Therapy Discharge Practitioner | Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT) are implementing the Home First Model for patient care. This utilises the principles of discharge to assess which aims to ensure that patients who are medically optimised and no longer need a hospital bed, can leave hospital, and have their assessment in the most suitable setting. The Therapy Discharge Practitioner role is pivotal in shaping these services and asking the question "why not home and why not today?" The post holder will provide a single point of contact for patients, families, carers and associated people and co-ordinate/contribute to the safe and timely hospital discharge in partnership with other multi-disciplinary colleagues/agencies. The post holder will be supported to develop therapy skills through competency training such as walking aid assessment and assessing for basic equipment. This post will work over a 7 day service and therefore the post holder will be required to work weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis. The post holder will maintain momentum of discharge planning throughout the entire process; supporting and working in partnership with other members of the MDT. The post holder will act as a Trusted Assessor for health and social care pathways and will complete relevant referral pathway documentation, such as Trusted Assessor forms. The postholder will have a more in-depth education and understanding about factors that influence health and ill-health and knowledge of the wider health and social care network of services available to support patients. for example anatomy and physiology. Your work at this level will require enhanced skills which may be within a specialist clinical area. This includes tasks such as assessing for appropriate walking aids or assessing if equipment is required to support transfers for instance (this is not an exhaustive list and will depend on the area that you work as to what activities are completed regularly and what is appropriate). These assessments will also lead to you ordering equipment for patients to support their needs based on the assessments you have carried out. You will be supported to develop these skills through competency training. The post holder may undertake lone working (sometimes within a patients own home) in line with Trust Policy, Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first. 1. Formal knowledge and experience Formal qualifications and experience expected of a new candidate ( see person specification) 1. Supporting patients and service users Supporting patients and service users and their families, and providing care throughout their care and care pathways

• Will involve assessing for, ordering, and issuing basic equipment
• Will involve discharge planning from services in conjunction with MDT and registered practitioners.
• To support / lead on onward referrals to other health related teams within CHFT /external agencies
• To undertake lone working (sometimes within a patients own home) in line with Trust Policy
• To complete administrative duties and general patient care across departments as required
• Will take part in manual and handling training and subsequently contribute to the moving and handling of patients
1. Clinical, technical and scientific roles and responsibilities The underpinning knowledge and practice, support and interventions required of support staff to safely assist service users in meeting their optimum potential.
• Determine a treatment and/or discharge plan for an individual following a needs-based assessment, taking into account both health and social care needs.
• May require preparing and co-ordinating patient information regarding reason for admission/ referral, social history and current needs, to document this information accordingly and share with the MDT as required.
• To work as part of the wider Health and Social Care Team / PCN linking with staff from the Acute Trust, Primary and Social Care
• Carry out baseline assessment, in relation to health and social care support, record those assessments and request simple services or alterations to packages of care for service users. Liaise with Gateway to Care and Single Point of Contact and social services directly where appropriate
1. Communication and information The ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively using a range of methods - written, verbal and non-verbal. Maintaining confidentiality and protection of data and overcoming physical, sensory, cognitive and language barriers to understanding.
• Working in conjunction with the MDT, support the completion of the comprehensive and relevant discharge documentation /including onward referrals to other agencies
• At times, demonstrating good negotiation, support and conflict resolution skills where there may be disputes surrounding a plan for discharge/ treatment or assessment
• Supporting patients and relatives during stressful and emotional times
• Work closely with the patient's family and friends to ensure accurate information is recorded on electronic systems and that they are happy and confident to provide consent to other services
• Ensuring compassionate care and excellent communication is at the forefront of all interactions and assessments
1. Safe and inclusive environments The principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, protection, personal wellbeing and safety, along with the importance of duty of care and candour.
• To ensure that documented information is accurate, up-to-date and reflective of the department's involvement with individual service users and to use computerised records accordingly
• Ensure all relevant systems are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure safe care of all patients - including safe discharge from services
• Carry out duties with due regard to the Trust's Equal Opportunity Policy
1. Research and service improvement Participation in research, audit, evaluation and service improvement projects. Eg supervision, training, developments
• Attend all mandatory training and be responsible for maintaining up to date additional training and responsibilities relevant to the post (e.g. medical devices, competency training etc)
1. Leadership The importance of being a role model, identifying areas for self improvement and supervising others, and leading on patient safety, improvements and support for others.
• Will take the responsibility for the training of others, including delivering training
1. Personal and professional values and behaviours Understanding and demonstration of the values in the NHS Constitution and NHS People Promise, as well as self-development and personal well being
• Participate in regular supervision
• Participate in an appraisal annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal
• Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols
• Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary
• Maintain professional conduct including appearance at all times
• Be responsible for good time management and attendance.
  
  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.

We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT. We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services. We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza. We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS - yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff and the local community.