Band 4 Therapy Support Worker Respiratory/Medicine/COTE Team Gloucester, England
Job description
We are looking for an enthusiastic Therapy support worker to work with patients attending Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital, as part of a supportive integrated therapy service. This role will be predominantly based at Cheltenham General Hospital but the post holder may be required to provide some cover at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital .
We have a range of specialities, from outpatients and inpatients, medicine, stroke, respiratory, cardiac, elderly care to trauma and orthopaedics.
You will have an opportunity to work closely with multi-disciplinary teams on wards , providing comprehensive assessments and intervention.
To use the principles of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy in an integrated and client-centred way, to promote independence and facilitate safe discharge. This will be achieved by implementing delegated treatment plans and facilitating rehabilitation within agreed limitations through exercise, physical modalities and the use of occupation. To assess and manage delegated patients with mobility and occupational difficulties, reporting back to the registered practitioner as necessary.
To support the teams with administration, clerical and housekeeping duties
Will supervise others as appropriate, but will have no budget responsibilities
Is not directly supervised, and may not have access (in person or by telephone) to a therapist or other suitably registered clinician at all times.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates hospitals on our two main sites in Cheltenham and Gloucester, and we’re one of the largest NHS trusts in the country.
Our workforce of almost 8,000 staff provide high quality emergency, elective and specialist care across a range of clinical areas
To assess patients, identifying patients’ problems, potential complications and contraindications and referring back for assessment by a registered practitioner when necessary. To be able to assess, evaluate, progress and report back and assist the multi disciplinary team (MDT) in identifying and planning safe discharge. To identify and organise/undertake appropriate follow up treatment within a delegated framework of responsibilities, reporting back to registered staff and referring on to other agencies when necessary. This will include follow up home visits and post discharge phone calls to help prevent the risks of early discharge exacerbated by functional difficulties and patient and relative/carer anxieties.
To use clinical reasoning skills to agree functional goals and develop and evaluate the treatment plan. To implement and progress treatment programmes in order to promote physical / functional independence. To include the instructing of patients on functional exercise, the assessment and issuing of equipment for activities of daily living in hospital and in the home. Assessing and instructing patients in the safe use of mobility aids and equipment for activities of daily living, and practice activities of daily living such as mobility, safety on the stairs, dressing and bathing.
To provide a collaborative assessment and treatment approach to reduce repetition of information and provide a seamless pathway of rehabilitation from assessment through to discharge, with appropriate follow up intervention post discharge. To improve the discharge planning process by communicating as a key member of the multidisciplinary team.
To exercise autonomy in the management of the caseload in the clinical area, to include making decisions about allocation of work to other staff, both registered and non-registered. To undertake specific unaccompanied work and organise own caseload comprising of patients with predictable and unpredictable conditions.
To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers. This may include education, motivation, persuasion, and empowerment. This will include patients/carers who may or may not have barriers to communication through cognitive or physical impairment e.g. hearing or visual impairment, confusion and depression.
To monitor and report back to the registered practitioner and/or other members of the multi disciplinary team (MDT), regarding progress and changes in the patient’s condition or deviation in the expected care pathway, to ensure safety and the achievement of agreed goals. This may include representing the therapists at MDT meetings and ward handovers.
To be responsible for the supervision of less experienced support workers including appraisal and training. To take a lead role in the induction of new staff into the clinical area. To support the supervision of less experienced staff and undergraduate students. To contribute to the training programme in the clinical area, passing on speciality specific knowledge to others.
To participate in own continuing professional development (CPD), including supervision, appraisal and training to ensure competency, service quality and meet the clinical governance agenda and organisational goals.
To undertake administrative and housekeeping tasks to support the Therapy team and ensure the ongoing care and rehabilitation of the patient. To include making accurate and legible entries in the therapy and multidisciplinary patient records. This will involve discharge summaries, reports and transfers to other agencies. To contribute to measuring the treatment outcomes and audit activity related to the service. To contribute to the development of the service, and representing the Therapy service at meetings when delegated.
To prepare the clinical area/storage area and the patient, for delivery of safe and effective treatments in a clean environment eg. Securing drips, drains, wounds and catheters and maintain treatment/storage areas to comply with Health and Safety and Infection Control standards. To monitor and maintain stock levels of equipment and consumables to ensure smooth service delivery.
To participate in the weekend working rota where applicable, following a period of induction, training and assessment.
To comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, clinical equipment competency, risk management, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.
