Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Orthopaedic Practitioner
The closing date is 17 March 2026
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Orthopaedic Practitioner to join the Plaster Room team at CHFT.
The Orthopaedic clinics at CHFT are looking for an orthopaedic casting technician who holds the British Orthopaedic Association Plaster Certificate and has recent experience of working in a demanding plaster room environment providing support to Trauma and Orthopaedic clinics as well as trauma in‑patients.
Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a wide range of casting skills with Plaster of Paris and Synthetic materials.
The ability to work under pressure, independently and autonomously and in a timely manner to avoid patients waiting unnecessarily must be evidenced.
The post will require flexibility of hours across the working week between 8.00 am and 18:00.
Main duties of the job
* To provide instruction to patients/carers regarding plaster care and encourage patient/carer involvement.
* To ensure practice in casting and bracing techniques throughout the Trust is underpinned by best practice/evidence‑based practice incorporating current advances in casting care.
* To ensure patients safety, comfort, privacy, and dignity are always maintained.
* To contribute to the effective structure of clinics.
* To maintain a professional attitude in approach and appearance.
* To network effectively with similarly qualified colleagues to ensure best practice.
* To keep appraised of current advances in casting care and facilitate their implementation for the benefit of the patients.
* To support, supervise and provide educational direction to clinic staff working within the Plaster Room environment.
* Knowledge of incident reporting and requirements for root cause analysis.
* To maintain all equipment and consumables required for the Plaster Room to function effectively and safely.
* To assist in controlling stock limits, requisitioning departmental stores and equipment.
* To ensure all equipment is functional and meets service standards.
About us
CHFT is an integrated Trust of 6,500+ colleagues providing hospital and community services to patients and communities across Calderdale and Kirklees. We are rated as ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, are a top performing Trust for Elective Recovery, Emergency and Cancer Care and widely acknowledged as a national digital lead when it comes to caring for people across our local and regional systems.
Our people are at the core of everything we do, hence our commitment to One Culture of Care. Our focus is to care for and support each other in order to provide outstanding compassionate care to our patients. That is why we are looking for an inclusive collaborative, creative, innovative and compassionate leader to join us in this role.
Job responsibilities
* To be competent at the assessment, management and application of routine and specialist casts across a range of limbs using the right casting materials for limb immobilisation and care for adults and children.
* To demonstrate academic flair for learning and be able to apply theory to practice in relation to principles and practice of casting.
* To advise and educate patients and their carers on all aspects of ongoing care of their casts and/or splints in relation to their injury using verbal and written information.
* To accurately record information and care provided within the Electronic Patient Records (EPR).
* To demonstrate compassion, patience and understanding in the support of patients and carers.
* To provide compassionate support to parents and carers of children with long term casts for various orthopaedic and congenital conditions.
* To provide accurate, evidence‑based verbal advise to patients that seek advice via the telephone and record actions within EPR.
* To attend and provide competent casting care to patients who cannot attend the plaster room, for example inpatient wards or theatres.
* To demonstrate the Trust values and Four Pillars to Go See, Work Together, Do the Must Dos and Put the Patient First.
* To always work in a supervisory role until Qualification.
* Maintain the professional code of practice of BOA.
* Act as team member within the wider orthopaedic outpatient team.
* To demonstrate professional leadership and team working behaviours with colleagues across T&O and other specialities.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
* British Casting Certificate Qualification (BOA)
* GCSE Maths and English (Grades A‑C / Grade 4‑9) or equivalent.
* Evidence of recent continuing professional development.
* Tissue Viability qualification or equivalent.
* Wound Management qualification or equivalent.
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
* Significant experience working in outpatient plaster room or equivalent.
* Supervision and mentoring trainee plaster technicians.
* Evidence of practical experience in the application to plaster casts and splints.
* Recent relevant practical experience in care of children requiring serial casting.
* Up to date casting skills for a variety of limb needs.
* Competent at Infection Control to reduce risk of bone infection and care of wound/limbs in the plaster room environment.
* Prevention of Pressure Ulcer under casts.
* In depth knowledge of variety of casts and sharing of best practice to patients, carers and colleagues.
* Care planning and competent computer skills (using EPR).
* Up to date with safeguarding in relation to adults and Child Protection.
* Documentation Skills.
* Care planning and competent computer skills (using EPR).
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)
* Enthusiasm and passion for orthopaedics / plaster room and care of casts/limb splints.
* Personal Resilience to manage stress.
* Team player.
* Good verbal and written communication skills.
* Demonstrate Trust Values and Behaviours.
* Flexible and ability to adapt and respond to unplanned casting needs (e.g. acute A&E or theatres).
* Ability to prioritise workload in plaster room.
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.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum, pro rata
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