Band 4 Assistant Practitioner Palliative Care Therapy Team

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen in Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for a 2 part time, permanent assistant practitioners to join the Specialist Palliative Care Therapy service. We currently have 52 hours of band 4 therapy time available which can be split into the two part time posts at approx. 26 hours over 4 days each - however this can be negotiable.

We are seeking to appoint highly motivated individuals who can demonstrate a knowledge of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and have experience of working in a health care setting.

The roles will provide assessment and rehabilitation interventions to patients experiencing a Palliative Care Diagnosis. The roles will be supported by Specialist Qualified Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy clinicians working in the team.

Main duties of the job

The role of the assistant practitioner is to hold a case load of palliative care patients requiring assessment and rehabilitation who are experiencing the impact of a palliative diagnosis.

The role will require the assistant to complete basic functional and mobility assessment identifying intervention and treatment plans and supplying equipment or exercise programmes with the support of Specialist Qualified Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy clinicians working in the team.

The role will work across Community, Hospice and Day Hospice settings and on occasion may support acute care.

Some service administrative duties such as stock replenishment etc may also be undertaken.

About us

As the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, we offer a unique opportunity to be part of a Trust making a genuine difference to local health outcomes. The Trust is a busy district general hospital offering compete range of acute services, alongside extensive community services.

A new Urgent Emergency Care Centre was opened in March 2023. The two-storey development has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity and has provided almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

Our strategy is aligned to delivering exceptional care together while supporting a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We offer clear career development pathways, access to training and education, and opportunities to contribute to service innovation and improvement.

Job responsibilities

To hold a case load of palliative care patients requiring Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy intervention.

To provide basic assessment and intervention/rehabilitation plans with the support of Qualified Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy clinicians working in the team.

To assess for and provide equipment to support function and safety/independence.

To assess for and provide exercise programmes to support functional ability and safety/independence.

To support qualified staff with complex data analysis and audit.

To complete basic audits.

To assess for home adaptations and refer on to the appropriate services where required.

To complete request for home adaptions where it is ap

To undertake administrative duties such as stock replenishment as required by the service.

To work as an integral / core member of the Specialist Palliative Care Therapy Team.

Establish and maintain robust partnership working with user groups, utilising user views and experience to improve the local service.

To work as an integral / core member of the Specialist Palliative Care MDT.

Provide professional advice, support and skills development to other health and social care professionals across settings to the appropriate level of assistant practitioner skill.

To complete patient documentation, appropriate health records and communicate sensitively and appropriately with patients carers relatives and colleagues.

To maintain patient and service confidentiality.

Person specification

Qualifiactions

Essential

• oNVQ LEVEL 3/Foundation degree in health studies, National certificate in health studies or relevant experience of working in a relevant health care setting or within therapy services.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• oExperience of working with adults with physical disabilities in a health or social care environment
• oTo have an understanding and knowledge of Occupational therapy / Physiotherapy practice and be able to support this accordingly

Desirable

• Demonstrate experience as a support worker in rehabilitation
• Knowledge of the wider multiprofessional team

Key Competencies

Essential

• oAbility to demonstrate a working knowledge of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.
• oAbility to work independently and unsupervised, making decisions and judgements independently and seeking advice appropriately i.e. ability to recognise and respond to change in an individual's health status and amend or suspend care plans accordingly.
• oAbility to accurately follow instruction from a therapist and to work as a team with all members of the multidisciplinary team across all sectors i.e. health and social care and independent providers.
• oAbility to comprehend and implement policies, understanding risk assessment, health and safety and issues related to personal practice and safety of others.
• oBasic IT skills proficient to produce data in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Email.

Desirable

• oKnowledge to respond accordingly to any unpredictable situations within set parameters defined by Therapist
• oAbility to advise, teach, assess and deliver advice to individuals with Palliative Care diagnosis across a variety of settings.

Skills and Aptitudes

Essential

• oAbility to work unsupervised, be literate and capable of organising work to a time schedule and manage own diary & caseload, sometimes at short notice.
• oEffective and sensitive listening and communication skills in receiving and conveying highly complex and emotive information.
• oGood observational skills reporting back to relevant professional.
• oWritten skills that record facts and opinions accurately and legibly.
• oAbility to pass on skills / knowledge to others in formal and informal settings
• oAbility to reflect on own practice.
• oAbility to work under pressure.

Flexibility

Essential

• oAbility to work across multiple settings

Other

Essential

• oAbility to travel frequently throughout the day across the Borough having a valid driving license and access to a car