Hand Therapist | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The post advertised will be based at Dorset County Hospital, with a focus on covering adult and paediatric orthopaedic elective and trauma clinics, as well as rheumatology patients. Our dedicated MDT means we work closely with orthopaedic consultants in hand surgery, nursing staff, plaster technicians and orthotists. We are truly an integrated team who are Hand Therapists first and foremost and therefore welcome applications from both Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. We have a wide scope of practice within our specialty providing patient centred care.Prior experience working within the hand therapy department and making thermoplastic splints is essential. The successful candidate will be part of the Hand therapy team and receive structured supervision and training to carry out their role effectively. · The hand therapist is a Specialised clinician, responsible for independently managing a full clinical caseload. They are responsible for supervising junior members of staff within the specialist team. · In conjunction with the Team Lead, the post holder participates in a rolling programme of education, clinical evaluation, audit and research across the speciality. · The clinician works as an integral part of the hand therapy team and the wider multi-professional hand team. · The postholder may be required to work at any of the sites within the trust. Should the service require it this post may become rotational and be filled by specialist staff rotating within the service. · To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future. · The postholder may be required to work at weekends on a roster basis. The clinician works as an integral part of the hand therapy team and the wider multi-professional hand team. · The postholder may be required to work at any of the sites within the trust. Should the service require it this post may become rotational and be filled by specialist staff rotating within the service.

• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a significant caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations
• Liaise with consultants, nurses and other therapy staff to ensure best outcomes
• To work at an advanced level and be professionally and legally accountable for a specialised patient caseload, and decide priorities for own work area, without direct supervision.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of work, and the work of staff under the postholder's supervision. This will include management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with National and Trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist.
• Be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development. Ensure that your practice meets the required professional standards.
• To facilitate implementation and evaluation of clinical outcomes within a designated pathway and monitor adherence with professional and national standards.
• To work to trust and professional clinical guidelines and have a good working knowledge of relevant national standards to which quality of practice should be monitored.
• Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and an appraiser and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programme to meet set knowledge and competencies. To be responsible for the appraisal and professional development of designated pathway therapy staff in line with the requirements of the trust.
• Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review
• Be actively involved in professional clinical groups such as Clinical interest groups.
• Attend trust mandatory training sessions and adhere to trust and departmental policies and procedures
• Maintain state registration with HCPC and provide evidence of registration on request
• Once considered competent to participate in the on-call, weekend, bank holiday and extended working rotas where clinically appropriate
• To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future
• To contribute to clinical induction of hand therapy staff
• To undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as requested by Team Lead
  
  Disability Confident
About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

Dorset County Hospital Hand Therapy Service wish to offer the right person an exciting opportunity to join the dynamic hand therapy team on a year-long secondment basis. As a successful NHS in-house service, we provide high quality services in West Dorset.