Therapy Assistant Practitioner- Cardiorespiratory/General Medical Full-time Job

Division: Unplanned and Integrated Care

Care Group: Therapies and Older Persons

Band: 4

Salary: £25,147 to £27,596 per annum/pro rata

Interview date: Week Commencing 11th September 2023

We are recruiting for aTherapy Assistant Practitionerwho shares our ambition and vision to deliver theBest of Care by the Best People and has the drive to take us forward, by ensuring that the Trust continues to be the first choice for patients and our staff.

The successful post holder will be expected to work as part of an integrated therapy team, consisting of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants in order to provide excellent therapy care for patients admitted to the Trust's cardiology, respiratory and medical wards and units.

As a Therapy Assistant Practitioner you will ensure that you provide timely assessments and interventions to delegated patients, supported by qualified therapy staff.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work in partnership with the multi-disciplinary team, working closely with specialist nurses, therapists, consultants, ward nursing staff , community therapy services, discharge support teams and dietitians.

The role will provide you with experience of working in a challenging and fast-paced specialist ward environment and the opportunity to develop skills within this area.

In addition, you will be provided with training and development opportunities to support your progress in this specialist role.

Our values are Bold, Every Person Counts, Sharing and Open and Together. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.

We are committed to endorsing diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion; our policies / procedures ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.

To contribute to our exciting future and become part of our team, apply today.

Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision of Better, Best, Brilliant is achieved. Our culture and values are what drives the Trust and is the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.

Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious environment.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement which will not mean sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

All of our substantive & fixed term employees can enjoy a range of staff benefits, a gym, an active health and wellbeing programme, an on-site nursery and a cycle to work scheme.

We are taking positive action to ensure that we can attract, recruit and retain the best talent and would welcome more applicants from under – represented groups to support the Trusts commitment to a diverse, inclusive and an employer of choice workforce.

All staff at Medway comply the Trust’s and the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Board’s policies on safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.

To accept patients delegated by a therapist or identified under a protocol, and carry as own patient caseload.

Treat patients according to set treatment protocols, monitoring patient progression, making alterations to patient treatment programmes as required.

Work unsupervised reporting back patient progress and informing therapist of any problems.

This post holder will be expected to participate in six or seven day working patterns

Assist the therapist in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients using a range of physical therapy techniques

To manage the treatment and rehabilitation of patients as delegated by the therapist, working without direct supervision and responsible for assessing patient progress and reporting back to therapist and assisting with discharge planning

Treat patients individually or in a group without direct supervision or presence of a therapist

To undertake highly skilled support work e.g. initial interviews and functional screening

To assist / supervise with a Therapist or other Health Care Professional, the moving and handling of complex, high risk patients in preparation for /during treatment sessions according to Patient Risk assessment

Instruct patients and carers, providing direction and guidance on the treatment programme and progression and guidance in health promotion

Encourage patients and their carers in an active approach to regaining and maintaining personal independence. This requires empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills

Use effective communication tools, verbal and non-verbal, to communicate treatment programmes to patients who may have barriers to understanding or communicating, e.g. blind, deaf, dysphasic, or who do not have English as a first language

Attend multi-disciplinary team meetings as the therapy representative as delegated by the therapist. Participate in the clinical decision making process at multi-disciplinary meetings

Make accurate records of patient contacts undertaken and keep monthly statistics as required in line with Trust and service standards.

To document in MDT records all treatment undertaken, patient progress and treatment plans

To liaise with the therapist as necessary regarding patient care, highlighting any variations to expected outcomes from treatment programmes you deliver

To liaise with Health and Social Care colleagues to gather /share individual patient information to promote care and discharge planning, and to feedback to the physiotherapists information gathered

To attend and actively participate in in-service training as required

To attend mandatory training according to trusts schedules

To induct newly appointed members of the therapy team into the hospital environment, systems, processes and routines

To assess for, measure, issue from stock and teach the safe use of appliances and aids to patients, e.g. mobility aids

To work within Risk Assessments for moving and handling of individual patients, reassessing and recording changes, and referring any increased risk back to the therapist

Contribute to development of patient care by attending relevant team, departmental or other appropriate meetings and comment on recommended changes to clinical care or service provision

The job holder must comply with the Medway NHS Foundation Trust Infection Prevention and Control policies at all times and adhere to the Clinical Work Wear policy. In particular hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment. Mandatory training must also be completed and up to date

To keep treatment areas tidy, clean therapy equipment regularly and ensure any faulty equipment is removed from service and referred for action

Be responsible for the safe use of therapy equipment and aids by patients in your care

Manage and prioritise your own patient caseload delegated by the therapist

To actively participate in the Trust Appraisal system, identifying personal development needs and plans

To monitor and develop own performance aiming to achieve and maintain a high standard

Be responsible for administrative arrangements within your team e.g. room bookings, appointments, onward referrals as delegated by the therapist, maintaining supplies, etc.

Deal with queries from patients, carers, doctors and other MDT members post discharge about follow-up therapy arrangements

Be aware of the Health and Safety aspects of work and implement any policies which may be required to maintain and improve the health and safety of your work area

Comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and be involved in reviewing and up-dating as appropriate

Medway Maritime Hospital treats around 400,000 patients each year mainly in Medway and Swale, but increasingly other parts of North and West Kent too. Everyday we see around 1,400 outpatients, about 200 patients use our emergency department and approximately 150 patients need to be admitted for hospital care and treatment.
The range of specialist services we offer have grown over recent years, as have the communities we serve, bringing to Medway services which in the past, patients have had to travel miles for. This includes the cardiac catheter suite, West Kent Vascular Centre, West Kent Centre for Urology, a dedicated stroke unit and the Macmillan Cancer Care Unit.