Therapy Assistant Practitioner

**Job overview**:
There is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join the Outpatient Trauma Occupational Therapy Team at QMC and The Treatment Centre.

Due to internal promotion, the Therapy Assistant Practitioner will be welcome addition to the trauma outpatient Occupational Therapy service. The post is full time, mostly working Monday - Friday with regular, rostered shifts on the weekend Trauma inpatient Occupational Therapy rota at QMC.

You will work closely with the Occupational Therapy team, assisting with splinting, bracing, scar care and functional upper limb rehabilitation on both the QMC and Treatment Centre Campuses. The team has strong links with the wider MDT in outpatient orthopaedics. You will be expected to support the team and advanced practitioner with stock management, along with some administrative duties relating to clinical care.

Experience of supporting therapy and rehabilitation is expected, full training will be given. Whilst the OT team is smaller, you will be joining a wider pool of MSK based OT’s and support workers at QMC, Treatment Centre and City Hospital. This provides opportunities for development in a range of areas clinical areas relating to traumatic injuries to the upper and lower limb.

**Main duties of the job**:
Under the guidance of experienced senior clinicians you will:
Assess patients requiring simple splinting and bracing intervention. Gathering relevant information relating to the patient’s background, injury and circumstances. Support with implementation of those interventions, including the management of devices they may require.

Deliver bespoke individual or group rehabilitation and education programmes to help people recover from acute hand / upper limb injury. Programmes can be adjusted and progressed within agreed parameters and competency level.

Support with the delivery of Occupational Therapy interventions relating to the Fracture Clinic service, including follow up care for more routine conditions.

Assist with holding limbs whilst clinicians fit splints and braces.

Daily stock management for the clinical areas at QMC and Treatment Centre. Support advanced practitioner and therapy support worker with stock control.

Support with development of user surveys to assist with service development.

Complete appropriate clinic documentation and statistical information relating to patient care, including E-noting, registering referrals, outcomes and booking appointments.

**Working for our organisation**:
The Occupational Therapy service is part of the Therapies and Rehabilitation Services pathway, which is one of the pathways that together make up the Clinical Support Division at NUH. We are a diverse pathway of AHPs and support staff, employing over 600 staff, who works together to deliver the high quality care we aspire to. Our HCPC registered AHP professionals comprise of physiotherapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, orthotists, prosthetists and speech and language therapists.

We have a Chief AHP to lead us on our strategic direction, and many of the pathway leadership team have pathway AHP backgrounds to support our staff. There are also Practice Development Therapists to support career development for all staff.

We’ve made a clear commitment to our patients and staff that We Listen, We Care. We will do all we can to ensure our patients get the best possible care we can give them.

**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**:
In addition to the below, please refer to attached job description and person specification.

The following is a brief overview of clinical responsibilities, please see attached Job Description and Personal Specification for more details.

Undertake evidence based assessment of patients, having a flexible approach to the delivery of care.

Develop evidenced based holistic treatment plans for individuals, enabling individuals, carers and families to contribute to the plan.

Establish effective working relationships and communicate with the wider MDT, patients, families and carers.

Proactively advocate for patients.

Proactively work with patients promoting self-management empowering them to make choices about their future management.

Liaise with clinical colleagues from all specialties regarding patient needs

**Person specification**:
**Qualifications**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Maths and English to GCSE grade c/level 4 and above

**Desirable criteria**:

- IT literate

**Patient centered**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Evidence of patient centered care

**Desirable criteria**:

- Empathy for this caseload

**Person specification**:
**training and qualifications**:
**Essential criteria**:

- GCSE (A-C) English/Maths or equivalent
- NVQ level 3 in healthcare or equivalent relevant qualification
- A willingness to undertake further training and learn new skills

**Experience**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Significant experience of working as a therapy support work