Job overview
To participate as a generic therapy assistant within the Islington UCR Team working with both home-based and bed-based teams under the guidance and supervision of a qualified therapist, and independently when necessary. The Rehabilitation Assistant will be actively involved with carrying out rehabilitation and enabling care programmes, as well as being assigned other duties such as clerical and administrative tasks.
The Islington UCR Team is based at N1 (Calshot St) and N19 (Hornsey Rise) and is part of the Whittington Health Integrated Care Organisation. The Team is interdisciplinary, comprising Administrators, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurses and Social Workers. All members of the team participate in generic working and assessments.
The remit of the Team is to provide urgent response therapy input to patients at home or in a bedded Rehabilitation Unit aiming to promote independence, reduce hospital admissions and supporting early hospital discharges. The team is committed to a clinical governance programme and team members are encouraged to use evidence-based practice model and to participate in research and audit programmes.
Main duties of the job
Clinical
1. Support qualified therapists in the assessment and treatment of patients as well as work independently with clients with conditions including physical, cognitive, inter and intrapersonal impairments as delegated by the responsible therapists.
2. To feedback findings of these clinical interventions to the team in the MDT meeting and to individual therapists.
3. Achieve competencies in Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy including identification of red flags, signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration and appropriately escalate to senior staff.
4. Facilitate the smooth running of the teams through a flexible and adaptable approach to work.
5. To independently complete risk assessment of environment and safety following local and Trust policies.
6. To independently complete graded exercise / rehabilitation programmes following guidelines from senior team members. This involves adapting basic treatment programmes.
7. To independently complete graded outdoor mobility programmes with clients. This will involve continuous assessment of environment and potential safety risks. This includes public transport practise and accessing local leisure facilities.
8. To monitor above mentioned exercise / rehabilitation programmes and report back to senior staff members.
9. To engage in and provide training to colleagues at all levels.
10. Order and review equipment under therapists’ supervision.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Education and development
11. To be responsible for completing objectives / activities set in yearly appraisal and supervision scheme under guidance of senior team member.
12. To maintain own CPD and care certificates in the Whittington Health NHS Trust to keep up to date with current and relevant developments in area of practise.
13. To comply with all mandatory training.
14. To participate in implementing the team’s clinical governance plan.
Other duties
15. To independently manage own caseload under therapists’ supervision and timetable including scheduling appointment times and writing clinical note.
16. To record all clinical contacts and appropriately document progress notes on electronic system within 24 hours notes in accordance to Team, ICO and legal guidelines.
17. To assist in audit activities, including data collection, data input and to feedback results to team members.
18. To assist with clerical duties and other tasks as requested, which ensure the smooth running of the service. This will involve telephone calls to clients and other health professionals and making routine referrals to other services.
19. To assist in the preparation of apparatus/equipment for clients and therapists use.
20. To assist with maintaining the general tidiness of work areas.
21. To follow Team and ICO policies and procedures on Health and Safety.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
22. GCSE in Maths and English/or other related qualification
Skills
Essential criteria
23. Good communication Skills, both verbal and written
24. Problem solving skills – able to use initiative
25. Ability to work within scope and limits of own understanding and knowledge
26. Flexible approach to changing circumstances
27. Awareness of own stress levels and able to seek emotional support (due to pressures of working with people with complex needs, challenging behaviour, poor social conditions or complicated family dynamics)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
28. Understanding of the problems disabled people have, e.g. Physical and emotional
29. A knowledge of the principles of lifting and handling and exercise practice
30. Understanding of the principles of equality and diversity
Qualifications
Essential criteria
31. Working with the general public
32. Fluent in written and spoken English
Desirable criteria
33. Work in any health/social care setting
34. Working with adults with disability
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
35. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
36. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
37. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
38. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
39. Participate in required training and supervision.
40. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.