Our unique and award-winning service is caring, exciting, rewarding and actively facilitates the development of specialised skills and research. You will enjoy working as part of a highly skilled and motivated team to deliver excellent quality care.
This is a full-time, fixed term position, working 37.5 hours a week Monday – Friday at our Macclesfield Site.
- Pending the number of successful applicants, there may be opportunities to job share, rotate to our main site In Withington or to join our CH&W therapist bank.
We are looking for an enthusiastic therapist with a minimum of 2 years working in the field of oncology, with an understanding of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The post holder will be an integral part of the team and expected to offer support across all clinical areas which is dictated by clinical need. As a band 6 you will be expected to lead, co-ordinate, supervise and manage a team of staff. You will offer a range of therapies, triage priority caseloads, making assessments and key decisions regarding service users’ needs and treatment. We have a passion for teaching others our skills and evaluating the therapies we provide. You will be confident and competent in using the required skills to fulfil the role, together with a genuine interest to develop complementary therapy skills and the ability to uphold our team’s and Trusts values.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Management
- To support the day-to-day management of the Complementary Health & Wellbeing (CH&W), services at the Christie.
- Support Deputy Clinical Lead in prioritisation of CH&W clinical activities
- Contribute to development of the strategic direction of the service, supporting the formulation of bids for service enhancement
- To help monitor ordering of consumables and supplies for the CH&W department within areas of responsibility
- To assist in the recruitment and deployment of the CH&W staff as appropriate
- To assist in monitoring the workload of the CH&W staff and adherence to professional standards.
- To assist in ensuring complaints are managed within trust procedures and that any resulting recommendations are implemented.
- To help oversee the recording of departmental activities
- To assist in the daily monitoring of attendance, sickness, and absence of the CH&W staff.
- To help ensure all health and safety requirements are met.
- Provide a high clinical profile, leading by example and having both an advisory and clinical input into care pathways of service users.
- Act as a role model for standards of care, behaviour and professionalism, consistent with Trust guidelines.
- Contribute to the development of staff objectives for areas of expertise.
- Assist in ensuring appropriate use of resources in order to meet needs of service users within areas of responsibility under support & leadership of Deputy Clinical Lead .
- Help identify gaps in provision of services and work with the Deputy Clinical Lead to implement changes required to improve provision
- Assist in the recruitment of staff as appropriate to requirement of services.
- Act as an advocate for patients, carers, services and organisation
- Assist in facilitating change and resolution of conflict as required with support of Deputy Clinical Lead
- Advise Clinical Lead on those aspects of services which may need addressing in the absence of the Deputy Clinical Lead
- Assist Deputy Clinical Lead in the development and evaluation of policies / guidelines / protocols for clinical practice, including support in updating and monitoring of policies / guidelines / protocols specific to areas of expertise.
- Assist Deputy Clinical Lead in analysing relevant National policies, within areas of expertise, including advice on impact for services. Support the implementation of changes and evaluation of processes in partnership with the Trust.
- Attend relevant Trust meetings contributing to developing / implementing local / national strategies and advising on clinical risks in the absence of the Deputy Clinical Lead.
- Assist in ensuring that child protection and vulnerable adult legislation is adhered to within own practice and service.
- Contribute to the clinical governance process, including adverse incident reporting / investigation and the management of complaints, as appropriate.
- Assist in collection and collation of data as required in areas of expertise, to inform internal and external professional and operational bodies
- Assist in the undertaking of risk assessments and risk management within areas of responsibility and provide specialist advice to other professionals on specialty relevant aspects of risk assessment and risk management
- Maintain own professional registration and practice through CPD.
- Maintain professional portfolio to demonstrate competency in line with Trust competency framework.
- Undertake skills appropriate to role, ensuring clinical competencies are maintained in accordance with the Trust framework for advanced practice.
- Continually review and evaluate own role and clinical practice informing the annual review process.
- Plan and manage own workload
- Be involved in peer review of own practice and that of others
- Provide assessment of clients based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources.
- Plan and implement programmes of care for service users, with re-evaluation of treatment plans as appropriate.
- Inform and consent for the implementation of care plans with service users
- Provide specialist knowledge, advice and support to service users.
- Adjust and refine treatment / therapy / care plan, as appropriate to progress of service users, taking into account complex clinical factors.
- Triage / refer service users to other professionals as appropriate to treatment goals
- Incorporate specialist practice, in line with the framework of the Trust.
- Provide advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to formulation of service user’s care plan as appropriate.
- Attend multidisciplinary meetings within areas of responsibility in order to provide advice to clinicians regarding provision of CH&W for oncology patients and carers, as appropriate.
- Communicate effectively with all professionals involved in the service user’s care as appropriate for speciality, including members of the MDT, general practitioners, community nurses, etc., to maximise the quality of service delivered.
- Refer service users to primary, secondary or alternative tertiary care for therapeutic support following transfer or discharge where appropriate
- Deploy effective communication strategies to ensure that information and knowledge is imparted sensitively according to the needs of service users, staff and students in training.
- Relate complex communication processes to individual situations
- Promote a positive relationship with all stakeholders within services.
- Prepare accurate and concise reports both verbally and written.
- Keep relevant records and submit reports in a professionally acceptable manner.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation on individual service users in line with local and national standards and Trust policy on confidentiality
- Support the formulation of personal development plans and CPD with delegated staff in the department, within areas of responsibility.
- Assist in the development and delivery of specific and relevant specialist teaching programmes for all disciplines and grades of staff, client group and carers within the Trust in relation to areas of expertise.
- Assist in reviewing and evaluation of teaching programmes and development of new programmes in relation to areas of expertise when a need is identified
- Identify own development needs within personal development plan.
- Assist in development of educational leaflets in relevant formats, for staff and patients relating to service and patient pathway.
- Assist with ensuring personal, peer support and clinical supervision needs being met.
- Act as mentor/preceptor and resource person for staff, as appropriate to the role.
- Assist with provision of clinical placement & supervision in order to support development of individuals and practice as appropriate to the role.
- Ensure clinical environment is conducive to supporting the education and learning of staff and students.
- Provide educational and training opportunities to pre-registration nursing students to satisfy the relevant elements of their learning agreement as appropriate to the role.
- Provide an environment that encourages client centred involvement where clients are facilitated to ask for help, advice and education.
- Assist in evaluation of clinical practice through audit of service within areas of responsibility .
- Maintain active engagement with current developments in field of practice and utilise to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with team members.
- Assist in undertaking research as appropriate within areas of responsibility
- Support the development of research proposals with the multidisciplinary team specific to specialities, within areas of responsibility
- Provide support to other staff undertaking research within areas of responsibility as appropriate to areas of expertise
- Assist Clinical Lead / Deputy Clinical Lead in dissemination of results / research findings via presentations and peer reviewed journal publications as appropriate to areas of expertise
- Assist in implementation of research findings appropriate to practice, within areas of responsibility
- Promote the shared objectives of the multidisciplinary teams by working closely to ensure that best practice is achieved, within areas of responsibility