Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and flexible therapy assistant to join the Emergency Department & Acute Medicine (EDAM) inpatient therapy team at The Royal London Hospital.
The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, plenty of initiative and good time management skills. Experience of working with patients or the public is essential and you will be required to demonstrate the Trust values at all times.
This post involves close multidisciplinary team working with the Physiotherapists and Occupational therapists within the acute setting. The post is currently positioned in the emergency department and the Acute Admissions Unit. There is also the opportunity to work in the Older People’s Therapy Team, a subsection of the same service.
The role involves a number of different duties, including accepting patients referred by the therapists for treatment, working unsupervised, reporting back regarding patient progress, informing the therapists of any problems and maintaining appropriate records. The post holder will also have to provide assistance to the therapists with patient assessments and treatment sessions, independently carry out interventions and treatment programmes, order equipment, manage stock supply, and complete organisational & administrative tasks.
This post is a permanent full time contract, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday – the team runs a 7 day service, this role includes participation in a weekend roster when necessary.
Main duties of the job
1. To assist therapists in the rehabilitation of patients by carrying out treatment plans developed by therapists and by progressing those treatment plans within agreed frameworks.
2. To carry out patient assessment and treatment on the ward and hospital gyms as needed.
3. To undertake formalised assessments and reporting including cognitive and functional measures.
4. Work autonomously without direct supervision to support patients in their rehabilitation plans using advanced communication and therapeutic handling skills.
5. Assist Therapists in treatment requiring more than one therapist including those with complex therapeutic handling needs.
6. To autonomously identify need for re-evaluation, progression and termination of interventions and plans.
7. Modify specific patient treatment programmes by reassessing and progressing as appropriate where agreed by responsible Therapist.
8. Autonomously order identified simple aids and adaptations as well as to support the ordering of Therapy prescribed equipment, aids and adaptations.
9. To communicate effectively with therapists about patients’ condition.
10. To record patient information in line with departmental standards.
11. To support patient centred rehabilitation in order to facilitate timely, safe discharge, reflecting individual choice and maximizing individuals’ independence.
12. To maintain the set level of stocks, the cleanliness and safety of equipment and the safe storage of equipment.
13. To support data collection and service improvement projects.
Working for our organisation
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.