Community Assistant Practitioner

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Norwich Community Therapy team to work as a Community Assistant Practitioner.

The role requires good communication and problem solving skills to support patients with varying and complex conditions in their own community setting.

The hours of work are 22.5 hours a week working 09.00am – 17.00pm. A Qualified therapist can provide daily support within these hours and regular supervision will be provided.

Main duties of the job

We require an enthusiastic and motivated Community Assistant Practitioner to join our established friendly therapy team. The role will require a reliable and flexible individual who is able to work independently and support others to ensure the delivery of a quality service.

The role is working with patients above the age of 18 to promote independence for those living with long term conditions or have had a short term injury and require rehabilitation. Patients include those who have had falls, those with neurological conditions, palliative patients and those with chronic health conditions. It is a community post so visiting patients at home, however we also offer clinic appointments at Norwich Community Hospital. There is also an opportunity to triage the band 4 referrals that come in to the service. This involves clinical reasoning to possibly provide equipment and exercises, and also decide on urgency.

We provide an initial assessment and then a tailored programme to increase independence and reduce falls in patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical You will: 1. Assess patients with straight forward requirements based on predetermined department protocols. 2. Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined departmental protocol. 3. Apply competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed /treatment care plan. 4. Modify and progress intervention/treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly. 5. Prepare for and develop individual /group activities to meet defined intervention needs. 6. Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes. 7. Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues. 8. Make basic judgments on patient’s response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner. 9. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented on SystmOne. 10. Ensure inputting into SystmOne/patient held records (where appropriate) is completed on a daily basis. 11. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustment in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance. 12. Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient’s cooperation in their treatment /care/management plan. 13. Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient team, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately. 14. To participate in multi-disciplinary /multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard framework. 15. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy. 16. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health professionals. 17. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important eg taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises. 18. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safe , following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately. 19. Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems. 20. Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and clinical supervision by a qualified practitioner. 21. Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required. 22. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following departmental policy. 23. Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general housekeeping tasks. 24. Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data. 25. Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products, therefore must use universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies. 26. Demonstrates basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

Professional You will: 1. To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in staff meetings, training sessions, courses and reflective practice. 2. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, maintaining a dynamic personal development plan. 3. To demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situations. 4. To provide peer support to other carers. 5. To develop competencies to enhance practice and ability to meet needs of patients and the service.

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.