Physiotherapy Associate Therapy Practitioner

An exciting and rare opportunity has arisen for an Associate Therapy Practitioner to join the Learning Disabilities Physiotherapy Team. You will work alongside qualified physiotherapists to deliver physiotherapy interventions for people with a learning disability, supporting them to maximise physical function, independence, and quality of life. The role involves contributing to a range of physiotherapy interventions, including setting up and supporting the use of postural equipment such as standing frames and sleep systems, carrying out falls and mobility assessments, and assisting with rebound therapy and hydrotherapy programmes. We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual who is passionate about working with people with learning disabilities and who would like to be part of a dynamic, innovative, and supportive team. This is a community-based post, offering the opportunity to work across a variety of settings, including day centres, residential homes, colleges, clinics, and service users' own homes. The post is based at Spinks Lane Therapy Centre in Witham, Essex. You will work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team, which includes Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatry, and Arts Therapists.,

• Assist registered physiotherapists in the delivery of delegated physiotherapy interventions
• Support the administration, booking, and organisation of clinics and community appointments
• Work effectively as part of the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT), contributing to joint working and shared care plans
• Carry out prescribed exercise and treatment programmes with service users, as delegated by a registered physiotherapist and within agreed competencies
• Undertake initial screening of referrals and gather relevant information from service users, families, and carers to support physiotherapy assessment and planning
• Record accurate, clear, and timely clinical documentation following treatment sessions, in line with Trust standards and professional guidance, To provide assessment and treatment of designated service users under the supervision of a registered Physiotherapist. To work alongside existing Physiotherapy staff, alone or with other MDT staff., To work individually with service users on specific tasks as identified by a registered Physiotherapist.
• To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team.
• To be able to work flexibly across a wide variety of settings within the service
• To work in a lone environment visiting service users at home, assessing and managing risk.
• To maintain records to required professional standards
• To liaise with carers and other professionals as relevant
• To attend mandatory training and demonstrate application during interventions
• To complete the Band 4 competency framework within the agreed time frames
Clinical Responsibility · To undertake assessment of appropriate service users as delegated by a registered Physiotherapist and to deliver and progress individual treatment programmes. · To recognise changes and communicate assessment and treatment results back to the registered physiotherapist. · To have knowledge and understanding of conditions associated with learning disabilities and physiotherapy interventions used to treat these · To independently carry out group work as delegated by a registered Physiotherapist · To train and assess competency of carers to carry out treatment programmes as prescribed by the registered physiotherapist · To participate in and independently carry out treatment sessions in rebound and aquatic therapy as delegated by a registered Physiotherapist · To gain valid consent for interventions working within a legal framework with service users who lack capacity to consent to treatment · To carry out assessments and manual treatments of service users with moderate physical effort and to comply with the Trusts Manual Handling Policy at all times. · To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities, reacting appropriately to changes in circumstances · To access the Professional Lead, Team Lead Physiotherapist or supervising Physiotherapist for support, guidance and advice when needed · To adhere to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the Trust's Code of conduct for non-qualified staff and all other relevant policies and procedures
• To assist in hydrotherapy and rebound sessions
  
  Essential criteria
• Knowledge of Physiotherapy techniques and/or activities relevant to client group, acquired through training and experience
• Willingness to undertake relevant training in rebound, aquatic therapy, passive movements and/or computing skills within 12 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
• Membership of Professional Body (CSP)
• Technical /Teaching qualification e.g. City & Guilds or Health & Social Care
• NVQ level 3 and experience /training as a Mental Health Worker, Experience of working in paid or voluntary employment relevant to post.
• Understanding of professional conduct
Desirable criteria
• Previous experience working in the field of Learning Disabilities or other relevant transferable setting (e.g. pediatrics, long term neuro)
• Experience of community and MDT working
  
  Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. In 2021, we won the prestigious Health Service Journal award for Mental Health Trust of the Year, with the judges saying they were "blown away" by our people's achievements and that everything they saw "sings and hums". This year, our staff rated us the 4^th best mental health and learning disability trust to work for out of all 52 trusts in the country. Our staff tell us that they are proud to be part of the HPFT team, proud of the standard of care we provide and proud that service users are our top priority. Our people tell us they feel supported though a great development, wellbeing and work-life balance offer and a highly compassionate, values-driven culture. We are equally proud of our staff, who live our values of being welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional