East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
We have an exciting opportunity for a part-time Community Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join our therapy team within the Stowmarket Integrated Neighbourhood Team. The role involves working 4 days a week managing your own caseload of patients within the Stowmarket and Needham Market area. You would learn skills to improve your patients' balance, independence, and reduce the risk of falls.
The therapy team consists of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy assistant practitioners, and generic workers who see adults with a physical health need requiring therapy at home. We visit patients at home or see them in the therapy gym to promote the physical health of our patients by facilitating exercise programmes, providing equipment, and practicing activities of daily living. We work closely with our community nursing colleagues and social care colleagues who are also based with us in Stowlodge. Together we form the Stowmarket Integrated Neighbourhood team.
Main duties of the job
We care about our patients and have worked hard to create opportunities for patients to improve their physical health and wellbeing by attending clinics, setting up a better balance group, and linking with the local leisure centre. Next year we are planning to facilitate a gardening group and continue our falls awareness work, therefore need someone who is equally motivated to support our most vulnerable community patients and ensure they deliver high-quality care.
Therapy experience is essential, but community experience is preferred. Full training will be given. There is an expectation you would use your own car for work initially. A lease car scheme is available for this post should this be of interest.
About us
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics, and in patients' own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals, we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata), and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Job responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role, please see the attached job description.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience as a Therapy assistant or experience at a similar level in a related field of health care / health and fitness sector.
* Demonstrable experience of delivering tailored personal treatment plans with an associated level of senior responsibility.
* Completion of Integrated Therapies assistant core and/or specific competencies.
* Knowledge of community resources and whole systems/pathways approach to care.
Qualifications
* Can demonstrate intermediate level of theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills acquired through coursework, in-house training, and experience to NVQ/Diploma Level 3 or equivalent.
* Membership or special interest in community care qualification and integration.
Knowledge
* Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision.
* Knowledge of specific treatment protocols for a wide range of health and social care conditions.
* Able to maintain clinical records and complete basic reports.
* Ability to exchange condition-related information with multidisciplinary team, patients, and carers.
* Able to evidence ability to plan, prioritise, and maintain own clinical caseload.
* Knowledge of occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) within the Community or Acute care settings.
* Experience of group work with patients.
Personal skills
* Good communication skills to overcome barriers of understanding particularly with adults with disabilities.
* Organisational ability and time management of self.
* Confident, competent manner and professional presentation of self.
* Motivational and persuasive skills.
* Ability to demonstrate an empathetic approach to patients/carers.
* Ability to cope with deadlines and associated pressure.
* Able to recognise personal and role limitations and seek assistance accordingly.
* Willingness and ability to travel across Ipswich and East Suffolk using own or pool transport.
* Adaptable.
* Cheerful and approachable.
* Teaching skills for use with patients.
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.
Employer name
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum pro rata
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