Associate Practitioner Rapid Response/Virtual Ward

Croydon Health Services NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust in London is recruiting an Associate Practitioner (Band 4) to join the Rapid Response/Virtual Ward team. The role supports unwell patients at home using technology, and works within defined competency boundaries with registered nurses or therapists.

You will work across community settings, intermediate care, and care homes, collaborating with MDTs, general practice, and private/voluntary agencies to deliver safe, effective care.

Qualifications

• Experience as Band 3 Healthcare/therapy assistant or similar role.
• Ability to work independently within defined boundaries.
• Knowledge of MDT roles and patient confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Support Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists in home and community settings.
• Carry out delegated clinical tasks under supervision.
• Work with MDT and community services to enable patients to remain at home using technology.

Skills

Independent working

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Effective communication

Observation and organization

Calm under pressure

Adaptability

Documentation skills

Education

Band 3 Healthcare/therapy assistant experience

Foundation degree

Tools

Basic IT skills

Job description

Job overview

Croydon is a busy, exciting and diverse place to work. The borough has one of the youngest populations in London and continues to grow.

Croydon Health Services cares for local people at Croydon University Hospital, Purley Memorial Hospital and in clinics and people's homes all across the borough.

We are a very close-knit and friendly organisation where everyone of our 3600 members of staff is valued. We strongly believe that our employees are our greatest asset and so through Listening into Action - our way of engaging staff - we empower everyone at any level to initiate and bring about real improvements in our care.

Join us and be a part of the team that is making Croydon proud. #choosecroydon

Associate Practitioner - Band 4

The post holder will work as a member of the Rapid Response/Virtual ward to facilitate the work of the service enabling unwell patients to remain at home and achieve their full potential with the use of technology.

The post holder will work within clearly defined boundaries of their Associate Practitioner Competencies and carry out specific delegated clinical tasks and responsibilities as defined by the registered nurse or therapist.

The Associate Practitioner will be assessed as proficient to work at a higher competency level than that expected of a band 3 Health Care Support Worker. He/she will work in partnership with team members, service users, general practice, multidisciplinary team and private / voluntary agencies.

The post holder will provide skilled support to the Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Rapid Response Matrons and will undertake duties as allocated to them by a qualified member of the Nursing or therapy staff.

The post holder will be expected to work autonomously in a variety of settings including the patient's own home and other community settings as required such as the intermediate care beds and care homes.

Interview Date: TBC

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as a member of the team to facilitate the work of the service enabling unwell patients to remain at home and achieve their full potential with the use of technology.

The post holder will work within clearly defined boundaries of their Associate Practitioner Competencies and carry out specific delegated clinical tasks and responsibilities as defined by the registered nurse or therapist.

The Associate Practitioner will be assessed as proficient to work at a higher competency level than that expected of a band 3 Health Care Support Worker. He/she will work in partnership with team members, service users, general practice, multidisciplinary team and private / voluntary agencies

Working for our organisation

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provide hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 4,100 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity.

Our main hospital site, Croydon University Hospital is one of the busiest in London. We're also leading the way in providing more healthcare outside hospitals at clinics, specialist centres and in people's homes. Our experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children's Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital.

Across the NHS everyone is working hard to meet growing demand and we're no exception. But with the right people on board, we are rising to this challenge, putting our people in the driving seat, encouraging innovation and transforming our services to give local people the quality of care they deserve. Croydon Health Services puts a great deal of importance on education and training throughout the careers of all of our staff. As well as offering access to a range of core skills training and professional development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached supporting document which contains more information about the role in job description and person specification.

Person specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential criteria

• At least a few years of community experience as a Band 3 Healthcare or therapy assistant.

Desirable criteria

• Healthcare practice Foundation degree

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the roles of the Multidisciplinary team
• Understanding of the nature and importance of confidentiality
• Understanding of equality and diversity in relation to work activities
• Awareness of child and adult protection needs and action to take in event of concerns

Desirable criteria

• Awareness of Telehealth and remote monitoring of patients

EXPERIENCE

Essential criteria

• Experience of working as a Band 3 Nurse or therapy Assistant for at a few years

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience as a Band 4 practitioner in a relevant area

SKILLS/ABILITIES

Essential criteria

• Ability to work independently without supervision
• Ability to recognise role boundaries and own limitations and seek assistance when necessary
• Basic Therapy and Nursing skills
• Effective communication and listening skills
• Good observation and organization skills
• Able to work co-operatively and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Able to work under pressure and without direct supervision
• Adaptable and flexible to changing priorities and needs of the patients and the service and working hours
• Ability to accurately maintain patient notes and documentation to prioritise own workload and organise time effectively
• Ability to keep calm and logical in emergency and stressful situations
• Ability to deal with challenge and conflict in an appropriate manner

Desirable criteria

• Ability to identify an unwell patient and elevate appropriately using the NEWS score
• Ability to identify and order basic equipment

Other

Essential criteria

• Car driver with a clean license and access to a vehicle for work purposes
• Basic IT skills

Your recruitment team

The NHS South West London Recruitment Hub is your dedicated recruitment team, here to support you at every stage of the process. If you have a query, please contact us: E: [e-mail]

Your application

Please ensure your supporting statement clearly reflects the job description and person specification, as shortlisting will be based on these criteria.

Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to draft your application. We value authentic, individual responses that reflect your own experience and communication style.

References

Please provide a minimum of 3 years' employment and/or education history, including professional email addresses (not personal accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail). If you cannot provide these, please inform the interview panel to avoid delays in pre-employment checks.

Closing date

To help us manage recruitment efficiently, some vacancies may close early once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

Shortlisting

If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be contacted by email or SMS from the South West London Recruitment Hub. Please check your registered TRAC email regularly.

Application feedback

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Safeguarding and DBS Checks

We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

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