Job summary

Surrey Downs Health & Care

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and motivated Hand Therapist to join our wonderful MSK Hand Therapy Team. Experience of working within a Hand Therapy Service is essential, preferably within the NHS and with experience of managing patients from Acute Elective, Acute Trauma, Plastics and Rheumatology.

We have an active In-Service training programme and excellent links with our Consultant Surgical colleagues who also provide training for the team.

The caseload is varied with the majority being acute trauma or post-elective surgery but also includes community referrals from local GPs and FCPs.

The Hand Therapy unit is very busy but the team are very cohesive and supportive of one and other. The Hand Therapy Service is also part of the wider Surrey Downs Health & Care MSK Service.

Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist hand assessments and treatment for clients who have had trauma / surgery to their upper limb and / or have chronic conditions. Provide and / or fabricate static and dynamic splints for individual patients, in order to prevent impairment and / or improve function, independence and quality of life.
• Applying specialist knowledge and skills across the total range of impairments, procedures and practices gained through practical experience, underpinned by theoretical knowledge.
• To assess and implement specialist treatment programmes as an autonomous practitioner, maintaining associated clinical records.
• To work unsupervised reporting back and receiving guidance and teaching from the senior hand therapist / team leader on a regular basis.
• To participate in the day-to-day management of the specialist service provision undertaking tasks as delegated by the Team Leader, supporting less experienced therapists, and non-registered staff members on a daily basis.
• To provide formal supervision to nominated staff members and students.
• Where required this role may include cross site working with St Helier Hospital and / or provision of Hand Therapy within Consultant Led Clinics at Epsom General Hospital or at St Helier and the post holder must be able to make the necessary travel arrangements.

About us

Surrey Downs Health and Care deliver care closer to people's own communities through our Primary Care Networks, Community Hospitals, Specialist Services and our innovative partnership of local NHS organisations.

Surrey Downs Health and Care has a track record of providing person centered care that goes beyond organisational boundaries to do what is best for the individual. This partnership includes :

Historically, there have been boundary lines between the organisations that provide care to people in their homes, in GP surgeries and in hospitals, but we have always been united in our mission to provide great care to the people who need us.

It's on those grounds that the Surrey Downs Health and Care was formed - we want local people to receive the care that they need in the right environment. By bringing together our expertise, we can improve patient care and enable local people to access the right support, care and treatment more easily than ever before.

In bringing this partnership together, we are working to the same set of values that will translate into better care for our residents.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

1. To carry and prioritise own patient caseload and other ongoing tasks, allocating appropriate work to technical instructors and students.

2. To perform specialist therapy assessment of patients with diverse and complex presentations, using advanced clinical reasoning skills to analyse, interpret and make judgements on complex facts or situations, to provide specialised packages of care, treatment and advice to patients, based on sound knowledge of evidence based practice and the range of treatment options and / or adaptive techniques and / or equipment provision, and / or care services.

3. To attend consultant outpatients clinics and to assess and treat patients as necessary. This may include cross site working.

4. To incorporate the appropriate standard assessment tools with patients, and apply additional relevant skills in specialised splint making.

communicate sensitively and reassuringly complex condition and functional risk / limitation related information to patients / carers, to gain consent to and co-operation in assessment and treatment, and in giving specialist advice to patients / carers regarding their options for ongoing care needs. Being aware at all times of the sensitive nature of some recommendations, and the potential for patients / carers to have special communication needs resulting in barriers to understanding.

multi-disciplinary meetings as the hand therapist representative for individual patients, to inform complex discussions, gain a full range of information prior to planning patient centred goals, analyse options for meeting goals and participate in the clinical decision making process and development of comprehensive MDT plans for discharge.

7. To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required.

8. To manage clinical risk in relation to your own caseload, seeking guidance and help from senior therapist, as appropriate.

9. To maintain accurate, legible and complete clinical records of all patient related interventions, in line with the hand therapy Documentation Guidelines. To include the computerised patient database system.

1. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own professional and clinical work. Ensuring that assessments and interventions are carried out in accordance with Surrey Downs Health and Care policies, College of Occupational Therapy / Chartered Society of Physiotherapy standards and code of conduct, and have a good working knowledge of national and local standards to guide your practice. Monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate. Seek guidance as necessary.

Organisational

1. To undertake delegated responsibility for the screening, prioritisation and allocation of referrals within the clinical area in the absence of the team leader.

2. To provide regular teaching sessions and contribute to the performance assessment of rotational Physios and technical instructors.

3. To provide training sessions to staff from other teams and agencies, either on request or on a regular basis.

4. To keep accurate statistical information to assist in the monitoring and management of the service.

5. To participate in ongoing data collection for clinical audit and departmental research, and occasionally lead clinical audit within the hand therapy department or as part of the MDT. Undertake literature searches and other research activities to support the development of evidence based services. Undertake clinical projects / pilots under guidance.

6. Attend relevant team, departmental or other appropriate meetings and actively contribute to the development of policies & procedures for clinical or service provision, and implement as appropriate.

7. To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out hand therapy duties and to adhere to departmental policies and guidelines to ensure safe use of equipment by self and others. To report any defects or difficulties to the Clinical Manager.

8. To advise the senior therapist of any therapeutic equipment / materials needed for the service.

9. To utilise information management and technology (IM&T) systems to improve the efficiency of the service.

1. To share responsibility for departmental tidiness, maintenance and administration.

Professional

1. To be responsible for teaching student therapists to graduate level on therapeutic skills and knowledge within core clinical areas.

2. To actively participate in the in-service training programme by attending and contributing to discussions, and in providing sessions. This can occur off site and the post-holder must be able to make necessary travel arrangements

3. To maintain and further develop current specialist knowledge, skills and evidenced based practice, incorporating them as appropriate into clinical work.

4. To participate in formal supervision process as a supervisee.

5. To participate in the SDHC appraisal scheme and formulate a personal development plan.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Desirable

Experience

Essential

Desirable

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Personal Qualities

Essential

Desirable