Assistant Therapy Practitioner

Job summary Are you an experienced and motivated healthcare professional looking to further your career?
We are seeking a Band 4 Assistant Therapy Practitioner to join our dedicated Medical Therapy Team at Cambridge University Hospitals.
Working closely with both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services, this role offers the chance to make a real difference in patients' lives as part of a supportive and multidisciplinary environment.
As an Assistant Therapy Practitioner, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care.
Under the guidance of Registered Therapists, you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within the Inpatient Therapy Service and be responsible for managing an allocated caseload within the Inpatient Wards.
You will support patients in their hospital journey, working to enable independence and improve their quality of life.
If you are passionate about delivering exceptional patient care and want to be part of an innovative team, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job Your responsibilities will include: Manage an allocated caseload within the Inpatient Medical Wards.
Support and implement therapy interventions designed by Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.
Conducting therapeutic activities and exercises with patients, in line with agreed care plans.
Assisting in assessments of patients' functional abilities and reporting progress to Senior Clinicians.
Supporting discharge planning by providing input on patients' progress and potential needs.
Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of patient care.
Contributing to the smooth operation of the Therapy Service, including equipment management and administrative tasks.
To succeed in this role, you will need to demonstrate: Previous experience as a Therapy Assistant, Assistant Practitioner or similar role within a healthcare setting.
Knowledge of rehabilitation principles and the roles of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.
Effective communication and interpersonal skills to build rapport with patients, families and colleagues.
A proactive, team-focused approach with the ability to work independently.
Competence in using IT systems for record-keeping and reporting.
NVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care (or equivalent qualification), or the willingness to work towards it.
About us Our Trust Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge.
With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners.
Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here.
CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave.
The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves.
We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential.
We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve.
We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Job description Job responsibilities Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa.
Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have: applied for a Graduate visa or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipatedstart date of employment The advert will close at midnight on 4 December 2024.
Interviews are due to be held on 18 December 2024.
Benefits to you At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days.
We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries.
Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site.
Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals.
We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues.
Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces.
Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge.
Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances.
Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given.
In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential Good general education to GSCE or similar level of attainment NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of knowledge and experience in a health care setting Evidence of relevant in service training Desirable NVQ Level 3 Care certificate Willingness to undertake relevant training in line with the demands of the role Experience Essential Experience of managing a delegated workload, independently assessing, prescribing appropriate interventions and evaluating outcomes Working in a variety of health / caring settings in a direct patient role Working as a team member Prioritising, planning and organising own tasks Working within guidelines Experience of working with challenging and complex patient groups Working independently with indirect supervision Assisting with personal care Experience of moving and handing patients and equipment Desirable Working with individuals with a disability / illness including assisting with personal care activities Working with Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, including discharge planning Working in project groups on service development Contributing to the development of learning environment Experience of working in the NHS Experience of working in an acute hospital Experience of working in a Therapy Team and with a patient's rehabilitation Knowledge Essential Knowledge of the role of confidentiality within healthcare Knowledge of the roles of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, including their differences and similarities Evidence of participation in personal / professional development activities Knowledge of how to use adaptive equipment to help those with physical disability Desirable To recognise how disability can affect patients performance in activities of daily living Skills Essential To exhibit effective and adaptive communication skills IT skills including e-mail, Word and Excel Close team working Self-motivated and eager to learn Professional attitude and appearance Positively promotes the role of rehabilitation in a patient's journey within Acute Care Seeks guidance appropriately and proactively Work under pressure To work independently under the supervision of qualified Clinician To administer clinical assessments, formulate treatment plans and carry out interventions with a specified patient group as determined by qualified Clinician To be able to make informed decisions under guidance of a Team Leader Good observation skills Able to report on patient related activities accurately both verbally and in documentation Able to effectively organise own time Able to report / react to unexpected circumstances appropriately Literacy and numeracy skills Personal time management Able to work within boundaries of job role To be able to build a therapeutic rapport to engage patients in Occupational Therapy Desirable Dealing with inappropriate and challenging behaviour Managing resources, equipment stock levels Prioritisation skills in order to manage a case load with indirect supervision from Team Leader Awareness of needs of other members of the team Ability to complete risk assessments Additional Requirements Essential The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
Able to work during weekends and bank holidays Willingness to change work team to suit service needs Has a range of mechanisms for dealing with stress and can recognise when to use them and does so Willingness to be flexible in approach and attitude To physically be able to navigate the demands of the role, for example, completing manual handling procedures with patients Desirable Willingness to cover other Therapy Services as needed Willingness to deal with transport of patients for home assessments and throughout the hospital