Advanced Therapy Technician – acute wards

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We have an several exciting opportunities for B4 Advanced Therapy Technician posts, joining our large Therapy services department at University Hospital Southampton. Working on the acute wards, alongside Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and other therapy support staff, the postholder will have their own caseload of patients and support proactive and timely discharges.

The work involves assessing and treating patients, preparing them for home, and includes manual handling, personal care of patients, and fitting of equipment. You will work as part of a combined therapy services team delivering patient care across a 7-day service, including weekends and bank holidays, on a roster basis.

If you have ever considered becoming a qualified Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist, this may be the perfect opportunity for you to gain experience and apply for one of our annual internal therapy apprenticeship opportunities.

As this post is part of the wider Therapy services department, all staff can develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 300 Therapy staff including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for an enthusiastic and diligent individuals with a desire to work in an acute hospital environment, supporting qualified therapists with therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation of patients with a wide range of physical health conditions. You will be dealing with patients who are acutely unwell, helping with personal care, including toileting, walking and undertaking everyday tasks.

In more detail: •    Involvement in treating, monitoring and making minor alterations to the treatment of patients. This includes considering their physical, emotional, developmental, cognitive and social needs.  •    Joint sessions with the therapy staff, plus managing an independent caseload both on the wards and in other community settings, such as homes or clinics. •    Building a good rapport with the patients and families to encourage participation. •    Working with patients with a wide range of presenting conditions  •    Admin tasks, which includes using IT systems for ordering equipment, and data recording  •    Wider departmental roles such as assisting with student education, peer supervision, participating in training programmes, and supporting B3 staff •    The interview will be used to decide which area the successful candidate will work in, current opportunities include: cancer care, surgery, orthopaedics and neurology, however these are subject to change.

Please ensure you fulfil all the essential criteria and have read the job description before applying. You also need to be able to attend an interview in person.

For this specific role we need the following skills and/or experience:

Essential: •    Proven experience of working with people who have a variety of physical conditions •    Clear understanding of the role of a Therapy technician in the acute environment •    Knowledge of NHS working •    Basic IT skills for completion of data bases, electronic patient records •    Awareness of professional boundaries and limitation of job role  •    Able to manage working with bodily fluids and helping with personal care •    For some of our posts access to a car is needed for travelling to community settings, please indicate this on your application form

Desirable •    Previous employment in an acute NHS or social care setting

We actively encourage all potential applicants to contact us to ask any questions you may have.

PLEASE NOTE:  •    Please answer all the questions in the application form with your own experience.  •    Interviews will be held in face to face, person on 20th or 21st July, due to having a practical assessment, so please dress in smart and comfortable clothing for your interview.  •    No alternative virtual interviews will be offered, please do not apply if you cannot attend an interview in person in Southampton, England on the dates given. •    We do not accept CV applications •    We may offer part time and fixed term opportunities following interview. •    If we receive a high volume of applications, this advert may close early.

If this post is not for you and you are interested in finding out about other Therapy opportunities, please email [email protected].