Falls Prevention Assistant Practitioner

The CPFT Falls Prevention Team has an opportunity for Band 4 Assistant Practitioner who is passionate about improving outcomes for older people at risk of falling.

This is a great opportunity for those who are keen to develop their skills in this specialist field and play a part in increasing the reach of the Falls Prevention program.

You will deliver multifactorial falls risk assessments to patients in their own homes, agree appropriate actions to reduce their risk of falls and harm from falls and support them with implementing these actions. The role are across Fenland and Wisbech. You will be supported by the Falls Prevention Specialists and work closely with the Community Rehab Teams.

Bases could be negotiable to support the needs of both the service and successful applicant. The post holders are expected to provide cover across Fenland and Wisbech.

The post holder will work autonomously in the community setting under the direction of a registered practitioner within the Falls Prevention Services. They will be responsible for completing multi factorial falls risk assessments, appropriate intervention plans and implementing evidence-based strength and balance exercise programmes.

As part of their role, they will keep accurate records of assessments and interventions, manage and prioritise their own caseload and keep the patient at the centre of their care.
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Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health & social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health & wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting & empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult & Older Peoples mental & physical health, Forensic & Specialist mental health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care & Liaison psychiatry, Substance misuse, Social care, Research & Development.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

This role will require the post holder to be accountable for their own and delegated work under the direction of a registered practitioner within the integrated Falls Prevention Services. Evidence-based practice will be used throughout to ensure the holistic needs of residents are identified and met in a timely way.
- To assess for, plan and implement falls related therapy interventions, including strength and balance rehab exercise programmes and provision of mobility aids and other minor assistive equipment
- To evaluate therapy interventions, progress and prepare discharge summaries for supervised patient discharge, under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
- To be aware of personal, professional boundaries and highlight any issue to supervisor in a timely manner.
- To be aware of patient’s holistic needs and identify when patients need interventions from other services and initiate timely onward referral as indicated.
- To effectively communicate verbally with patients, carers and colleagues using tact and persuasive skills. This may involve using skills where patients have difficulties in communication, e.g. hearing loss, diminished sight, depression, speech problems, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems and pain.
- Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
- To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
- To attend relevant external and internal courses to extend knowledge or gain relevant skills to improve clinical practice as identified as part of the Appraisal process.
- To inform/update all members of the multi-disciplinary team, service users and appropriate others, of changes involving current care plans, patients progress and other relevant matters that pertain to the care of the patient.
- To promote independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting.