Sheffield has an excellent reputation as 'the outdoor city' with a multi-cultural population, good transport links with the rest of the UK, a host of independent retailers, excellent food outlets, cinemas, theatres and 2 highly-rated Universities that provide AHP, nursing and medical training.
We are offering an opportunity to join a highly specialist, friendly team. It is ideal for someone to specialise in working with people with neurological conditions, who has the enthusiasm and motivation to help people achieve what is important to them. We are keen to recruit staff who want to contribute to change and continue to shape our services for the future.
There is one other Therapy Assistant and a Specialist Therapy Assistant in the NES and a wider team of AHPs, case managers, clinical / neuro psychologists.
We want you to be part of ongoing reflection and service development / quality improvement and optimising the patient experience and outcomes. There is a strong commitment to PPI work and co-production; In service training programme and supervision.
We are able to provide significant financial support for CPD.
Please read on for more information, and do give us a call if you want to discuss anything in more detail., To work as a member of the interdisciplinary team with adults with
complex needs, resulting from congenital or acquired - progressive or
traumatic neurological disorders. It is expected that Therapy Assistant
working at this grade would seek appropriate support as required.
Assist in the management of patients within protocols led by qualified
staff in the community setting. Implement therapy treatment
programmes in the community and complete patient records.
To develop skills and knowledge through participation in regular
supervision and In-service training.
To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of services
within a designated area/team, contributing towards defined projects., with health, social care and voluntary team colleagues to assist in the
delivery of a co-ordinated multi agency service within the complexities
of a community environment and care pathways
To work as an autonomous practitioner and as a lone worker in the
community
To independently implement therapy intervention and care packages
according to agreed plans, requesting support from the therapists as
required and being aware of own limitations.
To undertake administrative and any other duties, which may be
allocated by the Operational Team Manager within the general scope
of the post, and appropriate to the grade, after negotiation, adequate
training and appropriate supervision (e.g. lead projects to review and
improve service delivery)
Principal duties
Clinical:
To manage a designated caseload of adult clients with neurological
presentations under supervision and delegation, working in conjunction
with other members of the team and seeking support as required
To demonstrate initiative and contribute towards ensuring a high
standard of clinical care for clients receiving therapeutic programmes
as part of inter/multidisciplinary working.
To work generically assisting OT, PT, SLT and Psychology staff as
appropriate to area of work.
To accept clinical responsibility for patient case load and to organise
this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of
time, asking for support when necessary.
To be legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own
work including the management of patients in your care ensuring a high
standard of clinical care for the patients under your management.
To complete clinical outcome measures under the direction of qualified
Therapists in order to achieve goals with patients.
Undertake day to day assessment of patients' mental health and
physical levels of function and their capacity to undertake activities and
modify treatment appropriately and according to senior guidance.
To demonstrate awareness of mental capacity, informed consent and
the legal framework required for clients who lack capacity to consent to
treatment, requesting support from qualified Therapists as appropriate.
To demonstrate awareness of when patients require further
assessment by a qualified therapist or other external health/social care
professional, liaise with senior staff and complete onward referrals as
appropriate.
To demonstrate a broad knowledge of conditions and disorders
observed in people with Long Term Neurological Conditions.
To demonstrate skills in dealing with disclosure of complex, sensitive or
contentious information by clients and carers. To recognise the
importance of passing this to qualified staff.
To communicate effectively and work collaboratively, under
professional guidance, with health, social care and voluntary team
colleagues to assist in the delivery of a co-ordinated multi agency
service within a community environment and care pathways
Under professional guidance, to provide planned advice, teaching,
training and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals, to
ensure a consistent approach to patient care and treatment e.g. moving
and handling, use of communication aids, strategies for cognitive
deficits.
To prepare and compile materials/equipment for use in therapy e.g.
communication charts and aids, as required by therapists.
To provide therapeutic interventions in working conditions which may
frequently be hazardous e.g. exposure to body fluids, aggressive
persons, visits to high risk areas and associated travel risks.
To undertake frequent therapeutic handling and moving of patients,
with or without aids and equipment utilising moderate physical effort
within clinical and non-clinical settings. This may involve bending,
kneeling or frequent repetitive activities often in confined restricted
places.
To work with patients, carers, relatives who may have barriers to
understanding, distressing or challenging social/clinical circumstances
or behaviours.
To be responsible for the day to day planning, management and
prioritisation of own workload, under guidance and supervision from
senior staff on a regular basis.
To be an active member of appropriate clinical working groups within
LTNC to ensure policies, procedures and governance are maintained in
daily practice.
To organise and plan appropriate venues for the provision of group
activities taking into account patients' physical and mental health
capabilities, under guidance from senior staff.
To demonstrate effective infection control and hygiene practice of self
and equipment.
To monitor stock and maintain equipment, making recommendations
about ordering.
To contribute to the effective selection and ordering of equipment, its
fitting and safe instruction in its use to patients and carers.
To develop dexterity, co-ordination and sensory skills for manual
treatment of patients with LTNC.
To demonstrate auditory and perceptual skills when working with
clients with communication difficulties.
To maintain and update technical skills e.g. use and modification of
equipment and software
To demonstrate skills to enable the client in areas of self-maintenance,
productivity and leisure.
To provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to
the client's social and physical environment under direction and
guidance.
Leadership:
To actively contribute towards service and operational development
through leadership forums e.g microsystems, peer supervision,
research and project management
To promote the understanding of the role of the therapy assistant to
therapy students and other health and social care staff.
To promote awareness of your role within the team, locally and
nationally.
Service development;
To participate in designated projects in relation to service design,
development and delivery within LTNC services.
To participate in research and audit projects relevant to LTNC services.
To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date data and statistics
for the use of the department
To comply with the requirements of SHSC in relation to policy,
governance and legislation and to review and update policy and
procedure as appropriate e.g infection control, information governance
etc
Professional:
To ensure client confidentiality when dealing with complex cases,
multiple agencies and the community setting.
To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all
aspects of work including confidentiality, note writing and in line with
professional codes of conduct.
To promote awareness of the role of the post holder's profession within
the team, trust, locally and nationally.
To contribute towards supervision and assessment of students from
Higher Education institutions and work collaboratively towards
standards of clinical and professional tutoring.
To participate in the staff appraisal scheme, Personal Development
Plan (PDP), LTNC staff induction, provision of clinical and professional
supervision to junior staff and contribute to training programmes for
Long Term Neurological Conditions staff.
To comply with requirements for clinical supervision and reflect, under
guidance from senior staff on ethical issues through evidence collected
in supervision notes. To contribute to peer supervision across LTNC
services
To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of
clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these
needs
We aim to be an organisation that is diverse and inclusive and to meet this aim we welcome applications from people with a wide range of life experience and whose diversity echoes the diversity of Sheffield, that of the people who use our services, and that of the people who may need to use our services but face barriers to access. Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:
+ The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group
+ The Disability Staff Network Group
+ The Lived Experience Staff Network Group
+ The Rainbow Staff Network Group
+ The Staff Carers Staff Network Group
+ The Women's Staff Network Group
We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role. The cost of the DBS check (currently up to £48.23) must be met by the successful applicant(s).
When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.
Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.
While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you're applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.
Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHSC and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
For example, AI responses…
* usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.
* may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.
* may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.
* may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.
Supporting Statement
The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you've navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.
At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.
We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: working together for our service users, respect and kindness, everyone counts, commitment to quality, improving lives., What is it that makes our Trust such a special place to work? Well, it's all about the people. Our staff, service users, carers and families all come from such diverse backgrounds and all have expertise and stories to share.
It's important that you feel supported in your role, that the people who you work with are as passionate as you are and that your health and wellbeing is taken care of
If you're interested in developing your career, you'll have access to a range of training and education opportunities, including apprenticeships, work experience and placements, as well as the chance to get involved in research.
We are all very proud of the difference we make to people's lives each and every day and if that's something that you'd like to be part of we'd love to have you with us.