Assistant Practitioner
NHS AfC: Band 4
Main area Neurodiverse / Autism / Community Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - hours per week Job ref -SPE-0- Site St Andrews House Town Derby Salary £, - £, N/A Salary period Yearly Closing //6 :
Want to make a real difference and have a truly rewarding career? Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of ‘making a positive difference in people's lives’.
We’ve been rated ‘good’ overall by the CQC, with some outstanding services. The CQC commented at our most recent inspection on how our colleagues “treated patients with compassion and kindness” and “felt positive and proud about working for the trust.
We are passionate about making equality, diversity and inclusion part of our DNA. We take pride in our “People First Culture” which creates a workplace where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging, difference is celebrated, and people are comfortable to bring their whole selves to work. We value the richness that comes from having colleagues that are fully representative of the local community. We welcome people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, protected characteristics, and with all backgrounds and experiences.
Job overview
We are a diverse multi-disciplinary team, working across the breath of both North and South Derbyshire, supporting adults with Autism who are at risk of placement breakdown or hospital admission. Our aim is to provide the right support and care to autistic people in the community to prevent hospital admission.
Main duties of the job
Working for our organisation
Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of ‘making a positive difference in people's lives’.
CQC rated us as 'GOOD’ overall, commenting on how our colleagues “treated patients with compassion and kindness” and “felt positive and proud about working for the trust.”
Benefits include:
1. Commitment to flexible working where this is possible
2. days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to days after 5 years & days after years’ service
3. Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training
4. Generous NHS pension scheme
5. Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits
6. Health service discounts and online benefits
7. Incremental pay progression
8. Free confidential employee assistance programme /7
9. Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network
10. Health and wellbeing opportunities
11. Structured learning and development opportunities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Independently carry out assigned tasks to meet the care needs of each individual as part of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Contribute as part of the multi-disciplinary team towards the development and implementation of treatment plans, and multi-disciplinary team reports.
• Work in a multi-agency environment and liaise with relevant professionals .
• Support the lead practitioner and multi- disciplinary team to carry out risk assessments relating to an individual and environments and ensure that accurate and timely information is cascaded to other team members.
• To attend meetings with other agencies as a representative of the care team under direction of the lead practitioner. This includes representing the Specialist Autism Team in meetings.
• To overcome communication barriers in day to day work and also in crisis situations. Requires post holder to be skilled at adapting their communication to meet the needs of the individual this may mean utilising a range of verbal, non-verbal and written communication.
• To work with patients with extreme sensory needs in crisis situations who can often be in dysregulated states.
• To support carers and families who are experiencing distress.
• To be responsible for their designated work on a daily basis as agreed with the registered team members.
• To model support required to service users and their carers including sharing specialist knowledge and techniques. This requires the post holder adapting their ‘teaching’ and modelling approaches to meet the individual needs of the patient and/or carers.
• To explain the individual’s assessment, treatment and care to patients and carers including sensitive and upsetting information.
• Ability to support service users in a person-centred manner and adjust support as necessary. This includes making autonomous decisions to change the immediate plan of care to address immediate concerns around risk and/ or clinical needs. Requires ongoing observation and analysis throughout visits where patient presentation may be rapidly changing. This is then reviewed by the responsible clinician at the earliest opportunity.
• To contribute to maintaining the safety of service users through careful and detailed observations of the service users environment, appearance, behaviour, mood, reporting any changes to the lead practitioner.
• To seek to diffuse situations of aggressive and abusive behaviour guided by care plans, risk assessments, good practice and established guidelines, and report to the lead practitioner. Requires high level of communication skills and de-escalation techniques.
• To encourage interest and engagement in a variety of daily living activities, including self-care, domestic skills, productivity and leisure adapting communication and activities to meet the individuals needs.
• To provide advice and information to service users and their carers about potential and appropriate services available; adapting communication and information as required.
• Establish and maintain good relationships with service users, carers both paid and unpaid and staff across multi agency boundaries.
• To work directly with our In-Reach team and mental health hospitals to support Autistic people who are close to discharge from Mental Health inpatient wards back home into the community.
• To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.
• The post holder may be asked to undertake duties not directly highlighted within this job description. This will only be done when the skills and experience of the post holder meets the requirements of the role.
Person specification
Accessibility
Essential criteria
12. Must have own car / access to a car and be comfortable driving long distances
13. Must be able to drive distances as required across the breath of Derbyshire
Experience
Essential criteria
14. •Assistant Practitioner Foundation degree or equivalent experience to meet the requirement's of this post
15. •Evidence and knowledge of supporting people with Autism.
16. •Evidence effective communication skills
17. •Be able to demonstrate skills of working in a highly stressful / crisis type situations
Desirable criteria
18. •Be able to demonstrate skills of working as part of a team and autonomously.
19. •Experience of home visiting / working in the community
20. • Experience of supporting people with Mental health difficulties
21. •Experience of contributing to assessments that include risk assessments or safe and well plans
Further details / informal visits contact
NameVicki CookeJob titleClinical Operational ManagerEmail number0 2Additional information
Vicki Cooke - Work Mobile -
Andrew Wright - Clinical Operational Manager -
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Recruitment Team
Kingsway Hospital
Telephone option 1, option 1