Children's Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant

Transformationunitgm; Huddersfield; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Therapy Assistant to join their vibrant Children's Therapy team. This role involves supporting qualified therapists in delivering therapeutic interventions to children across various settings, including clinics and schools. You will play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of young patients by implementing treatment protocols and monitoring their progress. The organization values compassionate care and offers flexible working arrangements to accommodate your needs. If you are passionate about making a difference in children's lives, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in health or social care settings is essential.
• Willingness to participate in competency-based training.

Responsibilities

• Implement treatment protocols and monitor progress.
• Assist registered practitioners with complex treatment.

Skills

Communication Skills

Teamwork

Problem Solving

Manual Handling

Education

GCSE English and Math

Level 3 Qualification (NVQ or Diploma in Care)

Tools

IT Literacy (Email/Internet)

Job description

Employer Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Children's Therapy Department, Princess Royal Health Centre Town Huddersfield Salary £24,625 - £25,674 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 18/05/2025 23:59 Interview date 02/06/2025

Children's Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant

NHS AfC: Band 3

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.

We received our Silver Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we provided its statement of intent to support all Defence personnel and we welcome application to work for us. Find out more - Why Choose CHFT?

Our Future Plans

The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded capital funding to invest in local health services at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This is a significant investment and an opportunity to enhance services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come. To find out more, please visithttps://future.cht.nhs.uk/

Job overview

We are seeking a Therapy Assistant to join our friendly Children’s Therapy team in Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. The service consists of Dieticians, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists working with children across Huddersfield and Halifax.

You will provide support to the qualified Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, working in a variety of settings to include clinics, schools and nurseries. Following delivery of a competency based training, you will be expected to work independently but under the direction of a qualified therapist to deliver therapeutic interventions to children. Experience of working with the public in a Health or social care or education setting is essential and it would be desirable to have some experience of working with children.

Main duties of the job

Duties may include but not limited to:

• Implementing treatment to protocols and based on competencies.
• Monitoring progress and feeding back to the registered practitioner or assistant practitioner
• Making minor adjustments to treatment programmes within pre-determined limits
• Assisting registered practitioners with complex treatment.
• Assessing for ordering and issuing predetermined basic equipment/ orthotics to protocols and established guidelines.
• Leading and assisting with group exercise and advice sessions.
• The training of others.
• Monitoring equipment stock and ordering replacements.
• Cleaning of equipment and workspace.
• Participating in multi-disciplinary team meeting

Working for our organisation

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS– yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Following appropriate clinical skills training and assessment of competence in the workplace, supported by theoretical knowledge, the post holder will be able to undertake the following duties:

Towork to competencies & local protocols and understand local communication networks. This includes making judgments around what may or may not be significant changes in a child’s presentation, involving observation and engagement skills and whether or not to report to a registered practitioner.

To ensure full compliance with local hand hygiene policy.

To Prepare clinical areas, including participation in infection control procedures when preparing and cleaning clinical areas, and undertake responsibility for stock control (including monitoring & ordering) of clinical & non-clinical supplies.

To assist the registered practitioners in the delivery of therapy programmes, as per service competencies.

To support children with self-care and self-management of their condition. This may be carried out individually or in groups. This includes raising awareness of health and wellbeing.

To carry out planned intervention as prescribed by registered practitioner (as per service competencies).

To provide and set up therapy equipment, for example specialised seating and walking aids, as per agreed competencies. To give information to parents and other involved professionals to the safe use and basic maintenance of equipment

To communicate with children and young people, and those involved in their care by establishing the most effective methods of communication and enabling children and young people to participate in communication.

To develop relationships with children and young peopleusing play and other methods according to the age of the child or young person, in order to help them understand the situation.

To organize and plan your own day to day work, including delegated workload, whilst coping with occasional last minute changes. Prioritise your own workload and assist other members of team when workloads vary, with indirect supervision available as required.

To carry out, provide feedback on and contribute to revisions to the plan of care activities for which you are responsible, within predetermined parameters.

Tomaintain contemporaneous records (written & electronic) in line with Trust policy. This includes the ability to take accurate referral information.

Relate to & interact with othersusing encouragement, sensitivity, support and interventions as necessary. Maintain effective communication with your team and others you come into contact with.

To comply with legal requirements for patient/client confidentiality.

To maintain up to date knowledge and skills relevant to the field of practice ie undertake competency based training in conjunction with theoretical learning where required. Participate in Trust appraisal.

To participate in clinical supervision and maintain your reflective portfolio to Directorate standards.

To carry out your responsibilities at workincluding taking responsibility for daily running of a specific aspect of the service, which is appropriate to experience and level of expertise.

To work as part of a Multi-disciplinary team, making suggestions for improvement where appropriate.

Make sure your whereabouts are known during working hours.

Participate in regular supervision.

Attend all mandatory training.

Participate annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal.

Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols.

Carry out duties with due regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunity Policy.

Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary.

Maintain professional conduct including appearance at all times.

To undertake all such reasonable other duties as may be required as part of the role.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• English and Math GCSE grade 9-2 (A*-E) or equivalent
• Competence based level 3 Qualification e.g. NVQ or Diploma in Care or The Care Certificate issued by an employer
• Willingness to participate in competency work-based training programme
• Willingness to undertake additional and mandatory training as required.
• Previous competency-based training in relevant field

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• Recent relevant experience working and communication with the public in education/social care/health care
• An understanding of rehabilitation and reablement principles.
• An understanding of enabling a person to learn or re-learn skills
• IT literate (email/internet)
• Recent relevant experience of working in the community with children with physical difficulties.
• Recent relevant experience working in a multidisciplinary team in education/health/social care setting.
• An understanding of the issues when working in users homes and in educational settings.
• Manual handling training
• Understands the needs of specific client group

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Demonstrates positive attitudes and behaviours.
• Able to work on own following agreed protocols, seeking help appropriately, particularly around unforeseen circumstances.
• Able to use initiative but be aware of limitations of role.
• Problems solving/decision making skills based on patient/client needs.
• Tactful, diplomatic, supportive and resourceful.
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to work well in a team
• Have an awareness of all Trust policies and procedures.

Our vision is to provide One Culture of Care for one another in order that we can provide compassionate care for the people who use our services. We are passionate about creating a workplace where we work together to get results, encouraging colleagues to have their say, in order to co create the change we want to see. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce that’s why we encourage applications from all.Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants.

Please ensure your application is submitted with referees who can verify your employment/education history over the last three years and include valid email addresses for them. We will request electronic Factual Employment References from your previous employers. These references will be requested before you are issued with an unconditional offer of employment letter.

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £54.40, Standard £26.40 or Basic £26.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £16 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

CHFT is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

If you have any questions please contact [e-mail] for assistance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Lesley Smith Job title Team leader - Children's Therapy Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07786678622 Additional information

Lesley Smith, Team Lead - Children's Therapy

[e-mail]

07786678622