Community Therapy Assistant Practitioner
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust delivers expert healthcare in people’s homes, community hospitals and local settings across the East of England.
Our nurses, therapists, clinicians, support teams and partners work together to provide coordinated care that supports independence, recovery and wellbeing. We believe people are best cared for close to home, in the communities where they live and belong.
By combining professional expertise with strong local relationships, we help people stay well, feel supported and access the right care at the right time. Expert healthcare, close to home, trusted by our communities.
Different ideas, experiences and backgrounds make us stronger and more creative and applications from all walks of life are welcomed. Our processes ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to creating a modern and inclusive work environment. We actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce and maintain and improve their wellbeing. We also offer flexible working patterns and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.
We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.
Please note, the selection processes at East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.
Before applying for this vacancy, please make sure you’re familiar with ongoing GOV.uk sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisations ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future.
Job overview
Are you looking for a new challenge? East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust are an integrated NHS and Social Care Trust offering opportunities for a Community Assistant Practitioner in the therapy team in South Norfolk.
We have an opportunity to work in the community within the therapy team based at Wymondham Health Centre, with an expectation to work across the South Locality if and when required. This will be a part time, substantive post of 22.5 hours per week . The area you will cover is in the picturesque rural Norfolk countryside, working alongside a friendly supportive multidisciplinary team.
If this post interests you, we look forward to receiving your application. we would also strongly encourage you to discuss any aspects of this post by contacting us.
Clinical support will be provided by the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy registered staff, along with attendance at and contribution to in-service training. There is also support and development through regular appraisals, a personal development plan and regular formal supervision.
- Previous applicants need not apply
Advert
We would welcome applicants with a ‘can do’ attitude who reflect the values (compassion, creativity and community) and behaviours of the organisation.
You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and have a varied caseload, supporting functions along the Falls Pathway, long term condition management, progressive neurology management, prevention of admission and early supported discharge from hospital to patients in their own homes and care homes.
The successful candidate will have a good baseline knowledge of therapy and additional training can be given for various aspects of the role.
Triage is key to this role, and as such you will also be expected to work at the Hub in Wymondham on a regular basis gaining experience in triage duties alongside community work.
Working for our organisation
You will be required to work 3 days per week, between Monday and Friday, and be motivated, with excellent communication skills. There will be a need for you to provide your own transport to and from your home to your base and patient’s homes and care homes.
NCHC have electronic patient records and there is an expectation that you will be a mobile worker using a laptop to enable you to work with your patients and record their care during the clinical consultation where appropriate. You will receive support and training to enable you to use this functionality.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Areas of Responsibility
1. To contribute to the delivery of therapy for patients with long term conditions, palliative care and rehabilitation needs for example, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.
2. To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital.
3. To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital
4. To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
The post holder will:
1. Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
2. Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
3. Apply competency-based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
4. Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
5. Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
6. Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
7. Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
8. Make basic judgements on patients’ response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
9. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients and ensure these are
documented in personal work diary.
10. Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
11. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
12. Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient’s cooperation in their treatment/care/management plan.
13. Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care
professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
14. To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
15. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
16. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
17. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g., taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
18. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
19. Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
20. Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
21. Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
22. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
23. Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general housekeeping tasks.
24. Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
25. Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
26. Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.
Professional
The post holder will:
1. To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in staff meetings, training sessions, courses and reflective practice.
2. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, maintaining a dynamic personal development plan.
3. To demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situations.
4. To provide peer support to other carers.
5. To develop competencies to enhance practice and ability to meet needs of patients and the service.
Communication
1. To establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building.
2. To demonstrate an ability to communicate with patients/carers with complex needs, using clear and effective verbal/non-verbal communication.
3. To gather and collate information to enable co-ordinator to plan interventions/liaison with others.
4. To provide direct feedback to professionals as appropriate, and in a clear and concise way.
5. To contribute to accurate and timely patient records, including data collection.
6. To communicate and share information with DN’s, GP’s and SW’s as necessary.
8. Be able to communicate effectively with patients/relatives with communication difficulties i.e., deafness, blindness, learning difficulties.
9. To provide feedback to co-ordinator in a clear and concise way.
Organisational
The post holder will:
1. Undertake mandatory training as required.
2. Participate in a Personal Development Review process.
3. Undertake Personal Development Plans for more junior staff members.
4. Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.
5. Follow Trust policies, and local procedures.
6. Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.
7. Contribute to clinical audit as required.
8. Complete the staff survey as required.
9. Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.
Equal Opportunities - We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). All sites are Smoke Free.
If you need this application in an offline format, please let us know.
Immigration Status – East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. However, potential applicants should note that although the Trust is registered with the Home Office as a sponsor organisation for migrant workers, sponsorship can only be offered against Skilled Worker visas. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self-gained right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.
Please note: Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.
Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.
DBS - this post may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Closing and Interview Dates -This vacancy may close early if sufficient applicants are received.
Data Protection - A privacy notice detailing how we will handle your data is attached to this advert as a document. Your application will be transferred to our recruitment management system (Trac) once the advert has closed and you will receive notification then detailing how Trac will handle your data.
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Our safe recruitment pre-employment checks are undertaken before an appointment is confirmed and may include a DBS check. Where the role requires you to drive, we'll ask you to validate your driving licence online via the DVLA.
In submitting an application, you authorise East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process should you be appointed.
ALL CORRESPONDENCE will be via the e-mail address on your application form. If you have not been invited to interview within 2 weeks of the closing date, you unfortunately haven’t been successful on this occasion, but keep an eye on our vacancies as a job that’s just right for you may appear!