Community Therapy Assistant

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health provider is seeking a Therapy Assistant to join their Bromley Stroke Community Team. In this role, you will assist qualified therapists in providing rehabilitation and support for stroke patients in their homes. Successful candidates will exhibit compassion, excellent communication, and good IT skills, contributing to improving patients' physical and psychological well-being. There will be a significant focus on assisting with various therapeutic functions and administrative tasks within the department.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Development opportunities

Training programs

Qualifications

• Ability to work under supervision and assist qualified therapy staff.
• Engagement with stroke patients to promote well-being.
• Experience in manual handling and therapeutic techniques.

Responsibilities

• Assist therapists in providing rehabilitation and management of patients.
• Administer assessment and treatment programs.
• Carry out administrative tasks within the department.

Skills

Compassionate

Good IT skills

Excellent communication

Job description

You will work under the supervision of qualified therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for stroke patients in the community.

You will need to be compassionate and practical in your approach as patients often require assistance and support to promote their physical, cognitive, perceptual, and psychological well‑being.

You are required to have good IT skills.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this post, In addition, you are expected to carry out routine administrative and housekeeping tasks when required.

Excellent communication, and good IT skills are essential for this post.

Our aim is to maintain and increase patients' independence and quality of life within their home environments. Moving and handling of patients and equipment is an essential part of the role.

Our teams offer excellent support and regular supervision to the successful candidate.

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream, This position is to be an active member of the multi-professional team, supporting the rehabilitation of patients through the promotion of independence and planned programmes of care.

Patients are enabled to work towards achieving the goals set in their care plans, by assisting them in the use and practice of skills essential to regain their independence and quality of life.

The purpose of the position is to assist various therapists (e.g. Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists) to provide therapy assessment, rehabilitation, management and discharge of patients. Also to assist in the administration, clerical and housekeeping duties of the department, according to the specific rotational area of work.

Key Result Areas & Performance

• To work effectively as a team member in providing and facilitating a high standard of rehabilitative support within the rehabilitation setting.
• To assist OT/PT/SALT in individual and group assessments / treatments / activities
• To independently carry out treatment sessions, working towards joint rehabilitation goals as directed by the Multidisciplinary Team members, and to report back orally, and in the appropriate written format as directed.
• To assist in the preparation of the environment, including equipment and materials as required for the delivery of Therapy.
• To hold own case load as delegated by the therapist. To organise this efficiently and effectively, prioritising with regard to patient requirement and available time.
• Undertake manual handling and therapeutic handling techniques with patients both single handed and as part of a team demonstrating dexterity and co‑ordination whilst carrying out mobilisation, functional rehabilitation and other procedures on a frequent basis. This includes use of appropriate manual handling equipment, eg. Hoists, standing frames.
• To perform environmental assessment on access visits where required. To identify problems, need for therapeutic equipment and risk management whilst on environmental/access visit.
• To carry out assessment as delegated by therapists.
• To supply patients with appropriate, safe, walking aids and to instruct patients in the use of this equipment when requested by therapists.
• To gather relevant information re: a patient's social situation, medical history and level of function, from patients, relatives and colleagues to contribute to multi‑disciplinary assessment.
• To escort and assist patients with functional activities like toileting and washing/dressing as required.
• To visit people in their own homes as part of assessment and treatment.
• To deliver and install simple aids and equipment in the patient's home as requested by therapy staff and to instruct patients and carers in the use of this equipment, as appropriate.
• To review Outcome Measures with referred patients as required.
• To assist the Therapy staff, to provide accurate and timely statistical information.
• To record therapy assessments/reports in consultation with Therapists, This includes maintaining accurate computer and written records that meet professional and Trust standards and ensuring any reports are filed promptly in the appropriate place.
• To use the relevant therapy/hospital computer information system to check and record patient data and attendance details.
• To arrange/change appointments electronically, and inform patients and therapists accordingly.
• To organise appropriate transport and interpreting services as required.
• To undertake general administrative tasks within the department particularly related to record keeping, filing, supplies, message taking, photocopying, and other duties as requested to support smooth‑running of the service.
• To liaise with and provide cover for other Therapist Assistants in the Therapy Service during annual, sick and study leave.

Work force

• To attend Trust in‑house training sessions / programmes and external courses as appropriate. This includes mandatory and statutory training, eg. basic life support, manual handling.
• To participate in the individual performance review (appraisal) scheme, and to be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development plan to meet set goals and complete competency programme as indicated.
• To contribute to the training of new / volunteer staff / students as requested .
• To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision.
• To attend and participate in staff meetings, case conferences, multidisciplinary team meetings and other meetings as required.

Financial

• To maintain and help administer stock and condition of therapy equipment, reporting any defects or problems with equipment immediately to therapists.
• To assist with regular Therapy department stocktaking processes as required.

Communications and Relationships

• To report back to the delegating therapist and multi‑disciplinary team relevant information regarding patient management.
• To assist in dealing with distressed or challenging patients, relatives and carers if required.
• To communicate effectively with patients, their families, colleagues, other health and social care staff and outside agencies both verbally and in writing.
• To communicate in a respectful manner at all times with all individuals.
• Ensure patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• Encourage patients and their carers in an active approach to regaining and maintaining personal independence.
• To educate patients / relatives/ carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of Therapy intervention.

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting. If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women's staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note that sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route is subject to Trust allocation and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approval.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and flexible Therapy Assistant to join our multidisciplinary team within the Bromley Stroke Community Team.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 - the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over staying comfortable; Listening over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here.

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as "good" or "outstanding" in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King's College London's GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ISS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.