Band 4 Therapy Assistant Practitioner - Trauma and Orthopaedics

Job overview

BAND 4 THERAPY ASSISTANT PRACTITIONER - TRAUMA AND ORTHOPAEDICS

(Up to 37.5 hours per week)

An exciting opportunity has become available for a therapy assistant practitioner to join our supportive, forward-looking Orthopaedic Therapy Team.

We are seeking an individual to provide delegated treatment and rehabilitation to patients with both elective and traumatic orthopaedic injuries. You will have your own clinical caseload and undertake assessments under direction of both physiotherapists and occupational therapists. You will rotate between our trauma and elective wards and our outpatient therapy clinic, completing assessments for patients awaiting elective surgery.

We are an innovative team and early adopters in stopping the use of hip precautions for total hip arthroplasties, with a well-established Enhanced Recovery Programme for our elective patients, to which our therapy assistant practitioners are vital. We are also piloting a day case arthroplasty service elective orthopaedic surgery. Our team have presented their improvements internationally and our Out of Bed Project was published which has improved our hip fracture metrics. We are particularly interested in candidates who share our passion for service development and increasing the profile of therapy assistant practitioners in the speciality of orthopaedics to improve patient outcomes.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for positive, proactive candidates who can work flexibly and help us build a strong future for therapy. You would play a key role in gathering information from patients and their relatives/carers to understand their social, environmental and living circumstances, and the impact of their injury or surgery on daily activities. You will be responsible for managing a caseload of patients, providing therapy and rehabilitation following orthopaedic elective and traumatic injury which may impact patients physically and psychologically. You will plan and implement functional and cognitive interventions to support patients in achieving their goals, providing adaptive equipment and aids and evaluating outcomes of treatments.

You will also support flow throughout the hospital with timely assessments and planning discharges as part of each individual patient’s recovery journey to prevent delay. This will include liaison with and referring onto appropriate agencies as needed. You will also undertake administrative duties to support the functioning of the department.

In return, we would strive to offer suitable candidates a supportive, friendly working environment within a team who are open to new ideas. Opportunities for learning and working with the wider multidisciplinary team will be available and strongly encouraged.

Core working hours are 08:00-16:00 but flexibility can be discussed, and you will work as part of our seven-day roster.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In order to apply for this post, applicants will ideally possess a Degree/Foundation Degree or be able to evidence equivalent knowledge and skills in a similar post. For applicants who do not meet these criteria, the minimum qualification requirement would be an NVQ III in Health and Social Care or equivalent, with the ability to complete the Foundation Degree being a condition of employment. In this instance, Annex 21 would be applied and there would be a variation in the salary offered during the training period.

Please see the attached Job Description for more details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.

If this advert interests you, please contact Julie Power via ITAT@jpaget.nhs.uk to find out more or to arrange a visit.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.