This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for a technician who likes to problem solve, and make a real difference to people's lives. You will be responsible for the repair, servicing, delivery and collection of patients' wheelchairs and associated equipment. You will visit them in their homes, schools, place of work, hospitals and day centres throughout Oxfordshire.
The job is for 30 hours per week. This can be spread over 4 or 5 days, within the service opening hours of Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm.
A full valid UK driving licence is essential.
The mobile technician will provide a mobile wheelchair repair and maintenance service to the users of powered and manual wheelchairs as well as specialised posture management equipment prescribed by the services. The post also includes the delivery and collection of equipment to and from the user. All work will be clearly documented and carried out to departmental and manufacturers’ standards.
The post requires the use of vehicles provided by OUH to visit hospitals, special schools, nursing homes, private homes, and other establishments to carry out the work. The environments may be unhygienic, dirty or cramped, and the users may be distressed that their equipment is not functioning correctly.
This job also requires that the post holder will be available to provide on call out-of-hours emergency repair service if required (not currently required, but may be in the future). At times, the post holder may be asked to work in the workshop depending on departmental need.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustis one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel.
When working off-site
· Independently visit wheelchair users to repair, adjust and maintain wheelchairs and associated equipment. This must be done to the required departmental and manufacturers’ standards in a cost-effective manner, ensuring all finished items are correct to the specifications supplied.
· Independently identify the resources necessary to carry out the diagnosis, maintenance or repair, ensuring that any equipment required is fit for use and is functioning correctly.
· Undertake risk management where a repair cannot be successfully made to ensure that the patient’s equipment is either safe to use or that a temporary loan is provided.
· Independently determine the diagnostic/maintenance/repair checks that need to be carried out, applying suitable fault-finding techniques to diagnose problems including those beyond the scope of the manufacturer’s supplied technical documentation.
· Independently complete safety and diagnostic checks on electrically powered equipment using specialist diagnostic equipment where necessary, both at the patient’s place of residence and at the base workshop.
· Independentlyrecord the processes and equipment used in the servicing of medical devices using the documentation and processes within the quality management system.Complete all required documentation accurately and in real time.
· Independently deliver and collect equipment to/from the patient’s address, which can include patient’s home, hospital, place of work, school, college, day centre etc.
· Independently set-up equipment to patient’s needs. Train patients and carers in use of equipment.
· Drive different type of vehicles, follow driving at work procedure keep vehicles clean, tidy and well maintained. Ensure hazardous items like batteries are securely stored.
· Ensure spare parts carried meet the potential need of the day’s work to aim for completing repairs in a single visit wherever possible.
· Ensure loan worker policy is followed and loan worker device is charged and used.
When working on-site (in workshop)
· Independently complete cleaning of wheelchairs and mobility equipment to the required departmental and manufacturers’ standards, utilising the specialist equipment provided.
· Independently repair, adjust, maintain and refurbish wheelchairs and associated equipment to the required departmental and manufacturers’ standards in a cost-effective manner ensuring all finished items are correct to the specifications supplied.
· Independently complete specialist refurbishment of wheelchairs and accessories to the manufacturer’s technical instructions.
· Supervise junior workshop technician and/or apprentice technician where required.
· Ensure high standards of quality and workmanship are maintained, and completed tasks comply with departmental quality standards.
· Ensure warehouse and stores are tidy and in order.
· Ensure all departmental equipment is fit for purpose, maintaining the workshop environment in a tidy and organised fashion and being responsible for own equipment and tools, ensuring they are maintained and cleaned.
Overall
· Sensitively exchange information with patients and carers using terminology that ensures understanding by all parties, being aware that English may not be their first language. Be aware of cultural differences of differing ethnic groups. Have an up-to-date knowledge of relevant current legislation in the field of disability.
· Understand and empathise with patients with disabilities that may make communication difficult.
· Understand and empathise with families or carers where collection of wheeled mobility equipment is being made following bereavement. There is also a need to be able to communicate with patients who are annoyed, frustrated or distressed about the equipment they have not functioning
· Maintain good discipline and timekeeping.
· Liaise with the Wheelchair Maintenance Service Manager regarding any problems that may arise.
· Perform any additional duties as required by the Operational Wheelchair Service Lead or Maintenance Service Manager.
· Attend departmental and other meetings as appropriate.
This advert closes on Tuesday 14 Jan 2025
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A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .