AAC WEST, based at the Bristol Centre for Enablement (BCE), is an NHS funded department that provides technological solutions for individuals that require alternative methods to communicate. The service is commissioned by NHS England to provide Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) assessments and equipment to people living in the South West region who meet nationally agreed referral criteria.
AAC WEST are looking to recruit an Associate Assistant Practitioner to join their busy clinical team to support in the preparation of communications that have been prescribed for active patients on the service case load.
This role will be based from the Bristol Enablement Service (BCE) and as a development post, will be fully supported by a team of experienced AAC assistants and registered clinicians. It is a non patient facing role. The successful candidate will be a confident computer user who enjoys managing their own workload.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the job are as follows:
Communication Aid Programming- Preparing both high and low tech communication resources using specialist software to collate vocabularies which are provided by and on behalf of patients on the caseload.
Equipment Preparation - Preparing equipment for clinical team to take to assessments and training sessions.
To offer telephone support to patients and their support teams in the region on devices which have been loaned.
To assist in the delivery of training sessions.
About us
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award‑winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti‑discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all under‑represented groups.
Job responsibilities
Clinical Support
* To manage and organise own clinical workload with the support of senior Assistant‑Practitioner and departmental manager
* To be responsible for the preparation of communication equipment and materials for demonstration at assessments and emergency appointments as part of patients pathway through AAC WEST
* To be responsible for the personalisation/programming of communication aid as directed by clinical team
* To be highly familiar in the specialist AAC software packages used in the department
* To assist in the setting up of iPads for triage loans
* To assist in the management of software accounts on communication devices
* To be responsible for the processing of equipment following appointments
* To provide basic technical support for equipment during an evaluation loan period as directed by senior colleagues
* To support in the development of low tech resources as guided by departmental clinical team
* To maintain accurate clinical notes regarding any interventions relating to client based activities
* All activities will be delegated by a member of the clinical team or a more senior assistant. Support and advice will be available to assist in the delivery of allocated tasks
Training Support
* To assist in the co‑ordination of incoming training requests from local teams
* To prepare equipment for training sessions
* To collate feedback following training sessions
General Support
* To assist in standard technical support scenarios where directed by a senior member of the team
* To support in the general organisation of the busy clinical office ensuring communication aids are returned to their correct location at the end of each working day
* Support in the ongoing maintenance of the departmental vans
* To participate in departmental clinical governance projects by providing evidence/ data as requested
* To assist in the induction process of new members of staff
* To provide support to the Equipment Manager as necessary to:
* Input data into the departmental computer system - BEST
* Ensure that all equipment is safety checked and cleaned according to the relevant procedures
Person Specification
Education
* GCSE/O levels including English and Maths
Employment
* Experience of using computer packages in work
* Experience of working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team
* Experience of working in an environment where assistive technology is used.
Knowlege, Skills and Expereince
* Confident computer user with a current and working knowledge of Microsoft Office and social networking.
* Ability to work on own initiative but also as part of a team.
* Demonstrable experience of learning new computer software skills
* Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
Personal Qualities
* Interest in technology
* Physically able to manually handle equipment
* Flexible and enthusiastic approach to work and colleagues
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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