Job overview
This post is not suitable for qualified physiotherapists
Physiotherapy is an integral part of the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury. Physiotherapy assistants are essential members of the team delivering this service, providing administrative and clinical support to the physiotherapists, along with direct involvement in patient treatment sessions.
This post involves working with patients following spinal cord injury during aquatic therapy sessions providing personal care and support in addition to providing administrative assistance within the team.
Experience in working in a customer care setting is essential and previous employment within the NHS is desirable.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the job comprise:
1. Assisting qualified physiotherapy staff, enabling them to implement patient treatment programmes
2. Supporting the qualified physiotherapy staff in non-clinical tasks within the Aquatic Therapy environment, and occasionally in clinical treatment situations.
3. Documenting and feeding back to qualified physiotherapists following all contact with patients
4. Providing the necessary personal care to spinal cord injury patients to enable them to participate in Aquatic Therapy
Opportunities for training and development for this role are available through in service training, appraisal and mandatory training.
Working for our organisation
Listen to why colleagues think we are a great place to work! -
What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?
5. As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
6. We offer flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside your NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.
7. We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.
Why work for us?
8. We’re committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
9. As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued, and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
10. Greater diversity within our BHT family improves positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
What do we stand for?
11. Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
12. Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
13. Our CARE values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.
Person specification
EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Essential criteria
14. Good level of education to GCSE standard. (at least 3 subjects)
15. Level 4 GCSE or equivalent in English
16. Able to demonstrate competence in written and spoken English
Desirable criteria
17. NVQ level I, II or III in Health Care
18. Manual Handling, Life Saving or First Aid qualification
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
19. Able to accept and undertake responsibility for designated tasks
20. Experience of working with people with a disability and providing personal care
21. 6 months experience within a customer care (face to face) environment
Desirable criteria
22. Previous work as a Physiotherapy Assistant or allied profession within the NHS
23. Previous work in health care environment
SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
24. Ability to clearly and effectively communicate on the telephone and face to face with patients, and colleagues and be able to respond to those who may experience communication difficulties through language or understanding
25. Demonstrate good organisational skills
26. Demonstrate insight into the importance of maintaining a safe working environment
27. Ability to learn / ability to self initiate learning
28. Evidence of ability to work within a team setting
29. Demonstrate to maintain written communications / records
30. Demonstrate awareness of health & safety issues and policies
31. Able to know own limitations and seek advice
32. Able to complete tasks set, follow instructions
33. Flexible and adaptable in approach to work
34. Able to undertake manual handling tasks
35. Physical ability and endurance to work in the physical environment of the clinical area required by this post
Desirable criteria
36. Evidence of self motivation and initiative
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Essential criteria
37. Confident and comfortable in delivering personal care
Desirable criteria
38. Confident and comfortable working in a pool environment
PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.
COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.
Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.
Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.
Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.
Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.
Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.
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