Job summary
Liverpool Wheelchair Service is looking for enthusiastic and motivated Band 6 therapist to join our growing team. The successful candidate(s) will provide assessment and provision of wheelchairs, postural support and pressure management to clients of all ages with a wide variety of medical conditions across the diverse city of Liverpool.
The skills required for this post include practical problem solving skills, with sound clinical reasoning skills. An effective team player with excellent organisational and communication skills required to work in a busy service.
You will undertake comprehensive assessments of service users with a variety of physical, cognitive and/or learning disabilities. Many service users present with complex multi-pathologies which require a high level of understanding of the impact of these conditions/disabilities. Identification of social and environmental issues that may impact on the final equipment recommendations is also key to providing a holistic posture/ pressure management solution with a wheelchair.
We are predominantly a clinic based service but also see patients in other environments such as schools, hospitals, and their own home. We assess and prescribe manual wheelchairs, active user wheelchairs and electric powered chairs, along with posture/ pressure management and specialist seating systems.
Main duties of the job
- Wheelchair assessment and provision and prescription of wheeled mobility, pressure care and postural support.
- Management of complex caseloads.
- Complex postural assessment and provision of wheelchairs to support patients as part of a 24 postural care approach.
To be considered for this post you must have:
- BSc degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy and current HCPC registration.
- Minimum 18 months experience as a qualified therapist, working with patients with long-term and deteriorating medical conditions, including palliative care, neurology, paediatrics.
- An understanding of the impact of these conditions on patient's lives.
- Experience of undertaking holistic assessments.
- Previous experience of working in a Wheelchair service is preferred but not essential.
- Member of a special interest group preferredbut not essential.
- Current UK driving licence is essential.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 11 million people.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are an innovative service with a shared goal of providing a high quality service to our patients to achieve their mobility goals and enable their independence. We are looking for forward thinking therapists who will add to the teams dynamic approach and be committed to continuing professional development of themselves and others.
See attached Job description for further details.
Part time hours may be considered dependent upon experience.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree (or Diploma) in Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy
- HCPC registered Occupational Therapist / Physiotherapist
- Registered member of professional body (Chartered Society of Physiotherapists or British Association of Occupational Therapists)
Desirable
- Accredited Practice Placement Educator
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with service users with a variety of conditions/needs e.g. musculoskeletal, neurological, amputees, palliative conditions
- Evidence of multi professional working and collaborative team planning
- Experience in postural management
- Evidence of attending validated / specialist courses e.g. in postural management
- Commitment to and evidence of CPD
- Experience of audit, outcome measures and service statistics
Desirable
- Previous experience within a wheelchair service
- Specialist experience of posture and mobility management (special seating and wheelchairs)
- Community/Lone worker experience
- Knowledge and experience of risk assessments and risk management
- Experience of supervising staff and/or students
- Member of special interest group e.g. Posture and Mobility Group
- Participation in projects
- Awareness of Health and Safety issues as a lone worker in the community
- Demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting service users and services in the community e.g. disability rights/issues
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
Essential
- Proven ability to work autonomously and prioritise/organise and manage own workload in a demanding service
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Moving and handling skills/training
- Ability to identify, critically appraise and communicate personal strengths and development needs
- Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
- Teaching/Presentation skills
- Basic level IT skills
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Self-motivated and able to adopt a flexible working approach when the needs of the service require
- Willingness to support and assist the team in the planning and development of the service
- Must be able to transport self around the community
- Excellent hand-eye coordination
- Sensory skills (sight, hearing, touch) to be able to independently adjust mobility equipment to suit service users' needs.
- Dexterity, manipulation and fine-motor skills
Desirable
- Demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting service users and services in the community e.g. disability rights/issues
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website .
Employer details
Employer name
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Liverpool Wheelchair Service, Lifehouse
Summers Road, Brunswick Dock Business Park
Liverpool
L3 4BL