Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS organization in the UK is looking for a motivated Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner to support therapy teams in acute settings. This position requires experience in occupational therapy services and the ability to manage equipment needs and maintain clinical records. Candidates should possess NVQ Level III or equivalent and be able to work autonomously, including weekend shifts.

Qualifications

• Experience of working clinically in physio/occupational therapy service in an acute setting.
• Ability to work independently and manage own workload.
• Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation.

Responsibilities

• Support the Occupational therapy teams in delivering therapy interventions.
• Administer and manage equipment needs for patients.
• Maintain accurate clinical records of all interventions.

Skills

Initiative

Time Management

Clinical Experience in Acute Setting

Community Experience

IT Skills

Education

NVQ Level III or equivalent

Tools

Database software

Job description

Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is looking for flexible, skilled, and motivated Band 4 Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioners to join our Staff Bank; for shifts on both of our busy acute hospital sites. This role will suit individuals with established experience working within acute Occupational therapy services, who are keen to contribute to high-quality patient care, rehabilitation and support flow, across a variety of acute ward based clinical settings.

Main duties of the job

As a bank Therapy Assistant Practitioner, you will support the Occupational therapy teams, and the wider MDT in the delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centred therapy interventions across acute wards. You will be required to work autonomously, adapting as required to fast-paced or changing environments and an evolving patient picture. You will be confident in risk assessment and have a proven record in following prescribed therapy plans; supporting support the patient journey.

This includes weekend shifts.

About us

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is a community focused provider of local and acute care, providing high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley.

With a turnover of around £700 million, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham and a range of community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

The Trust has 7,500 staff and we have recently invested in our workforce to grow our establishment across an number of key services. In 2020 we won a London NHS Parliamentary Award in recognition of a wide range of initiatives to make the organisation a great place to work. We are accredited as a flexible working employer offering an number of flexible working options for staff. We are also accredited as a London Living Wage employer for our substantive, bank and contractors.

Job responsibilities

This position is accountable to Head of Therapy. It will provide therapy in hospital setting or in the patients home. The position contributes to the discharge pathway and will support initiatives to shorten patients stay in hospital and maximise clinical outcome.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work under the supervision of qualified therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the hospital and community setting.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner is able to carry out a full episode of care from assessment to discharge, for a specified and designated clinical caseload identified.

The post holder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team and department.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist.

Assess and provide for equipment needs.

Review patients to assess function.

Progress patients to maximise their function and independence as designated from qualified therapist.

To provide information, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines and agencies.

To promote understanding on the aims of Therapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment programme.

Contributes to advice and education sessions for relevant patient groups.

To participate in multidisciplinary / multi-agency team meetings and case conferences to ensure the coordination of patient care. This may include the review of patient progress, and discharge planning.

To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation and negotiation to gain cooperation in the continuation of the agreed treatment programme.

Maintain accurate clinical records of all interventions.

To produce patient related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and/or treatment outcomes.

Input to databases as required.

Referring to the qualified practitioner when necessary, to work independently with a specified client group to manage equipment provision and functional assessment and rehabilitation.

Deliver and install simple aids and equipment in the patients home and instruct patients and carers in use of this equipment as appropriate.

To carry out home visits and access visits, with or without a therapist, as required.

To manage own day-to-day workload and maintain level of service within the pathway at the local site, and assist other members of the team to make appropriate prioritization choices. To ensure the effective exchange of information across the pathway team and coordination of service delivery.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

• Able to use initiative and work independently
• Able to manage time, prioritise and organise own workload
• Able to exert moderate effort, on a day to day basis, for short to prolonged periods of time in order to undertake required moving and handling procedures / treatment sessions / fitting of equipment
• Driver
• Able to work weekend shifts and cover shifts over extended working hours (8am-8pm)

Experience

• Experience of working clinically in physio / occupational therapy service in acute setting
• IT experience
• Community and acute experience
• Working in a care environment

Qualifications

• Evidence of study to or attainment of NVQ Level III, relevant qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Experience in equipment provision

Knowledge

• Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation
• Able to use computer, databases and complete records electronically
• Understanding of care pathways and key issues for Trust.
• Able to work autonomously
• Knowledge of equipment prescription.

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.