Community Assistant Practitioner

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust; North Walsham; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is seeking a Community Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join NN2 Community Nursing and Therapy Team in North Walsham. The post focuses on delivering home-based therapy and coordinating care across North Norfolk with a dedicated multidisciplinary team.

Experience at Band 4 level or higher is advantageous, and the team emphasizes a can-do attitude alongside Trust values of integrity, compassion, inclusion and ambition.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
• Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
• Apply competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
• Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
• Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
• Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
• Make basic judgements on patients' response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
• Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.

Job description

The role will contribute to the delivery of care packages for patients with long term conditions, palliative care and rehabilitation needs, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.

• To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital
• To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital
• To work with all health care professionals.
• NB. In person interviews will be held at North Walsham Hospital, Yarmouth Road, Norfolk, NR28 9AP To work alongside our Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists & other Community Assistant Practitioners to provide a lead focus on organising and conducting equipment reviews within patient homes and care homes throughout North Norfolk
• To contribute in the delivery of high standards of health care to patients within their own homes, care homes, the travelling community, community hospitals and clinics, by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To work within a reablement philosophy, using strengths based assessments and actively promoting independence for the patients. Unfortunately, this role does not meet the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa routes. Applications from candidates requiring sponsorship to work in the UK cannot be considered. There is a varied caseload of patients and you will work in and be supported by the experienced multi-disciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and other Community Assistant Practitioners. The Trust is passionate about staff development and offers a number of development opportunities for staff, as well as regular in-service training and continued professional development. Successful applicants will work within a a friendly and professional therapy team and with the wider Primary Care Network, as well as outside agencies for the benefit of patients. Please note that the ability to travel across the area is essential for this role.

• 1. Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
• 2. Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
• 3. Apply competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
• 4. Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
• 5. Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• 6. Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
• 7. Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
• 8. Make basic judgements on patients' response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
• 9. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.
• 10. Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
• 11. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• 12. Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient's co-operation in their treatment/care/management plan.
• 13. Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
• 14. To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
• 15. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• 16. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
• 17. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
• 18. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
• 19. Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
• 20. Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
• 21. Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
• 22. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
• 23. Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general house keeping tasks.
• 24. Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
• 25. Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
• 26. Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

A fantastic and rare opportunity has arisen for a Community Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join NN2 Community Nursing and Therapy Team in North Place. We would welcome applicants with a "can do" attitude who reflect the Trust values of Integrity, Compassion, Inclusion and Ambition. The NN2 team covers North Walsham, Paston, Cromer, Aldborough and Mundesley surgeries and seeks to provide care to those in their own homes and care homes within these catchment areas. Although training and support will be given within this role, we are seeking an enthusiastic candidate with existing Therapy experience. Experience working already at a Band 4 level or experienced Band 3 in the community or acute setting would therefore be advantageous.