Senior Therapy Technical Instructor - Therapies Complex Discharge Team

Job overview

The Senior Therapies Technical Instructor will work as part of a roaming Therapies Complex Discharge Team, supporting the assessment, treatment and discharge planning of patients with complex therapy needs impacting discharge across inpatient wards, escalation areas and medically fit patient cohorts.

Working under the indirect supervision of registered Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, the post holder will manage a delegated caseload and undertake assessments, rehabilitation interventions and discharge planning activities within agreed competencies and care pathways. They will contribute to timely, safe and effective discharge planning by identifying barriers to discharge, supporting functional assessment, issuing appropriate low-level equipment and progressing treatment plans in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide therapy support to complex discharge patients identified through ward teams, discharge hub processes, board rounds and escalation meetings. They will act as a key link between ward teams and registered therapists, gathering and communicating information relevant to patient flow, rehabilitation and discharge planning.

The Senior Therapies Technical Instructor will work closely with patients, carers and colleagues to promote independence, maximise function and support positive discharge outcomes. This may include undertaking access visits, supporting home assessments, participating in board rounds and contributing to discussions regarding discharge pathways and ongoing therapy needs.

The post holder will be expected to manage and prioritise their workload independently within their scope of practice, provide support and guidance to Band 2 and Band 3 therapy staff, contribute to service improvement activities and maintain high standards of clinical documentation, communication and patient care.

The role includes participation in seven-day working patterns and requires flexibility to work across inpatient services in response to patient need and operational priorities. The post holder will act as a role model for person-centred care, professionalism and collaborative working in line with UHN's Dedicated to Excellence values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To be an integral member of a therapies team, to assist registered therapy staff in assessing and carrying out specific therapy interventions for clients with more complex needs. This will include clients who have difficulties understanding and communicating

Review and implement treatment programmes making necessary modifications prior to reporting back to a registered therapist in line with the band 4 competency framework.

Provide support and training to other registered and non-registered staff within the therapy team.

Manage and prioritise own case load independently, carry out delegated duties and work flexibly in order to support the smooth running of the therapy department.

To participate in 7 day working patterns, including bank holidays

Provision of clinical services:

Demonstrate a good understanding of medical conditions within the area of speciality / clinical pathway and the impact of these on the patients’ function and rehabilitation.

To have a holistic understanding of the patient and their condition, as well as the impact of psychosocial dynamics on their function.

To enable patients to co-operate in their rehabilitation programme using encouragement, reassurance, tact and sensitivity; overcome barriers to understanding with patients whose understanding is impaired.

To identify and implement correct treatment plans within known patient care pathways under the indirect supervision of a registered therapist.

To assess, formulate and adapt treatment and discharge plans for patients in conjunction with registered therapy staff

Be able to use functional tasks to assess a patients physical and/or cognitive abilities under indirect supervision of the registered therapist

To identify patients that do not fall within care pathway / agreed framework and who need referral to registered staff

Using protocols and set processes to assess patients’ mobility and functional abilities and assess for and issue appropriate low-level equipment.

To provide advice to patients / carers on safe use and care of prescribed equipment.

Within competencies, be able to provide therapy treatments to patients who have a history of falls

To constantly assess patient’s stamina / understanding during treatment sessions and modify treatment as appropriate.

To work in a flexible and responsive way when under pressure

To provide and receive complex patient care information with the multi-professional team, patients and carers in board rounds, ward rounds, family meetings and discharge planning meetings and use this information to modify patient care.

Maintain accurate and up to date records of clinical interventions, consistent with legal and organisational requirements.

Be responsible for maintaining rehabilitation equipment in the department.

Improving patient and visitor experiences:

To be a point of contact for patients and relatives in the clinical area.

To communicate factual and sometimes complex information to patients and relatives with patients’ consent.

To contribute to the development and sharing of patient and carer information.

Support with gathering and using patient feedback to help improve and develop services.

Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

Be aware of ethical issues which impact on Therapy service provision and work under the guidance of Therapists in relation to this.

Using audit, evaluation and research:

Through guidance from the registered Therapists, be aware of and implement, evidence-based practice and outcome measures as appropriate to the clinical area.

Support therapists to implement agreed action plans from both national and local strategies, benchmarking standards and clinical audits as appropriate.

Participate in audit and research projects as required by service leads and collect data as required.

Support therapists to foster a culture which allows innovation and practice development within the clinical area.

Monitor outcomes of patient intervention using outcome measures under indirect supervision from registered therapist

Collect and record accurate and timely data / information to contribute to department service standards and procedures.

Management and Teamwork:

To provide delegation of work and day to day clinical supervision to band 3 Therapy Technical Instructors and band 2 Therapy Assistants with support from the Therapy Clinical Lead.

To actively participate in the clinical education of therapy students.

To participate actively in sharing and receiving in-service training and development to ensure continuous professional development, as appropriate to grade and experience.

Support the induction of new staff.

To identify training needs and facilitate professional development through active participation in supervision and appraisals.

To recognise limitations of own scope of practice.

To submit claim forms in a timely manner following the departments Health Roster Standard Operating Procedure.

Planning and Organisational Skills

Work with therapists across all of the service as required.

Work flexibly to provide cover to other clinical areas according to the needs of patients and demands of the service

Assist therapists in arranging and providing in-service training, study days etc.

Assist the therapists in ensuring working conditions are kept optimal, or where not, dealt with appropriately.

Trust Wide Responsibilities

Act as a resource for members of the multi-disciplinary teams across the Trust through involvement in multi professional teaching and training in the area of expertise.

Act as a role model in customer service towards patients, visitors and staff in the hospital

Regularly attend and participate in care group and professional meetings.

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.