Rehabilitation Assistant

Rehabilitation Assistant - Community Rehabilitation Service - South Somerset Neighbourhood - Wincanton

Part-Time 22.5 hours PW

We are looking for a part time Band 3 Rehabilitation Assistant to join our busy team based within Wincanton and surrounding areas.

The South Somerset Community Rehabilitation Service (CRS) strives to deliver a service putting individuals at the centre of care. The team work together to develop personalised rehabilitation programmes based on the individuals goals.

We are looking for someone who understands the principles of rehabilitation and can promote/support independence with our range of patients in their own home and other environments, such as the community hospital in Wincanton. The post holder will have excellent communication and teamworking skills and be able to engage and motivate others. They will also need to be a car driver and have their own transport.

Normal working hours are between 08.30 and 16.30 and we provide a 7 day service including bank holidays. The post holder will be required to work occasional weekends and bank holidays.

The Rehabilitation Assistant post will cover aspects of rehab from both an Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapist perspective and work will be delegated by either profession. Having an understanding of these professions is therefore vital.

The Rehabilitation Assistant's role will include working with patients in their own homes to enable them to achieve their personal physical and functional goals. This may include carrying out personal care assessments, supporting transfers and mobility, practicing functional tasks, exercises and educating and promoting self management.

CRS forms part of the larger Integrated Community Team consisting of CRS, District Nursing and Older People's Mental Health within the South Somerset Neighbourhood. We also have close links with Rapid Response and Discharge To Assess supporting patients with their rehabilitation goals following discharge from hospital or following illness or injury.

We provide competency based training programmes and opportunities to develop skills in rehabilitation. There may also be opportunity for career progression through apprenticeship schemes.

The CRS team in Wincanton is a small friendly team based within the community hospital. Our team is made up of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Apprentices, Rehab Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians. We work very closely with other services within the NHS as detailed above.

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone’s throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone
- To work as an integral member of the Rehabilitation Service providing effective support to Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and any other team members.
- To work with patients undertaking therapy/rehabilitation programmes to support and encourage them to achieve their optimum level of independence and quality of life, as directed by team therapists.
- To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools (e.g. explanation, negotiation, persuasion, motivation) to communicate effectively with patients in order to implement rehabilitation and treatment programmes following guidance from professionals. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.
- To observe and evaluate patients’ response to treatment activities and decide on appropriate action e.g. seek further advice from occupational therapist, physiotherapist, community nurse and / or senior nursing staff, discontinue treatment activity, instigate emergency procedure
- To undertake treatment programmes with individual patients/groups as specified by the team’s therapists. This follows direct handover from the delegating therapist(s) or reading and implementing written treatment plans.