Job Description

The closing date is 29th Apr 2025

Anticipated Interview date(s) 30/4/25

Job summary

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Do you want to be part of an exciting and growing service?


Our service provides Early Supported Discharge (ESD) for Stroke patients across Somerset and specialist inpatient and ongoing community stroke rehabilitation.


Our service has received excellent feedback from patients, carers and commissioners, as well as high levels of staff satisfaction and has been awarded an innovation award by the Community Hospitals Innovation Team. We strive to use current best practice and do so by regularly reviewing our service and adapting to provide patients with the best possible outcomes using evidence based practice.


We now have opportunities for dynamic, motivated and experienced individuals to join our Stroke service. This innovative service delivers intensive rehabilitation within patients' homes using state-of-the-art mobile technology, ensuring patients are kept at the centre of all decisions, goals, intervention and discharge plans.


The team consists of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists and Rehabilitation Assistants jointly providing seamless services to patients within their homes and along the whole stroke pathway.


Post holder will be required to work their hours over 7 days, including, weekends and bank holidays

Main duties, tasks & skills required

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Job Purpose:


Post holder will be required to work their hours over 7 days, including out of hours, weekends and bank holidays, to meet the needs of the service


The Early Supported Discharge Service enables the accelerated discharge of Stroke and Acquired Brain Injury patients usually to their own home or normal place of residence from district or community hospitals.

About us

------------


At

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

Flexible working options

to help you balance work and life

NHS pension scheme

for long-term financial security

Generous annual leave allowance

to recharge and relax A strong focus on

career development

to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our

Blue Light Card

, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.


We are proud to foster a

diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce

, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset?

Somerset offers the perfect blend of

idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty

, and

breathtaking coastlines

, with vibrant cities like

Bristol

,

Bath

, and

Exeter

just a short drive away - and only two hours to

London

.


The region is home to excellent

educational facilities

, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all

- the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job description

-------------------


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

To join the Early Supportive Discharge Team, based at hubs across the county. To work as an integral member of the Health Care /Rehabilitation Service providing effective support to Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and any other team members. To work with patients undertaking therapy/rehabilitation programmes to support and encourage them to achieve their optimum level of independence and quality of life, as directed by the team of therapists/nurse's. To work with patients in a range of locations, including hospital departments such as wards, rehabilitation unit, outpatients, and the community with overall supervision from rehabilitation professionals. To work as a Rehabilitation Assistant on the inpatient stroke ward, when not seeing patients in the community. Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the Trust, to meet the needs of the service. To manage own time effectively demonstrating flexibility to meet the service requirements across the county Community Hospital wards and rehabilitation areas, in patient's own homes with and without Team professionals. The work will involve moderate physical effort handling patients and equipment on a daily basis. Lifting and manoeuvring equipment for short periods of time and potentially supporting patients for up to 20 - 30 minutes at any one time. Daily contact with bodily fluids. Possibility of working in the community in patients homes', in unclean surroundings and coming into contact with dirt, fleas, lice, pets, cigarette smoke and domestic animals (weekly) with the Team professionals. It may also necessitate working with distressed and/or confused patients/relatives. Travel throughout the team Locality may be involved on a regular basis. Any difficulties to be reported to the Rehabilitation Team/ supervising team professional at the next convenient time if not urgent.

Duties and Responsibilities


Communication and Key Working Relationships

Operation service manager for stroke services. Rehabilitation Team members Ward staff Patients, families and carers. Other care staff including those from other agencies, eg Social Services, Community nurses, Care agencies, as part of clinical work.

Planning and Organisation

Taking account of allocated workload, to organise own day to day activities and to feed back to delegating therapist in the event that difficulties occur.

Analytics

To enter data electronically according to Integrated Support Service procedures. To record electronic patient data for professional staff as requested.

Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & Therapy

To undertake treatment programmes with individual patients/groups as specified by the team's therapists and Nurses. This follows direct handover from the delegating therapist(s) or reading and implementing written treatment plans. To assist therapists with treatment programmes, working with the individual patient's/groups. To carry out work in a range of locations, including hospital departments, patients' own homes and other community locations as directed. To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools (e.g. explanation, negotiation, persuasion, motivation) to communicate effectively with patients in order to implement rehabilitation and treatment programmes following guidance from professionals. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating. To observe and evaluate patients' response to treatment activities and decide on appropriate action e.g. seek further advice from occupational therapist, physiotherapist, community nurse and / or senior nursing staff, discontinue treatment activity, instigate emergency procedure. To provide feedback to professionals on patients' progress, changes in functional ability, medical, social, emotional etc., on a daily basis. To gather initial information for therapy documentation by telephone from patients within the community, or from care plans/medical records for in-patients prior to assessment, as directed by the therapist/ nursing staff. To be aware of and appropriately manage sensitive and/or complicated information. To deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia and limited mobility. This will include patients with challenging behaviour, terminal illness and degenerative disease. To employ practical skills e.g. occupation skills - cooking, household tasks/ exercise/mobility programmes as a routine part of patient treatment programmes Use manual handling techniques requiring moderate physical effort as part of treatment interventions on a daily basis, as directed by therapists. This will take place in a range of environments such as hospital wards, home, work environments and cars where space available and environments may be awkward and confined. To issue, demonstrate, adjust and ensure safe use of personal aids/equipment for patients, as prescribed and directed by therapists to support functional ability. E.g. mobility aids, toilet aids and to be aware of current safety alert notices. To work with patients in their own homes and the community, therapy clinics and wards to implement treatment programmes, record observations and intervention. This may include encountering distressed and abusive patients/carers.

Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility


To have an understanding of a range of common medical and orthopaedic conditions, occupational therapy and physiotherapy intervention gained through experience, in-house training and theoretical study completed at NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, as available.


Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programme to meet set knowledge and competence objectives.


Take an active part in the assistant competency framework training, ongoing tuition and attending in-service training sessions as required to achieve/maintain appropriate skill/expertise.


Keep up to date with all relevant guidance and NHS targets and ensure the effective dissemination of relevant information as directed.


Contribute to relevant projects in relation to the development of the Rehabilitation Service and organisational objectives as required/appropriate.


Undertake any necessary skills training, Professional Updates and Mandatory Training as appropriate to the position.


Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other Resources


Be responsible for effective time management effective use of resources available


Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management


To contribute, as a member of the multidisciplinary team and Rehabilitation Service to the development of services, protocols, in-service training programmes etc. by commenting, making suggestions, attending service meetings etc. as requested.


To provide input to non-clinical induction for new assistant staff. Demonstrates own activities to new/less experienced staff.


To undertake additional responsibilities as discussed and agreed with line manager. This could include the role of safety monitor, representing rehabilitation assistants in meetings etc.


Accommodate change in a rapidly changing environment and encourage team members to embrace necessary change. Have a positive attitude to challenges and devise ways to make them happen.


Information Resources & Administrative Duties


To understand and report on identified risks relating to clinical work using the Trusts risk management policies and protocols


To understand and implement all relevant Trust Policies and Protocols as appropriate to the role.


To record personally generated clinical observations in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation patient record.


To assist in the management of the peripheral stores ensuring stock levels are maintained and health and safety procedures followed


Comply with all relevant Somerset Partnership Trust Policies and Procedures in exercising the duties of the role.


Any Other Specific Tasks Required


To work frequently as a lone worker in potentially unpredictable and unpleasant working conditions coming into contact with dirt, passive smoking lice, fleas etc.


On a regular basis the therapy assistant will come into contact with bodily fluid or human waste.


Help maintain good communication, liaison and working arrangement within the Trust other Primary Care Trusts, Trusts and other agencies.

Person specification

------------------------


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Qualifications

####

Essential

Adult/elderly rehabilitation, nursing, care worker experience


Post holder will be required to achieve NVQ 2/3 or equivalent in care/rehabilitation


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Additional Criteria

####

Essential

Ability to work alone and within the multi-disciplinary team.


Ability to implement basic treatment plans with appropriate support from the therapist.


SKILLS AND ABILITIES


Sound patient interviewing skills.


Basic computer skills.


Compassionate - Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients, carers and relatives remaining sensitive and empathetic.


Listens to others' views respecting and valuing individual patient needs.


Professional and patient focussed approach with inspirational skills, acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members.


Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time and plan timed activities for staff and patients.


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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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For help with your application, contact:

Sarah Doble


Sarah.doble@somersetft.nhs.uk


07799133448


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Pay scheme

Agenda for Change


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Band

Band 3


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Salary

24071.00 to 25674.00 Yearly
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Contract

Permanent


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Working pattern

Part-Time


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Reference number

184-OL-BL-2422


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Job locations

Shepton Mallet Comm Hospital

Old Wells Road

Shepton Mallet

Somerset

BA4 4PG