Orthopaedic Plaster Technician

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in Blackburn is recruiting a Plaster Technician to join the orthopaedic outpatients team. You will provide casts and splints, maintain stock and support clinical staff across Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Hospital sites.

You must hold British Casting Certificate with at least 6 months plaster room experience in an acute hospital, and be able to work part-time (29.5 hours) with a flexible approach to site locations.

Qualifications

• Must have British Casting Certificate.
• Minimum 6 months plaster room experience in an acute hospital.
• Mentor and support junior staff within the team.
• Flexible to work across Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Hospital sites.

Responsibilities

• Provide casts and splints for patients daily.
• Assist clinicians in the assessment and treatment planning.
• Maintain plaster room standards and stock levels.
• Work across both Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Hospital sites.

Skills

Excellent communication

Mentorship/Teaching

Team player

Unsupervised work

Stock management

Education

British Casting Certificate

Job description

All our vacancies are below we would love for you to apply for one of our vacancies and start a fantastic new career with us. Check out our helpful tips on our application process page .

Information aboutwork experience and work shadowing canbe found by clicking here .

Main area Orthopaedic Services Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 29.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm) Job ref 435-S130-26-A

Site East Lancashire Hospitals Trust - Royal Blackburn Holiday Town Blackburn Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/09/2026 23:59

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

T o deliver SAFE, PERSONAL and EFFECTIVE patient care daily. You should be an enthusiastic and motivated plaster technician with an existing British Casting Certificate and recent experience in a plaster room in an acute hospital setting. The successful applicant would work as a team player within our busy plaster room environment within our orthopaedic outpatients department. The majority of working would be carried out on the Royal Blackburn site. However, flexibility and cross site working at our Burnley General Hospital site may also be required.

The post holder will provide a full range of casts and splints for patients’ being treated by the Trust. This includes but is not limited to patients’ visiting the Emergency Department, adult and paediatric trauma and orthopaedic wards (on both site’s), specialised theatre support, the fracture and orthopaedic clinics and the Nurse Dressing clinic on a daily basis.

Main duties of the job

Please see attached document outlining all role requirements for this vacancy.

Exciting opportunity to join our busy orthopaedic outpatients' department and undertake the role of plaster technician and all that this requires.

Working for our organisation

Ability to demonstrate the Trust Values, Behaviours and Attitudes at all times.

Conduct duties with regard to values underpinning the Trust’s Vision “to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care”.:

Values:-

Respecting the individual

Putting patients and customers first

Promoting positive change

Acting with integrity

Serving the community

Underpinning the Trust’s vision and values are the following key operating principles that influence the way in which the Trust does business:-

Understand the world we live in and deal with it

We are clinically led and management supported

Support departments support the front line

Everything is delivered by and through Divisions

Compliance with standards and targets are a given. They are the things we do to help secure our independence and influence

Quality is our organising principle – driving quality up and cost down is not mutually exclusive

We deliver what we say we need to

Post holders are expected to work flexibly within their pay band. They should only be expected to carry our activities for which they are competent. Alternatively they may carry out the additional duties if they are receiving support or training in order to obtain the recognised level of competence.

The Trust operates a Tobacco Control Policy.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

T o deliver SAFE, PERSONAL and EFFECTIVE patient care daily. You should be an enthusiastic and motivated plaster technician with an existing British Casting Certificate and recent experience in a plaster room in an acute hospital setting. The successful applicant would work as a team player within our busy plaster room environment within our orthopaedic outpatients department. The majority of working would be carried out on the Royal Blackburn site. However, flexibility and cross site working at our Burnley General Hospital site may also be required.

The post holder will provide a full range of casts and splints for patients’ being treated by the Trust. This includes but is not limited to patients’ visiting the Emergency Department, adult and paediatric trauma and orthopaedic wards (on both site’s), specialised theatre support, the fracture and orthopaedic clinics and the Nurse Dressing clinic on a daily basis.

MAIN DUTIES

• The post holder will hold the British Casting Certificate and practise in line with the training undertaken to achieve this
• Have a minimum of 6 months recent experience in the plaster room of an acute hospital setting.
• Will actively mentor and support members of the team readily sharing skills and knowledge with less experienced colleagues. Acting as a mentor and resource for trainees who are developing their casting and splinting skills within the Trust.
• Will practise in line with all Trust policies.
• Will be able to work unsupervised using their own initiative, and be able to advise colleagues regarding available options for fracture or injury management.
• To competently apply a range of casts, splints and supports appropriate to the injury or orthopaedic problems and meet the patients’ needs. Whilst doing so to provide reassurance and communicate the management required for the applied support.
• Assist medical and nursing staff in the assessment of patients’, giving advice regarding appropriate casts, splints or techniques.
• Set and maintain a high standard of patient care and promote health care education.
• Be knowledgeable regarding possible problems and complications related to fractures and their management with casts, and to take appropriate measures to prevent occurrence.
• Attend regular departmental meetings to share learning and develop solutions to current issues.
• Help to maintain a friendly and efficient environment within the plaster rooms to reassure patients’ and relatives and put them at ease.
• Order and maintain levels of stock e.g., stationery, dressings brace etc to ensure that the plaster rooms and clinics are stocked appropriately.
• To work in the clinic are where required, supporting medical staff, patients’ and their relatives within range of competency.
• Acknowledge own limitations and ensure competence prior to carrying out any tasks.
• Deliver holistic care to patients promoting equality, diversity and rights.

COMMUNICATION

• To communication clearly and respectfully with patients’ / family & carer, and to

document these in accordance with Trust policy and the patients right to confidentiality. Communication should be empathetic, tactful and courteous.

• To communicate clearly and professionally with all members of the MDT and work closely with all members of the team in relevant departments to ensure effective management of patients’ and joint up working.
• Demonstrate ability to reflect on own communication skills and modify behaviour and practice accordingly.
• Ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively and report any causes for concern to the appropriate manager.
• To effectively communicate complex and sensitive information.
• Educate and advise patients’ regarding their after-care, especially problems associated with casting.
• Ensure that verbal and written advice is provided for patients’ to help them manage injuries and casts for splints.
• Provide telephone advice to patients’ who call with concerns, and know when to seek assistance if unable to advise competently or book into a return appointment for visible assurance.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Maintain requirements for Plaster Technician as defined by the BOA.
• Develop own Knowledge and skills using evidence based practice, making effective use of learning opportunities.
• Ensure own compliance with mandatory training..
• Attend relevant study days, courses and other learning opportunities identified in personal development plan.
• To act as a role model and support professional development of all students and junior

Staff.

• Be aware of current advances in casting care and in conjunction with the team and instigate changes as appropriate.

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prioritise workload and organise own work to meet the need of the organisation and patient, to reduce risk and enhance quality.
• Monitor and maintain health safety and security of self and others in compliance with organisational policy and procedure.
• Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and clinical guidelines for self and others.
• Understand own limitations of competence and levels of responsibility.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To adhere to trust policies and procedures relating to own workplace to contribute to service development.
• Have a professional attitude in approach and appearance.
• To recognise the importance of people’s rights and interpret them in a way that is consistent with trust procedures, policies and legislation
• To challenge behaviour that infringes the rights of others
• To identify and take action where necessary to address discrimination and oppression

Person specification

British Casting Certificate

• Must have British Casting Certificate
• Good Orthopaedic knowledge / experience
• Excellent communicate skill’s, verbal, written and electronic
• Able to to communicate effectively with all MDT.
• Proven ability to work as a team member.
• Demonstrate a sympathetic approach when dealing with colleagues and patients
• Able to prioritise, plan and organise workload.
• Able to adapt to the changing needs of the service.
• Demonstrate ability to use own initiative and work without close supervision.
• Able to deal with confidential information in an appropriate manner.
• Mentorship/Teaching Qualification
• Willingness to undertake future study for own professional development and service needs

Dear Potential Applicant,

It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.

Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)

If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained.

The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.

The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.

This cost is not applicable for a Volunteer post

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.

We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background.

We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible. By telephone [phone] or email [e-mail] write to Employment Services, Parkview Offices, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Click on the headings below to see which roles you'll find in eachcategory: