Job overview
Surrey Downs Health & Care
We are looking for a new team member with excellent communication and motivational skills to join our busy Musculoskeletal (MSK) therapy department. You will work closely with the MSK team taking individual patients through exercise programmes; taking group sessions/classes and; assist the MSK Team with daily departmental tasks.
Training will be provided.
Main duties of the job
1. To undertake specific skilled support work to aid the rehabilitation of patients, in both face to face and virtual sessions
2. To accept patients referred by a physiotherapist and carry own patient caseload.
3. Treat patients according to set treatment protocols, monitoring patient progression, make minor alterations to patient treatment programmes as required.
4. Work unsupervised reporting back patient progress and informing physiotherapist of any problems. Receiving guidance and advice on a daily basis.
5. To supervise exercise classes, and facilitate patient participation in virtual classes
6. Undertake additional duties as required, to support delivery of the MSK physiotherapy service
Working for our organisation
Surrey Downs Health and Care deliver care closer to people’s own communities through our Primary Care Networks, Community Hospitals, Specialist Services and our innovative partnership of local NHS organisations.
Surrey Downs Health and Care has a track record of providing person centered care that goes beyond organisational boundaries to do what is best for the individual. This partnership includes:
7. The three GP federations GP Health Partners, Dorking Health Care and Surrey Medical Network representing practices that operate in the Surrey Downs area.
8. Epsom and St Helier’s University Hospitals NHS Trust
9. Surrey Council County
Historically, there have been boundary lines between the organisations that provide care to people in their homes, in GP surgeries and in hospitals, but we have always been united in our mission to provide great care to the people who need us.
It’s on those grounds that the Surrey Downs Health and Care was formed – we want local people to receive the care that they need in the right environment. By bringing together our expertise, we can improve patient care and enable local people to access the right support, care and treatment more easily than ever before.
In bringing this partnership together, we are working to the same set of values that will translate into better care for our residents.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
1.To gather information prior to seeing client and provide feedback to the therapist.
·To obtain biographical information and knowledge from relevant sources of information, e.g. medical notes, computer records.
·To take a simple case history
2.To contribute to the assessment process and provide feedback to the therapist.
·To be able to use basic screening assessments competently and to evaluate results with the therapist.
3.To implement therapy programmes/approaches, both on an individual basis and for groups, and provide feedback to therapist.
·To carry out a programme devised by the therapist using a range of delegated exercises and manual physical therapy techniques.
·To be able to develop a programme from agreed goals with the therapist, to monitor client progress and to recommend possible changes to the therapist.
·To undertake support work alongside the physiotherapist for highly dependent patients with complex needs.
·To be responsible for assessing and managing clinical risk in relation to your own caseload, seeking guidance and help from therapist as appropriate.
·Will not attempt any procedure without appropriate training and deemed competent to carry out specific instructions.
4.To contribute to the evaluation of therapeutic interventions, including discharge planning.
·To contribute objective comments on observed therapy intervention and use an outcome measurement for a specific goal.
·To contribute to devising and implementing the outcome measurements for a specific goal and to produce data for evaluation by the therapist.
5.To be able to prioritise workload following set guidelines, and feedback appropriate work load to the qualified therapist.
·To plan day-to-day workload.
·To identify factors involved in prioritisation.
6.To support clients / carers / other professionals in dealing with and understanding the care aim and the impact on the person’s wellbeing.
·To use listening skills and be aware of the issues and of how to respond to questions and anxieties, record and inform the therapist. This requires empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills, especially when individual has barriers to understanding.
7.To provide training for patients and carers, involving 1:1 training and problem solving discussions.
·To develop a rapport with clients, encouraging interest and participation, and to assist in the hand-over of a specific programme.
·To contribute to a training session devised by the therapist.
8.To participate within a multi-disciplinary team alongside the therapist.
·To attend meetings under guidance of the therapist and make previously agreed contributions.
·To participate independently in MDT discussion.
9.To participate in writing progress reports.
·To participate in the writing of standard progress reports.
·To write standard reports independently, which are subsequently passed to the therapist for checking and countersigning.
10.To participate in audit and clinical governance.
·To identify any clinical governance risk, to inform the therapist and gather information as directed by the therapist in line with an audit plan.
·To identify risk and risk patterns and to identify a clinical area for audit.
11.To be involved in service projects and developments.
·To contribute to and support project work.
·To implement a project plan in liaison with the lead therapist.
12.To maintain up-to-date client records and complete all client documentation to department standards.
·To put records and input into pro forma format, continuation sheets and / or medical records as appropriate.
13.To organise administrative tasks efficiently.
14.To keep clinical skills updated by attending study days and training.
15.To maintain personal / professional development.
·Take part in CPD
·Attend In-Service training and instruct on in-service training where appropriate.
·To participate in the organisation’s appraisal scheme and formulate a personal development plan.
16.To support the therapy teams with the provision virtual appointments
·To assist patients and therapists in booking carrying out virtual appointments
·To take part in both telephone and video based rehabilitation sessions, with guidance from a physiotherapist
17.To carry out specific tasks allocated to the post.
·To undertake administrative and reception duties in the outpatients department as required.
·To supervise exercise sessions for the musculoskeletal department.
·To assist in running the back class and advanced rehabilitation class, on a face to face or virtual basis as required
·To be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the gym equipment and managing the laundry in the department and gym.
·To maintain adequate stock levels of MSK aids and appliances.
·To be responsible for reordering aids and appliances from NHS logistics via local admin team and accompanying documentation.
·To assist with raising equipment/resource orders for the local MSK Team via local admin team.
Organisational
1.To fulfil any specific tasks as requested by the supervising physiotherapist, Team Leader physiotherapist or Clinical manager.
2. To maintain complete confidentiality of all reports and any other information concerning patients that may be known or acquired in the course of work.
Please note that this vacancy may close early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
10. GCSE or equivalent English and Maths (or equivalent)
11. Proven broad based educational achievement
Desirable criteria
12. •Exercise prescription or equivalent qualification
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
13. Able to communicate effectively with colleagues, clinical staff, managers and patients and carers of all ages and social backgrounds
14. Ability to motivate patients and self
15. Ability to prioritise and organise own workload
16. Flexible approach to work
17. Proactive and interactive
18. Good written and spoken English skills
19. Good problem solving skills
20. Strong computer literacy
21. Able to meet the physical demands of the role
22. Punctual in a work environment
Desirable criteria
23. Able to provide exercise programmes and progress or regress appropriately
Experience
Essential criteria
24. Experience of working in a team
Desirable criteria
25. Previous experience of physiotherapy assistant or care assistant role
26. Experience of working in NHS
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential criteria
27. Awareness of the importance of confidentiality
28. Awareness of risk assessments and health and safety
29. Understand the needs of the patients versus the resource restraints of the NHS
Desirable criteria
30. Understanding of medical and physiotherapy Terminology
31. Understand the role of the Rehabilitation Assistant in supporting the department
32. Safeguarding awareness appropriate for role
Your application: Please ensure that you have read the job description and person specification and that your supporting statement reflects these, as your application will be assessed and scored against these criteria.
References: You will be required to provide 3 years of employment/educational history. We do not accept references from personal email addresses such as Hotmail, Gmail etc. therefore please ensure you are providing professional working email addresses within your application form. If you are unable to provide professional email addresses and are invited to an interview, please ensure you advise the interviewers of this - otherwise, this may delay your pre-employment checks.
Closing date: In order to streamline recruitment within our Trust, we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications.
Shortlisting: You will only be contacted via e-mail/SMS if you are successfully shortlisted for this post. Please ensure that you check your Trac registered e-mail regularly.
DBS: We are committed to safeguarding children and adults who are at risk of abuse. As such, if this post will have access to children or vulnerable adults, you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. However, all employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
NameJames BowbrickJob titleMSK Operational managerEmail addressTelephone number07920703933