Therapies Assistant/Technical Instructor

Job overview

The post holder will work as a member of the Children’s Therapy Team to assist and support the paediatric therapy service in providing high quality services to patients and their families. The post holder will provide input to a range of children requiring acute care in hospital, who may have severe or complex disabilities impacting their health needs and their carers/families. The role will include liaison with other health professionals

The role will include involvement in both the day-to-day administrative support and wider data collection specific to the patients / services that will in turn assist in the development of the service to meet the current and future needs of our patient population.

Depending on the needs of the service and at the discretion of your line manager, you may be required to work across a number of locations servicing Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job

To provide a mix of direct clinical care to support the delivery of Clinical care to a paediatric population within in acute Children's hospital and to support with core clinical and non clinical admin for an effective service delivery.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To assist with the treatment of patients as directed by the Therapists in the team. This may involve working with individuals and group work.
• To be responsible for and manage a delegated clinical caseload including review of cases as necessary.
• General administrative tasks that support the department (e.g., creation of staff annual leave sheets, supporting with health-roster and inputting staff additional working hours to support staff pay). As well as to carry out additional administrative duties as required to aid with the smooth running of the department.
• To carry out data collection as required, including the capturing of / data entry / and summarising of this data (as appropriate), with support from wider clinical and administrative staff.
• To deal pro-actively, professionally and efficiently with colleagues, patients, carers and other service users alike. Ensuring where possible, that the person’s needs are met, or they are transferred to the most appropriate person.
• Working flexibly within the team to provide support to professional colleagues and the multi-disciplinary team on a daily basis.
• Contribute to own personal development through completion of mandatory training, supervision, and appraisals. To achieve and maintain competencies through skills and knowledge development.

General duties:

• To contribute to the wider team discussions such as service development.

• To comply with OUH Trust policies and procedures
• Act in a manner aligned with the Trust values and consistently demonstrate the behaviours that will ensure the achievement of delivering compassionate care and excellence.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• To help maintain safe and clean working environments.
• To maintain good working relationships with the multi-disciplinary teams and ensure effective communication between all involved.
• Provide robust administrative functions that underpin the delivery of high-quality service and maintain effective working relationships with clinical and administrative staff.
• Answer communications including telephone, email and face-to-face queries in a timely manner and action as appropriate.
• Demonstrate high levels of customer care and be an ambassador for customer care within the trust.
• Attend mandatory and departmental meetings and trainings as required to ensure that up-to-date working knowledge of the service and trust procedures is maintained.
• To participate in the department induction and training of new or temporary staff, and the continued training of existing staff.

Clinical duties:

• To work in a collaborative, and a co-operative manner with other health professionals and relevant agencies.
• To work autonomously but acknowledge own limitations/ know when to seek clinical advice.
• To engage with patients and families and assist with patient feedback/ outcome questionnaires/assessments.

• To liaise with Therapists regarding the ongoing interventions being carried out with patients, as well as escalating to Therapists when required.
• To demonstrate physical ability to carry out therapy interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling.
• To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory sensory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
• To be able to safely use a range of equipment in line with Manual Handling such as hoists and mobility aids.
• To gain valid informed consent prior to any intervention. To work within a legal framework, under the supervision of a therapist, for those patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To assess for and provide appropriate therapy equipment.
• To assist with the discharge of patients from the hospital following assessment by a Therapist.
• To collect and record patient information in EPR in line with departmental guidelines.
• To communicate with parents/ carers ensuring communication is sensitive, in order to obtain specific information and implement therapy programmes tailored to the needs of the individual patient/family.
• To use standardised protocols, including cognitive assessments, to independently carry out and progress patient treatment.
• To explain, motivate and encourage treatment to patients, managing clinical risk within own patient caseload.
• To be able to contribute to the planning and completion of required access visits, to facilitate timely discharges

The job description is intended as a guide and may be amended in discussion with the post holder to meet the changing demands within the service.