Wheelchair Service Occupational Therapist/Physiotherapist
An exciting development opportunity has arisen within Mersey Care for an experienced Band 5 or Band 6 Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist within Liverpool Wheelchair Service. (Banding will be dependent upon experience)
The service are looking to recruit an experienced Band 5 Occupational therapist/ Physiotherapist with the opportunity to develop their skills and competencies to be ready for a Band 6 Wheelchair Therapist role within the next 12-18 months.
The candidate will need to be enthusiastic, hardworking, and a great team player with an organised and flexible approach as well as excellent communication skills. The role involves working in clinic and within the community in the assessment, prescription and provision of wheelchairs and pressure care. This will include specialist buggies, powered wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs.You will have the opportunity to develop your specialist knowledge and skills within 24-hour posture and pressure management.
Previous wheelchair service experience is not required. The successful candidate will be provided with appropriate support and training to work towards their wheelchair service competencies. The position could be suitable for an existing experienced band 5 Occupational therapist/ Physiotherapist with at least 18 months experience working at that level within the NHS.
Alternatively, if a candidate has already been working as a Band 6 Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist we would welcome applications.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide assessment and provision of wheelchairs and pressure management to clients of all ages with a wide variety of medical conditions across the diverse city of Liverpool.
We are an innovative service with a goal of providing a high quality service to our patients to achieve their mobility goals and enable their independence. We are looking for a forward thinking Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist who will add to the team's dynamic approach and be committed to their own continuing professional development. An effective team player with excellent organisational and communication skills is required to work in a busy service.
We are a friendly, supportive and proactive team looking to provide the best experience and service provision possible for our patients.
The service works collaboratively with many other services around Liverpool and are always open to new ways of working together to ensure safe and effective equipment is provided in a timely manner. The service has a fleet of vans to support the timely provision of wheelchairs in the community.
Liverpool Wheelchair Service will provide relevant training necessary to enable you to have the skills and knowledge to provide the high quality service we aim for. There will be plenty of opportunities to gain experience in this specialist area of practice, through shadowing and learning from others.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job responsibilities
Provide specialised therapy input within the wheelchair service as part of the wider Community Equipment & Disability Advice Service.
The post holder will provide interventions for service users with a wide range of posture and mobility needs.
Within the Wheelchair Service / Community Equipment & Disability Advice Service ensure a high standard of clinical care for service users under your management, and mentoring more junior staff to do likewise.
To provide interventions in a variety of locations, including the service users own home, nursing homes, schools and wheelchair clinics.
To work as a specialist practitioner with a high degree of autonomy and clinical freedom.
To work with other members of the multidisciplinary team to enable the service user to maintain a functional level of mobility and independence.
Ensure the delivery of the quality strategy within the designated area incorporating establishment of systems and processes.
To provide specialist advice to other members of the multidisciplinary team and Community Equipment & Disability Advice Service regarding the wheelchair service management of service users with complex multi-pathological problems to ensure holistic care.
Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural backgrounds and preferred ways of communicating
Act as an advocate when representing patients and colleagues viewpoints to others
Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the relevant professional body
Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality
Deliver care according to national and local guidelines, working in partnership with other clinical teams/departments
Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation
Please refer to attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Degree (or Diploma) in Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy
* HCPC registered Occupational Therapist / Physiotherapist
* Registered member of professional body (e.g. Royal College of Occupational Therapists or Chartered Society of Physiotherapists)
Knowledge/ Experience
* Demonstrable post registration experience (at least 18 months)
* Experience of successful multi-agency working
* Evidence of CPD/Short courses
* Demonstrable experience in relevant area of practice or equivalent.
* Awareness of Health and Safety issues as a lone worker in the community
Values
* Accountability
* Support
* High professional standards
* Responsive to service users
* Engaging leadership style
* Transparency and honesty
* Discreet
* Change oriented
Skills
* Understanding the principles of care management
* Awareness of factors that contribute to good health & the importance of promoting these in line with organisational public health policy
* Excellent communication, organisational & interpersonal skills
* IT Literate
* Ability to travel to work across boundaries
* Work as a member of a team
* Self-motivated and able to adopt a flexible working approach when the needs of the service require
* Willingness to support and assist the team in the planning and development of the service
* Excellent hand-eye coordination
* Sensory skills (sight, hearing, touch) to be able to independently adjust mobility equipment to suit service users' needs.
* Dexterity, manipulation and fine-motor skills
* Awareness of current, national and local agenda in health & social care
* Understanding of partnership working
* Moving and Handling skills/ training
* Ability to work to deadlines
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.
Lifehouse, Summers Road, Brunswick Dock Business Park
Clinical Lead, Liverpool Wheelchair Service
£31,049 to £46,580 a yearper annum pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
350-CC6718515-D
Job locations
Liverpool Wheelchair Service
Lifehouse, Summers Road, Brunswick Dock Business Park
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