Therapy Technician – acute wards

Job overview

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

Job Title: Therapy Technician – acute wards

Contract Type: Permanent

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.

Main duties of the job

We have an exciting opportunity for a Therapy Technician to work as part of our large Therapy services department at University Hospital Southampton.

Working on the acute adult wards, working 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.

This post is part of the wider Therapy services department. You will have many opportunities to 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 people who thrive working in busy clinical environments and who want to support patients to regain, or maintain their independence, through therapeutic intervention. UHS is a fast-paced environment where effective communication, prioritisation, and delegation skills are needed to support safe and timely discharges.

What you’ll do

• You will be involved in the assessment and treatment of patients with a wide range of needs, working alongside qualified therapists and other Therapy Technicians.
• Work on the acute wards, supporting patients with mobility and self-care, which may include personal care and toileting.
• Engage in training and developmental opportunities for yourself and others, including students.
• Participate in 7-day working pattern and bank holiday working, according to rosters.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Demonstrates care and compassion.
• Is comfortable working in an acute and busy ward environment, which may include intensive care.
• Can stay calm and make appropriate decisions under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Is happy working alone, as well as in a team.

As well as the person specification we are looking for people with the following skills and knowledge needed to undertake this role:

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
• Clear reasoning, in application, for wanting to work within UHS Therapy Services
• 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, including toiletting Desirable
• Previous employment in an acute NHS hospital setting
• Experience working in the NHS

As we run a 7-day therapy service, flexibility is needed to work weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis.

As you will be part of the wider Therapy services department, you will be supported to develop your skills through in-service training and UHS opportunities. We offer yearly Therapy apprenticeship opportunities as part of our B3 staff development, through an application process.

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

PLEASE NOTE:

• Interviews will be held on Mon 28th Sept, in person only, due to having a practical assessment, so please dress in smart and comfortable clothing for your interview.
• No virtual interviews will be offered, please do not apply if you cannot attend an interview in person in Southampton, England
• We do not accept CV applications
• If we receive a high volume of suitable applications, this advert will close early.
• This advert includes permanent and fixed term opportunities and successful candidates may be put on a reserve list for a similar role.
• We allocate area of work following interview, based on your skill set and the overall service need.

If this post is not for you and you are interested in finding out about other Therapy opportunities, please email Annette.Purkis@uhs.nhs.uk

We look forward to hearing from you😊

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.