Trainee/ Assistant Practitioner

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to recruit a full time Trainee Assistant Practitioner to join our Integrated Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy Service. The position gives you the opportunity to complete a Foundation Degree in Health and social Care (Assistant Practitioner) via an apprenticeship route. On successful completion of the 2-year course you will move into a band 4 position.

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate, preferably someone who has previously worked within the rehabilitation setting, studied to NVQ level 3 in health and social care or at an equivalent academic level, and you must be competent in IT systems.

You will be working across the stroke therapies pathway supporting Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists treating patients on the acute stroke unit at Blackburn Hospital, Inpatient stroke rehab & Community stroke team both based at Pendle Community Hospital. Access to a vehicle is essential to commute between patient visits.

Qualified Assistant Practitioners are encouraged to apply.

Main duties of the job

You will assist in the delivery of specialist rehabilitation supporting qualified therapists in assessing and treating patients with a new diagnosis of stroke.

You will be required to undertake skilled support work from referrals screened by a member of the rehab team.  This may include gathering information for assessments, implementing treatment programmes, and making recommendations for equipment and minor adaptations. You will use technical and creative skills in the provision of therapeutic activities for individual patients and will be responsible for evaluating and amending treatment programmes and interventions with guidance from the therapist.

Assistant Practitioners take responsibility for their own caseload within a broad framework laid out by a qualified therapist.  The post holder will be responsible for delivering defined therapy input without direct supervision; but will have immediate access to a therapist for advice and direction as required.

The work will take place in a variety of settings including within the inpatient stroke units, care homes and patient’s own homes.  The post holder may work as a lone worker in the community therefore will need to follow the lone worker policy.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Organise and deliver a complete episode of therapy intervention as screened and delegated by a qualified therapist and as defined by currently agreed stroke rehabilitation pathways.

You will use technical and therapeutic skills to promote patient independence. As part of the MDT you will also support the team in the delivery of other therapy sessions such as group work or virtual therapy sessions.

You will also be required to support with general administrative procedures such as collecting patient information, completing referrals onto other services, ordering equipment and other tasks delegated by therapists within the team.

You will formulate appropriate treatment goals with the patient and support in the delivery of therapy intervention working towards these specific goals.

You will work across the East Lancashire locality contributing to the 7-day stroke rota. This will include working Saturday or Sunday as part of a rota basis.

For further details on the position please refer to the attached job description.