Therapy Assistant Practitioner

This position is part of the Therapy Assistant Practitioners rotations in the inpatient therapies team at University Hospital Lewisham (UHL). It will provide therapy assessment, intervention, and discharge planning in the hospital setting. The position contributes to the inpatient therapy pathway to support initiatives to support recovery during an acute hospital admission, shorten patients' stay in hospital, and maximise clinical outcome when discharged from hospital to avoid readmission.

• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a physiotherapist.
• To work to departmental standard operating procedures and clinical protocols and in conjunction with the supervising clinician to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient-related and service demands.
• To be responsible for implementing programmes of care assessing patient progress and using initiative to suggest changes to treatment plan within agreed competencies. When care deviates from standard operating procedures, report back to therapist.
• To own competency level to be accountable for all aspects of own work. This will include the management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist.
• To assess patients' capacity, gain valid informed consent to treatment, and where such capacity is lacking/absent to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient.
• To undertake the assessment and treatment planning for patients identified within a specific and designated caseload.
• To undertake physical treatment techniques utilising developed manual skills.
• To implement individualised clinical management programmes, utilising a range of treatment skills and options to plan a suitable programme of care.
• To use recognised outcome measures to evaluate the effect of Physiotherapy interventions and ensure that treatment programmes are progressing appropriately.
• To provide information, teaching, and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines, and agencies. To promote understanding of the aims of Physiotherapy and ensure continuation of the treatment programme.
• 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 ensure accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date clinical records are maintained in accordance with Trust guidance and agreed criteria.
• To identify and employ suitable verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients where there may be barriers to understanding or the inability to accept diagnosis. To facilitate the best possible communication outcome in every situation and use appropriate services interpreters, SALT.
• To ensure that individual practice and that of the local pathway team is user-focused and patient views are incorporated into treatment planning.
• To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation, and negotiation to gain co-operation in the continuation of the agreed treatment programme.
• To communicate with empathy, patient information which may be of a complex and sensitive nature.
• To receive complex patient-related information from patients, relatives, carers, and other professionals to effectively plan and develop individual case management.
• To communicate and advise regarding complex patient-related information effectively to ensure collaborative working within the Therapy service and with other professionals across health and other agencies to ensure the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service.
• To be integral in discharge planning, including liaison with referring hospitals or community staff to which patients are discharged, providing timely discharge reports.
• To produce patient-related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and/or treatment outcomes.
• To participate in the measurement and evaluation of own work through audit, outcome measurement.
• To follow service policy regarding current clinical and service developments.
• To be accessible and provide clinical information to colleagues.
• To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future.

• To educate patients/relatives/carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of Physiotherapy intervention.
• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through continuing professional development activities, including reflective practice, review of current research and relevant literature, maintenance of a personal portfolio, and the attendance of specialist training courses as identified within a personal development plan.
• To participate in peer review as appropriate.
• To take an active role in appropriate uniprofessional and multiprofessional research initiatives.
• To provide regular training for designated pathway staff.
• In collaboration with the Inpatient Lead, to initiate implementation of new working practices on designated site.
• In collaboration with the Inpatient Lead, to prepare, co-ordinate, participate, and contribute to the delivery of a specific in-service training programme for staff in the designated pathway.
• To train, assess, and confirm competency of staff within the pathway on designated site.
• To undertake the tuition, supervision, and performance assessment of undergraduate physiotherapy students. This will include working with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the degree level qualification.
• To provide specialist teaching and instruction to other disciplines to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To assist/support colleagues undertaking higher education, audit, and research projects.
• To participate in mandatory/statutory training as required by the Trust and national standards.
• To maintain state registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC) and to provide evidence of that registration annually upon request.

• To educate patients/relatives/carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of Therapy intervention.
• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through continuing professional development activities, including reflective practice, maintenance of a personal portfolio, and the attendance of specialist training courses as identified within a personal development plan.
• To participate in peer review as appropriate.
• To participate in regular training in pathway.
• In collaboration with the Pathway Team, to participate in implementation of new working practices.
• To participate and contribute to the delivery of a specific in-service training programme for staff in the designated pathway.
• To provide information and instruction to other disciplines to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To assist/support colleagues undertaking higher education, audit, and research projects.
• To participate in mandatory/statutory training as required by the Trust and national standards.

Contribute to the development of a designated Therapy speciality in line with Trustwide Pathway development.

To contribute to the implementation of service-agreed policy and service changes for local work area in line with policy agreed for Pathway as a whole. The post holder will work with the other members of the Pathway Team to achieve this.

To contribute to developments within the Therapy service and the wider multidisciplinary/multi-agency team and if requested participate in related project groups.

Qualifications & Training

Essential

• Evidence of study to or attainment of NVQ Level III, relevant qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working clinically in physiotherapy/occupational therapy service.
• Experience of working in community.
• IT experience.

Desirable

• Community and acute experience.
• Working in a care environment.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation.
• Able to use computer databases and complete patient records electronically.
• Able to supervise staff.
• Understanding of care pathways and key issues for Trust.