self-Management

Essential

• Good problem solving and organisational skills.
• Ability to work autonomously to plan and prioritise.
• Able to reflect on and appraise own performance.
• Have the ability to cope with stressful and emotionally demanding situations.
• Commitment to personal development and training.
• Competent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise.
• Ability to support patient and their families to express concern and distress.
• To work effectively and efficiently with groups of patients, their families and carers.
• To be self-aware.
• Flexible, motivated, and self-directed.
• Good attendance and punctuality record.
• To be professional in appearance and conduct.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE Level or equivalent including a pass in English.
• Level 3 in Health or Social care or equivalent.

Written Communication

Essential

• Effectively communicate in an accurate, clear and concise way understand the importance of timely record keeping and reporting any changes in a patients condition to colleagues.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of patient confidentiality.
• IT literacy with skills including word, excel, smart phone technology and electronic diaries or willingness to learn.
• Car driver with a valid driving license and able to travel to a patients home, between sites or to a community venue.

Desirable

• Experience of using electronic patient records.

Team Working

Essential

• Willingness to follow guidance and to use own initiative within areas of competence.
• To be aware of benefits of diversity amongst colleagues and patients and need for inclusion.

Desirable

• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Experience

Essential

• An understanding of palliative care and the benefits of a rehabilitative approach.
• Commitment to providing high quality, person centred, rehabilitative palliative care to patients, their relatives, and carers.
• Understanding of the importance of Health and Safety and having a commitment to complying with PT.
• Have experience in working with groups of patients or have a willingness to develop the skills needed for this.

Desirable

• At least two years experience of working in a health or social care environment.
• Experience of working with people living with advanced illness or long-term conditions.
• Understanding and experience of caring for people at end of life and with palliative care needs.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Ltd

Address

Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care

Gill Avenue

Guildford

Surrey

GU2 7WW

Employer's website

https://www.pth.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)