Band 4 Rehabilitation Practitioner - Vocational Rehabilitation

+ This post involves working within the Community Stroke team in clients' homes and community settings such as their workplace under minimal supervision providing rehabilitation and return to work support.
+ Supporting the Occupational Therapist's in the implementation and organisation of rehabilitation, managing the caseload and supporting with timetable planning.
+ To carry a caseload of non-complex patients, devising and implementing treatment programmes with reference to a qualified therapist
+ To work without direct supervision, undertaking tasks that fall within the remit of the non-complex patient. This can include frontline initial assessments in the community.
+ To be involved in data collection for audit purposes and to support with the development of the Community Stroke Team., Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
Compassion
Accountability
Respect
Integrity
Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Implement and record planned programmes of comprehensive functional and mobility assessments of patients as directed by a therapist.
Assess residual symptoms and potential impact on working ability.
Assess and make recommendations for equipment, home and work adaptations and ongoing rehabilitation, reporting these to a therapist.
Support patients through instruction and guidance in a range of activities, under the direction of a therapist, in the achievement of identified vocational treatment goals.
Independently carry out visits to patient's homes planning and prioritising caseload.
Independently carry out visits to the patient's workplace or community settings to complete work hardening or work planning sessions.
Adapt treatment programmes through evaluation of patients' condition.
Appropriately assess risk through analysing a patient's capability against their job specifications and make suitable recommendations.
Assist the team/nurses in the delivery of psychological interventions as directed by the nursing staff.
Provide appropriate advice to patients, their family and carers, teaching and demonstrating the safe use of equipment or other techniques to optimise the patient's mobility, functional ability, safety and independence under the management of a therapist in line with vocational goals.
Build professional relationships with patients, their family and carers as well as employers, through use of communication, reasoning and negotiating skills, respecting others views, culture and individuality.
Communicate effectively with patients, carers, members of the multi disciplinary team, therapy services colleagues and other agencies such as employers or occupational health providers.
Advocating for your patients when liaising with Occupational Health providers and Employers.
To identify and employ suitable verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating e.g. altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia and fear or inability to accept diagnosis and implications.
Maintain accurate and up to date records of clinical interventions, consistent with legal and organisational requirements
As part of a team, incorporate up to date therapy, nursing and handling techniques into working practice.
Seek supervision from a Therapist to inform analysis and reasoning when complex patient situations are identified.
Provide effective verbal and written reports to therapists and other multi disciplinary team members or at Multidisciplinary meetings relating to the patient's performance and progress in their therapeutic interventions.
Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
The post holder will demonstrate skills and knowledge beyond that of a rehabilitation assistant. These skills and knowledge will be gained through specific advanced training, experience or formal qualifications
The post holder will be expected to be involved in the provision of a 7 day service.
The post holder will be required to travel freely across Northamptonshire
The post holder will be lone working in the community
The post holder will be required to work between two bases across the county
Occasional telephone exposure to patients and families who may be distressed
Contribute towards service development activities through participation in team meetings and service development sessions.
Propose changes to processes and procedures carried out within own area of work to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the service.
Participate in the stroke team audit and evaluation as agreed with qualified professionals.
Ensure work areas and equipment are clean, tidy and well maintained, complying with Health & safety guidelines, ensuring the safe use of equipment and storage of materials.
Exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance, submitting accurate records of attendance on monthly timesheets.
Notify the team leader of sick leave as soon as possible in line with Trust policy.
In the absence of colleagues through planned or unplanned leave, work flexibly to meet the prioritised needs of the NGH Stroke service.
Take responsibility for the routine management of designated tasks in conjunction with support worker colleagues' e.g. petty cash, management of equipment orders, data collection.
Assist Therapy and Nursing colleagues in the induction, training and education of other staff and students within the NGH Stroke service and give support to train other staff within the team and care staff and carers.
Collect, record and submit accurate clinical and personal statistical data in line with service requirements and guidelines.
Participate in team meetings and in service training sessions.
Regularly attend and participate in staff meetings as agreed by the professional leads.
Identify own learning and development needs with guidance from Therapy and Nursing colleagues, contributing to the production of a Personal Development Plan and compile a record of training and development activities undertaken with their learning outcomes.
Undertake relevant stroke and other training and development activities to meet agreed learning needs.
Plan delegated clinical and non-clinical work tasks, and prioritises duties as appropriate, in conjunction with support worker colleagues under guidance from a therapist or nurse when required.
Comply with the national and Trust policy, protocols and guidelines.
Review and reflect on own practice and actively participates in regular supervision and annual appraisal.
Manages own delegated caseload, duties and travel throughout Northamptonshire, reprioritising as necessary.
As appropriate to level of competence, supports members of multidisciplinary team in planning and managing their own delegated caseload particularly during absence.
Feeds back information on individual clients to the team for planning purposes during caseload meetings.
Prioritises and manages own workload, expecting conflicting demands on time.
Undertake training and work within agreed competencies such as:
Safely undertake moving and positioning of clients using appropriate equipment as part of rehab/care plans adhering to the Trusts Moving and Handling Policy +/- the use of equipment such as hoists, sliding boards and handling belts.
Assisting with all activities of daily living where required using a re-enabling approach
Basic wound care and wound management
Basic catheter care awareness
Blood glucose monitoring
Basic clinical observations such as blood pressure monitoring
Assisting with community re-integration tasks such as going to the local shops, attending appointments etc. with the view of building up to a return to work.
Assist nursing staff in delivering psychological support to stroke patients. Assessing and monitoring risk and feeding this back to nurses where appropriate.
Undertake clinical procedures within own scope of competencies, safely and precisely utilising a variety of clinical interventions and equipment.
Promotes health and wellbeing enabling clients to access information and resources.
Recognises own limitations within agreed level of competence and seeks advice and guidance from multidisciplinary team members responsible for specific clinical or therapeutic intervention.
Undertake relevant stroke and other training and development activities to meet agreed learning needs.
Exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance, submitting accurate records of attendance on monthly timesheets.
Assist with timetabling visits and monitoring rotas in conjunction with Nurse, Therapist or Care manager. Lead and/or support timetabling.
In the absence of colleagues through planned or unplanned leave, work flexibly to meet the prioritised needs of the Community Stroke Service
Assist Therapy and Nursing colleagues in the induction, training and education of other staff and students within the Community Stroke service and give support to train other staff within the team and care staff and carers.
Collect record and submit accurate clinical and personal statistical data in line with departmental requirements and guidelines.
Participate in team meetings and in service training sessions.
Regularly attend and participate in staff meetings as agreed by the professional leads.
Identify own learning and development needs with guidance from Therapy and Nursing colleagues, contributing to the production of a Personal Development Plan and compile a record of training and development activities undertaken with their learning outcomes.
Review and reflect on own practice and actively participates in regular supervision and annual appraisal.
Take responsibility for the routine management of designated tasks in conjunction with support worker colleagues e.g. petty cash, management of equipment orders, data collection.
Comply with the national, Trust and local policy, protocols and guidelines.
Contribute to the Service governance arrangements including attending meetings, completing risk assessments, completing audits and attending mandatory and service specific training.
Contribute towards service development activities through participation in team meetings and service development sessions.
Propose changes to processes and procedures carried out within own area of work to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the service.
Participate occasionally in team audit and evaluation as agreed with qualified Professionals.
Maintains client confidentiality at all times.
Adheres to Trust Values at all times to provide the best possible care for patients.
At Northampton General Hospital we provide general acute services and hyper-acute stroke, vascular and renal services to people living in Northamptonshire. As well as this we are an accredited cancer centre and provide cancer services to a wider population of Northamptonshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.
We are proud to be the first hospital in the UK to have obtained Pathway to Excellence® designated accreditation from the American nurses credentialing centre (ANCC).
We celebrate staff achievements and value the importance of working as one big team. That's why we talk about Team NGH. It's all about working together to provide the best possible care for our patients and supporting each other to grow and develop our skills. We are driven to helping you to be the best you can be.
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Apply today and join the largest family in Northamptonshire.