Lewisham Adult Community Therapies
The position will provide therapy intervention and care in the patient’s home, in the hospital setting or in intermediate care beds. The position contributes to the community therapy pathway to support initiatives to avoid hospital admission, shorten patients’ stay in hospital and maximise clinical outcome when discharged from hospital.
Our pathways within Lewisham Therapies includes the Community Stroke Team, Supported Discharge Team and the Urgent Community Response Therapy Team.
The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work under the supervision of qualified therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the community and in intermediate care beds if required.
You will need to be enthusiastic and willing to develop your assessment and treatment skills.
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 by a qualified clinician.
The post holder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team and department.
Please note: Post is based at Honor Oak Health Centre, 20 Turnham Road, SE4 2LA
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:
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
Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
Improving the experience of staff with disability
Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
Making equalities mainstream
Job Summary:
This position is accountable to Head of Therapy. It will provide therapy intervention and care in the patient’s home, in the hospital setting or in intermediate care beds. The position contributes to the community therapy pathway to support initiatives to avoid hospital admission, shorten patients’ stay in hospital and maximise clinical outcome when discharged from hospital.
The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work under the supervision of qualified therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the community and in intermediate care beds if required.
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 by a qualified clinician.
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 and care duties under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist.
To carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist
Assess and provide for equipment needs
Progress patients in their homes to maximise their function and independence
To provide information, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, colleagues, 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 co-ordination 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 co-operation 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 specified client group to manage equipment provision and functional assessment and rehabilitation, from pre- operative phase to post-op rehabilitation
Deliver and install simple aids and equipment in the patient’s 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 prioritisation choices. To ensure the effective exchange of information across the pathway team and co-ordination of service delivery.
Work force
To provide guidance and teaching to therapy assistants working for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
To be proactive in the community with therapy and nursing staff within the Lewisham Enablement Team to feedback on patients’ progress, immediately highlighting any clinical concerns
To participate in supervision and appraisal with a designated senior therapist
To attend staff meetings
To contribute to the clinical induction of therapy staff
To be able to independently progress patients’ exercise programme and mobility, including issuing walking aids, for the specified patient group
Financial
Ensure adequate activities of daily living equipment is available and accessible, and work with Transferring Community Equipment Services (TCES) agenda
Partnerships
Communications and Relationships
To communicate directly with ward staff any relevant information for patient care and discharge facilitation
To provide information and instruction to other disciplines to ensure a consistent approach to patient care
To educate patients / relatives/ carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of the therapy intervention
General
To maintain accurate computer and written records that meet professional Trust and council standards
To undertake general administrative tasks as required including filing, appointment booking, processing referrals, answering the telephone, and other duties as required
To drive a lease car to visit patients’ homes, with or without passengers
To be able to work flexibly between community and hospital, depending on demand, and be able to prioritise and organise own workload to facilitate this
Care duties include, but not exclusively, help with personal hygiene, management of continence, medication management in line with LBL policy on Medication Administration, light housework, shopping and meal preparation.
Able to participate in weekend / out of hours rota.
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