Therapies Assistant Practitioner in Medicine

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities below are a summary of the post. For the full detailed list, please refer to the attached job description.

Clinical, technical and scientific roles and responsibilities

The post holder will contribute to a specific service that positively impacts on the experience of patients and carers by providing high standards of clinical practice, teaching, and care. Following a period of training and competency sign off the post holder will commit to:

 Work in collaboration with other team members to provide a service for patients within the specialty, assisting in the implementation of programmes to meet individual needs.

Understand and gain valid consent prior to action or providing care, and record this appropriately.

Consistently deploy care, treatment, and support strategies to promote and provide person-centred care, including providing information, advice and guidance to service users, families, health professionals and others.

Carry out initial assessments (within scope of practice) and therapy programmes and be responsible for monitoring these to facilitate clients reaching their optimum level of independence and social integration.

Carry out selected functional assessments, communicating the outcome effectively to the MDT.

Plan treatment programmes, adapting and progressing these within set guidelines. This will include modifying treatments to take account of changes in the patients’ physical and mental state.

Provide therapeutic intervention for individual patients to maintain or improve function in mobility, personal, social, and domestic activities including accessing the community, and evaluating the findings.

Work with patients individually or in a group, in a variety of settings without direct supervision or presence of a qualified therapist.

Understand the Assistant’s role in contributing to disease prevention and health promotion.

 Contribute to patient education using agreed programme in the service area.

Organise the identified workload efficiently and effectively regarding clinical priorities and use of time.

Take responsibility for the implementation of treatment programmes for an identified caseload, with access to supervision from senior therapy staff.

Make limited decisions and judgements on straightforward clinical treatments and prioritise within agreed parameters, applying clinical reasoning skills.

Identify those who may require treatment or intervention by more senior staff or other services.

Identify and manage clinical risk within own clinical caseload, and report to supervising clinician.

Be able to judge when patient is unwell and deteriorating and call for appropriate assistance in a timely manner.

Be aware of problems that could affect the patient’s progress and report back any changes to senior staff.

Assess and supply aids and appliances (e.g. walking aids and ADL equipment) ensuring appropriate sizing and education of client in the correct use of appliance.

Ensure equipment and resources are prepared for use where required.

Ensure supplies are maintained and prepare orders and follow up when appropriate.

Demonstrate knowledge of a range of manual handling and mobility skills relevant to the management of patients, including safe use of transfer equipment.

 Participate in triage process, where required, to accept referrals into the service.

Contribute to the discharge planning process from the service, completing onward referrals to different agencies where required.

 Be accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients on your caseload, ensuring a high standard of clinical care.

 Maintain the competency required to work at Band 4 level.

This role requires a flexible approach toworking and may require the post holder to undertake weekend commitments as part of a rota.

All clinical duties will be regulated by a Health and Care Professions Council Registered Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Speech & Language Therapist, or Nursing and Midwifery Council registered Nurse

Leadership

 Be independently responsible for time management, planning and organisation of daily workloads as delegated by a qualified clinician.

Work to the standards of individual speciality areas and ensure that the background knowledge within each area is acquired through independent learning and collaboration during the working day with qualified staff 

Maintain the high standards of the service by contributing towards individual, team and service objectives.

Advocates for service users, their families and carers, as well as staff

Participate in and contribute to all activities associated with the department’s response to current trends/developments and changes within the health service.

Support peers and less experienced colleagues to ensure fair and efficient distribution of the workload.

Identifies and develops own leadership skills e.g. by volunteering to support broader opportunities.

Contribute to the supervision of undergraduate and work experience students where appropriate.

Demonstrate an awareness of your own and others’ health and wellbeing needs and ask for support when needed.

Communication

  Develop, manage and maintain positive, appropriate relationships with service users, families and carers, demonstrating respect and kindness, and promoting dignity, compassion, and empathy at all times.

 Maintain strict confidentiality regarding patient and staff information, adhering to organisational policies and procedures.

Maintain accurate and legible records of all interventions and management, using SOAP format, in accordance with standards set by the therapy service, local systems, Trust policies and professional guidelines for documentation.

Ensure competence in the accurate and effective use of email, and all Trust IT systems e.g. Cerner Millennium, SSNAP, TARN, which are used to record patient notes and activity.

Use a range of verbal, non-verbal, written and presentation skills appropriately with colleagues, patients and carers.

 Adapt communication methods accordingly for those with barriers to understanding, communication or challenging behaviour.

Be able to engage, persuade and motivate patients through effective communication to optimise treatment outcome.

  Convey information in a sensitive manner taking account of differences in expectations, cultural beliefs or desires.

Report back directly to the MDT, particularly re any changes in functional abilities, relevant information gained, or patients’ comments linked to treatment.

Attend appropriate team meetings and liaise with other agencies and members of the MDT, participating in the clinical decision-making process to ensure planned, coordinated, and effective delivery of care.

Consult with more experienced staff for advice when required.

Demonstrate ability to manage potentially stressful and upsetting or emotional situations in an appropriate and empathetic manner.

Attend staff meetings and relevant training, and actively participate.

Education

  Participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including competency-based training programmes, to develop knowledge and skills by attending relevant opportunities and keeping statutory/mandatory training up to date.

Take responsibility for and actively record own personal development through educational and experiential learning.

Participate in regular meetings with clinical supervisor/mentor to include clinical supervision and appraisal.

Provide appropriate advice, demonstrate own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced employees or students, including during induction of new staff.

Actively participate in the organisation and delivery of in-service training

Be aware of new developments within Therapies, and within the area of work particularly

 Be aware of and demonstrate boundaries in personal scope of practice.

Understand the importance of Evidence Based Practice (EBP).

  Research and Development

  Participate in quality/ development projects, including audit, as directed.

  Contribute to the evaluation of the service and make improvements and alterations with support.

  Keep accurate statistical records in line with departmental procedures.

General responsibilities

  Take initiative and be responsible for general and specific administrative duties as required and delegated.

   Ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity. Comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

  Comply with the Trust’s corporate and local policies and procedures on such subjects as clinical management and human resources.

   Ensure that patients, clients and members of the public are consulted and involved in decisions about local health service developments. As a Trust employee to be mindful of this and do what is appropriate to the role and level meet this duty of responsibilty.

 Observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff

 This job involves regular exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids and occasional exposure to verbal aggression.