Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist to join our friendly Wheelchair Service team. We support people in the Kent and Medway area who require long term mobility equipment and seating solutions to achieve and maintain their lifestyle choices. The role involves holistic assessment and prescription of specialist wheelchair equipment, and you will develop expertise in postural management and pressure care.

The Clinical Team, led by a Clinical Lead, consists of OT's, Physiotherapists, Rehabilitation Engineer, technicians, medical secretary, and support assistants. We operate as a whole service provision which includes Customer Services, Warehouse Operatives and Field Service Engineers. This gives the opportunity to provide Wheelchairs, cushions, and accessories on the day of Assessment. We are primarily clinic based at 2 sites Kent and Gillingham where we have excellent facilities.

We also work in service users homes, schools, day centres and specialist services, alongside community providers and acute services. You will be involved in training referrers and prescribers. The team work Independently or with peer support, we utilise telephone and video assessments to focus provision and resources. You will receive line management support from a Band 7 Therapist with additional support from the Clinical Lead.

Training for the role will be provided with an ongoing commitment to learning and development, including PDR/PDP and CPD., Providing clinical input to the wheelchair services, working closely with service users, their families and carers and the multi-disciplinary teams supporting service users. Work as an autonomous practitioner, managing a caseload including complex service users. Demonstrate clinical competence, effectiveness and best practice in all areas of clinical service delivery, including - Triage.

Duty activities. Clinical interventions, including assessment of mobility, posture and pressure care needs, prescription, review, and handover/set up of prescribed equipment, demonstrating evidence of service user involvement and collaboration in care planning. Documentation, ensuring compliance with agreed record keeping systems and standards. Caseload management. Use of outcome measures. Medical device management. Take responsibility for maintaining safe clinic environments. Safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom the service comes into contact.

Carry out physical/postural assessments and interventions which may involve kneeling, squatting, crouching, bending, twisting and maintaining static or awkward postures for short periods of time. Lift, carry or adjust wheelchairs and other equipment, potentially several times a day on a daily basis.
Post-registration experience working with patients with long-term and deteriorating medical conditions. Demonstrate strategies for organising own workload. Demonstrate a flexible and adaptable approach to working in order to meet competing priorities. Demonstrate skill development and critical analysis of skill gaps. Confident in the use of computers with knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office. Good communication skills, both written and verbal; positive interpersonal skills with an ability to community appropriately with colleagues, other professionals, carers and service users.

Ability to communicate sensitive information in written and verbal forms to service users, other professionals and in-house staff. Knowledge of a range of medical conditions (e.g. respiratory, neuro, orthopaedic), their management and implications for wheelchair prescription or other intervention. Effective strategies to cope with a variety of distressing situations, including challenging behaviour from service users. Ability to work under pressure.

Demonstrate understanding of risk assessment and management within the healthcare environment. Demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding, including how to identify potential safeguarding situations, how to report them internally and ensure action within the MDT. Knowledge of legal issues (e.g. data protection, child protection, health and safety, vulnerable adults, human rights etc.). Demonstrate an understanding of health and safety responsibilities and compliance.

Demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance requirements. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of moving and handling techniques and procedures. Understanding of information governance and data protection…