Assistant Practitioner - AAC

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

AAC WEST is a specialist service providing comprehensive AAC assessments and equipment for individuals with complex communication needs across the South West. The Assistant Practitioner role blends direct patient work with innovative communication technologies, supporting independence and participation.

You will work within the MDT to prepare equipment, program software, train users, and run 1:1 support sessions, across multiple sites in the region.

Qualifications

• GCSE/O levels including English and Maths
• A levels completed
• Full UK driving licence
• Apprenticeship, City and Guilds diploma, foundation degree

Responsibilities

• Prepare equipment for assessment and loan
• Programme AAC software as directed by MDT
• Deliver software training sessions
• Deliver 1:1 support sessions to patients

Skills

Software literacy

MS Office proficiency

Time management

Data entry

Observational skills

Confidentiality

Team collaboration

Education

GCSE/O Levels incl. English & Maths

A levels

Full UK driving licence

Apprenticeship / City & Guilds / foundation degree

Tools

AAC software

MS Office (Word/Excel/Access)

Job description

AAC WEST is a specialist Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) service commissioned to provide comprehensive AAC assessments and specialist communication equipment for individuals with complex communication needs.

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) at AAC WEST supports both children and adults across the South West region who present with severe communication difficulties, often alongside physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments.

Working as an Assistant Practitioner within the team offers a unique opportunity to combine direct, face-to-face work with patients and their families with the use of innovative communication technologies. Assistant Practitioners play a key role in the team enabling individuals to communicate more effectively, participate in everyday activities, and achieve greater independence.

Main duties of the job

• Prepare equipment as directed by the MDT for assessment and loan
• Programme specialist AAC software as directed by MDT
• Deliver software training sessions to those using AAC
• Deliver 1:1 support sessions to patients as directed by MD

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retaina workforce whichrepresentsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your applicationin order toensurewe'remeeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

During Assessments

• Input into the assessment planning sessions by sharing knowledge of the software, hardware and vocabularies contained within the various AAC devices used
• Prepare equipment as requested by the MDT in equipment planning sheets
• Programme equipment with relevant information as directed by MDT
• Provide basic technical support during assessments to support MDT
• Write clinical observations during assessments to feed back to MDT
• Support the MDT with admin during assessments
• To contribute in the driving to and from patient visits with MDT

Equipment Programming

• With guidance, prepare equipment for use during trial loan period. This will involve personalising AAC vocabularies and occasional programming basic EAT operations
• Liaise with local teams to collate relevant vocabularies

Training

• Provide training to patients and their carers on the care and programming of communication aids prior to the short term loan of equipment.
• Contribute to the rolling programme of software training in conjunction with departmental peers
• Support in the admin of delivering a rolling programme of AAC training bespoke training on AAC where requested

Support

• Support patients and their carers through the assessment process and provide feedback to the MDT re: the progress of targets.
• Provide basic technical support to individuals during an equipment evaluation loan period.
• Where required, partake in communication partner work to model good practice
• Independently run support clinics either face to face or via remote platforms

General

• Pasticipate in and attend departmental meetings
• Participate in appraisal process in line with Trust policies
• Identify own training needs and to participate in appropriate training accordingly
• To assist with the planning and delivery of awareness raising events and training courses to professionals and members of the public as appropriate
• Bring to the attention of the AAC WEST lead clinicians any issues appropriate to the post and the department
• Bring to the attention of line manager any service improvement suggestions
• Maintain up to date and accurate case notes and records in line with Trust Policy, as needed.
• Gather activity data accurately and to record this in line with Trust Policy

Education and qualifications

• GCSE/O levels including English and Maths
• A levels
• Full UK driving licence
• Apprenticeship, City and Guilds diploma, foundation degree

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Demonstrable experience of learning new computer software skills
• Confident computer user with a current and working knowledge of Microsoft Word/Access/Excel/ email/internet and social networking.
• Ability to manage own time and prioritise tasks
• Experience of data inputting
• Excellent observational skills
• Ability to reflect on own performance
• An understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained
• An understanding of the importance of keeping written records
• Ability to work on own initiative but also as part of a team
• Ability to work within specified standards and timescales
• Ability to identify own professional development needs within the appraisal framework

Experience

• Experience of working with people with disabilities, especially communication impairment
• Experience of working in an environment where assistive technology is used.
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Physically able to manually handle equipment
• Ability to meet the travel requirements of the post
• Interest in technology.
• Flexible and enthusiastic approach to work and colleagues
• Ability to manage the emotional pressures of working with clients with complex disabilities and terminal illnesses

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.