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Job summary

Main area
Occupational Therapy
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (Contract to end August 2026 - to be confirmed)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
197-UT7097-A
Employer
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospital Lewisham
Town
London
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum plus HCAS pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
20/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust logo

Orthopaedic Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner

Band 4

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 – the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over  staying comfortable; Listening  over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as “good” or “outstanding” in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King’s College London’s GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic Orthopedic Occupational Therapy team here at UHL. 

This is a fixed term post to cover maternity leave. 

The post holder will have the chance to carry a caseload of elective hip and knee patients. Working closely with the ward physiotherapists, you will be expected to take patients from admission through to discharge. 

At UHL, there is a strong emphasis on learning and development, with a rolling training program for all band 3 and band 4 staff. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this post. Being a car driver is essential. 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for running a weekly Hip and Knee group alongside the Orthopaedic Physiotherapists. 

You  will be working autonomously with a caseload of elective hip and knee patients. You will be responsible for identifying adaptive equipment to aid in your patients recovery and making referrals to community teams post discharge. Support and guidance will be provided by  the Occupational Therapists in your team, as well as the ward Physiotherapists. 

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

  1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
  2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
  3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
  4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
  5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Summary: 
This position is accountable to Head of Therapy. It will provide therapy in hospital setting or in the patient’s home. The position contributes to the discharge pathway and will support initiatives to shorten patients’ stay in hospital and maximise clinical outcome.
The Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work under the supervision of qualified     therapy staff, providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the     hospital and community setting
 
The Therapy Assistant Practitioner is able to carry out a full episode of care from 
assessment to discharge, for a specified and designated clinical caseload identified 
by a qualified clinician.
 
The post holder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team and 
department.
 
Key Result Areas & Performance:
 
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a full caseload of patients under the supervision, direct and indirect, of a therapist
 
• Assess and provide for equipment needs 
 
• Review patients to assess function
 
• Progress patients to maximise their function and independence as designated from qualified therapist
 
• To provide information, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other 
disciplines and agencies.  
 
• To promote understanding on the aims of Therapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment programme.
 
• Contributes to advice and education sessions for relevant patient groups
 
• To participate in multidisciplinary / multi-agency team meetings and case   conferences to ensure the co-ordination of patient care.  This may include the review of patient progress, and discharge planning.
 
• To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation and negotiation to gain co-operation in the continuation of the agreed treatment programme.
 
• Maintain accurate clinical records of all interventions
 
• To produce patient related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and/or treatment outcomes
 
• Input to databases as required
 
• Referring to the qualified practitioner when necessary, to work independently with a specified client group to manage equipment provision and functional assessment and rehabilitation. 
 
• Deliver and install simple aids and equipment in the patient’s home and instruct patients and carers in use of this equipment as appropriate
 
• To carry out home visits and access visits, with or without a therapist, as required
 
• To manage own day to day workload and maintain level of service within the   pathway at the local site, and assist other members of the team to make appropriate prioritisation choices.  To ensure the effective exchange of information across the pathway team and co-ordination of service delivery.
 
• Participate in weekend working if required.
 
Work force
• To provide guidance and teaching to therapy assistants working for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
 
• To be proactive with feedback on patients’ progress to therapy and nursing staff , immediately highlighting any clinical concerns
 
• To participate in supervision and appraisal with designated senior therapist
 
• To attend staff meetings
 
• To contribute to the clinical induction of therapy staff
 
• To be able to independently progress patients’ exercise programme and mobility, including issuing walking aids, for the specified patient group
 
 
Financial
• Ensure adequate activities of daily living equipment is available and accessible,  and work with Transferring Community Equipment Services (TCES) agenda
 
 
Partnerships
Communications and Relationships
• To communicate directly with ward staff any relevant information for patient care  and discharge facilitation 
 
• To provide information and instruction to other disciplines to ensure a consistent approach to patient care
• To educate patients / relatives/ carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of Therapy intervention
 
General
• To maintain accurate computer and written records that meet professional Trust standards
 
• To undertake general administrative tasks as required including filing, appointment booking, processing referrals, answering the telephone, and other duties as required
 
• To drive a lease car to visit patients’ homes, with or without passengers
 
• To be able to work flexibly between community and hospital, depending on demand, and be able to prioritise and organise own workload to facilitate discharges 
 

 

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • - Evidence of study to or attainment of NVQ Level III, relevant qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
Desirable criteria
  • - Experience in equipment provision
  • - Experience in working in Orthopaedics.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • - Experience of working clinically in physio / occupational therapy service in acute setting
  • - IT experience
Desirable criteria
  • - Community and acute experience
  • - Working in a care environment

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • - Knowledge of basic principles of rehabilitation
  • - Able to use computer databases and complete records electronically
  • - Understanding of care pathways and key issues for Trust.
  • - Able to work autonomously
Desirable criteria
  • - Knowledge of equipment prescription.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDCapital Nurse, LondonVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoTimewise helps businesses to attract and develop the best talent through flexible working.No smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationAge positiveDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)We offer Wagestream - A financial wellbeing benefit which lets you access your pay as you earn it.NHS Rainbow badgePrince's Trust - Proud to support the Prince's trust - Youth can do itStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sarah Flynn
Job title
Lead Occupational Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07918331617
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