Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic Band 4 Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join our Community Team. You will be working as part Discharge to assess pathways in the community with people who have been discharged out from the acute or community hospitals to their homes / bedded units.

Working as part of an experienced team alongside Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, other Therapy Assistant Practitioners, reablement / enablement providers and social care assessors, you will be providing holistic Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy assessment and interventions in the community, within scope of practice.

You will be assessing patient's independently and as part of a team. The role will involve assessing whether patients abilities in their own home, looking at providing equipment & rehabilitative techniques to enable independence. In addition to supporting & informing of ongoing care needs. You will also provide assessment and rehabilitation plans to improve patient strength and function in their own homes.

As an integral part of the team you will assess, plan, set goals and plan discharge with a personalised approach.

We have a holistic approach and are very focused on preventing de-conditioning.

As a service we are innovative, forward thinking and encourage staff engagement. You will have the opportunity to be involved in service / quality improvement and develop leadership skills, as well as engaging in student placement education.

Main duties of the job
Working as part of the therapy and wider multidisciplinary team, Therapy assistant practitioners use enhanced skills in a specialised area to provide direct high quality and effective therapeutic care and support to patients including those with more complex needs. Within the scope of the role, the post holder will independently (unsupervised) plan and deliver individual or team tasks where the understanding of role boundaries and the importance of supervision and carrying out appropriately delegated tasks and plans is essential.

This role requires understanding, and factual and theoretical knowledge of principles, policies, protocols, procedures, processes, plans and concepts in broad contexts within the area of work or defined group of patients. Although work is guided by standard operating procedures, protocols or systems of work, the post holder must to able make judgements, plan activities, contribute to service development and demonstrate self-development. The post holder may be responsible for supervision of others and delegate appropriate tasks to other non-registered staff.

The post holder will be required to complete the relevant competencies required for the post and participate in 7 day working.

About us
Wye Valley NHS Trust is a member of an NHS Foundation Group with South Warwickshire NHS FT , the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Located on the border with Wales in the shadow of the Black Mountains, we provide acute and community services across Herefordshire and into parts of Powys and run Hereford County Hospital and the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

We are a progressive and forward looking trust with ambitious plans to improve quality and integrate patient pathways through close collaborative working with our partners to deliver the quality of care we'd want for our family and friends.

More than 3,500 people work for the Trust - they tell us it's a great place to work, blending the busyness of a DGH with the benefits of working in a beautiful rural and unspoilt county like Herefordshire.

We can offer a great work-life balance and have a fine tradition of working with staff to help them achieve their full potential.

Russell Hardy, Trust Chairman: "The strength of the Trust is its amazing staff; a great place to work, a great place to develop your career and a great place to reach your potential."

Our values -Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of all we do. We believe in providing the right care in the right place at the right time...all the time.

Job responsibilities
To view role requirements and role responsibilities in full, please view the Job description and person specification attached to this vacancy in the supporting documents.

Person Specification
Education & Qualifications

• Appropriate foundation degree / degree in health & social care OR a level 5 apprenticeship (e.g. Assistant Practitioner Apprenticeship) OR equivalent clinical experience / expertise within AHP profession underpinned by theoretical and practical experience
• Functional Skills Level 2 or Maths & English GCSE (Grades 9-4 or A\*-C)
• Care Certificate

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Knowledge of specific relevant patient conditions and therapy interventions acquired through training or experience
• Demonstration of knowledge of core Physiotherapy and or Occupational Therapy skills
• Evidence of ongoing CPD in relevant area
• Experience of multi-disciplinary assessments and record keeping
• Basic Computer Skills including word processing and e-mail
• Able to make clinical judgements without direct supervision
• Able to manage busy case load and prioritise
• Ability to work autonomously using own knowledge skills and initiative in sometimes complex situations acknowledging role boundaries

Experience

• Experience at Band 3 or equivalent within relevant therapy.
• NHS or equivalent experience e.g. in inpatient areas, acute or community or community services
• Experience of using /fitting adaptive equipment

Personal Attributes

• Able to maintain confidentiality and professionalism within the environment that they are working
• Able to demonstrate awareness of own limitations and need to ask for help
• Evidence of ability to communicate and work with team
• Ability to adapt and to needs of the service
• Shows evidence of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence
• Reliable

Other Factors

• Ability to fulfil the travel requirements of post
• Able to meet moving and handling requirements of post
• Able to deal sensitively and safely with blood and bodily fluids

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.

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.