Therapy Technical Instructor

We are looking for a skilled Therapy Technical Instructor to join our therapy team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro. If you already have experience of working in an Occupational Therapy team, or Physiotherapy team and are keen to enhance your existing skills to be able to work across both disciplines, we are keen are to hear from you.

**Hours**: 37.5 hours per week. Working across a 7 day service as required.

The post routinely covers an adult trauma orthopaedic caseload across the in-patient wards. On occasion, you will also be expected to carry out home visits.

Ideally, you will have a minimum of 12 months experience working in a Therapy environment, as well as an NVQ Level 3 in Health Care. You will need to be able to work independently without direct supervision within the bounds of the Therapy Technician role, as well as taking instruction from qualified team members of the team. You will also need to have good time management, prioritisation skills, flexibility and ability to use own initiative in completion of tasks.

As part of your role you may be expected to undertake weekend working on rota basis.

Sustainability is integral to the Trust achieving the NHS Net Zero target. All staff are therefore actively encouraged and supported to implement new ways of working within their field of expertise.

To liaise with the therapist as necessary regarding patient care. In particular highlighting any variations to expected outcomes from treatment programmes you deliver.

To work unsupervised on the wards, providing patients and their carers with pre-operative advice/teaching exercise programs. To assess patient’s environmental circumstances, and consider provision of appropriate equipment and support.

To support patients, carers, staff and relatives by providing education and advice as appropriate under the instruction of therapists.

To participate in & support the provision of assessment and clinical treatment programmes following professional assessment and guidance. These may relate to all areas of mobility, transfers, personal & daily living, upper limb, cognitive, visual, perceptual, and sensory rehabilitation.

To fully participate in the inter-professional evaluation of the assessment and treatment programme to ensure patients meet their ongoing health & wellbeing needs.

To have a full understanding of the treatments and discharge pathways available, such that you are able to explain to the patient, carers etc the care and discharge options available.

Within remit to demonstrate an understanding of the physiological concepts underpinning the prescribed treatment programmes to enable you to instruct, advise and guide patients. To make the appropriate adjustments independently and be able to communicate any changes to patients and prescribing staff. This may include areas of work requiring physical effort or intense concentration, with regard to risk, health & safety.

Within remit to provide assessments, order, issue, fit, demonstrate, and advise on the use of a range of standard equipment, ensuring patients, carers and staff are able to use safely and correctly.

To support the therapists with splinting and bracing activities.

To support qualified therapists in coordinating team reviews or family meetings, liaising with community rehabilitation services, adult and community services, the voluntary sector and other organisations as necessary.

To work in a variety of settings including wards, patient’s home and clinics as required.

To maintain timely and accurate signed records and statistical information as required, this includes using paper records and entering information on to electronic databases.

Support Lead Therapist and contribute to development of patient care by attending relevant team, departmental or clinical / Multi-disciplinary team meetings and comment on recommended changes to clinical care or service provision.

Working within department protocols, as guided by qualified staff.

To be responsible for ordering loan equipment and assist in the ordering of non-standard equipment.

To keep the department tidy, ensure that used / returned equipment is stored and collected in line with equipment loan store procedures.

Be responsible for the administrative arrangements in the area they work eg booking out of equipment in conjunction with other members.