Therapy Discharge Practitioner

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT) are implementing the Home First Model for patient care. This utilises the principles of discharge to assess which aims to ensure that patients who are medically optimised and no longer need a hospital bed, can leave hospital, and have their assessment in the most suitable setting. The Therapy Discharge Practitioner role is pivotal in shaping these services and asking the question "why not home and why not today?"

The post holder will provide a single point of contact for patients, families, carers and associated people and co-ordinate/contribute to the safe and timely hospital discharge in partnership with other multi-disciplinary colleagues/agencies. The post holder will be supported to develop therapy skills through competency training such as walking aid assessment and assessing for basic equipment.

This post will work over a 7 day service and therefore the post holder will be required to work weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will maintain momentum of discharge planning throughout the entire process; supporting and working in partnership with other members of the MDT. The post holder will act as a Trusted Assessor for health and social care pathways and will complete relevant referral pathway documentation, such as Trusted Assessor forms.

The postholder will have a more in-depth education and understanding about factors that influence health and ill-health and knowledge of the wider health and social care network of services available to support patients. for example anatomy and physiology. Your work at this level will require enhanced skills which may be within a specialist clinical area. This includes tasks such as assessing for appropriate walking aids or assessing if equipment is required to support transfers for instance (this is not an exhaustive list and will depend on the area that you work as to what activities are completed regularly and what is appropriate). These assessments will also lead to you ordering equipment for patients to support their needs based on the assessments you have carried out. You will be supported to develop these skills through competency training.

The post holder mayundertake lone working (sometimes within a patients own home) in line with Trust Policy

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job responsibilities

• Formal knowledge and experience

Formal qualifications and experience expected of a new candidate ( see person specification)

• Supporting patients and service users

Supporting patients and service users and their families, and providing care throughout their care and care pathways

• Will involve assessing for, ordering, and issuing basic equipment
• Will involve discharge planning from services in conjunction with MDT and registered practitioners.
• To support / lead on onward referrals to other health related teams within CHFT /external agencies
• To undertake lone working (sometimes within a patients own home) in line with Trust Policy
• To complete administrative duties and general patient care across departments as required
• Will take part in manual and handling training and subsequently contribute to the moving and handling of patients
• Clinical, technical and scientific roles and responsibilities

The underpinning knowledge and practice, support and interventions required of support staff to safely assist service users in meeting their optimum potential.

• Determine a treatment and/or discharge plan for an individual following a needs-based assessment, taking into account both health and social care needs.
• May require preparing and co-ordinating patient information regarding reason for admission/ referral, social history and current needs, to document this information accordingly and share with the MDT as required.
• To work as part of the wider Health and Social Care Team / PCN linking with staff from the Acute Trust, Primary and Social Care
• Carry out baseline assessment, in relation to health and social care support, record those assessments and request simple services or alterations to packages of care for service users. Liaise with Gateway to Care and Single Point of Contact and social services directly where appropriate
• Communication and information

The ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively using a range of methods written, verbal and non-verbal. Maintaining confidentiality and protection of data and overcoming physical, sensory, cognitive and language barriers to understanding.

• Working in conjunction with the MDT, support the completion of the comprehensive and relevant discharge documentation /including onward referrals to other agencies
• At times, demonstrating good negotiation, support and conflict resolution skills where there may be disputes surrounding a plan for discharge/ treatment or assessment
• Supporting patients and relatives during stressful and emotional times
• Work closely with the patients family and friends to ensure accurate information is recorded on electronic systems and that they are happy and confident to provide consent to other services
• Ensuring compassionate care and excellent communication is at the forefront of all interactions and assessments
• Safe and inclusive environments

The principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, protection, personal wellbeing and safety, along with the importance of duty of care and candour.

• To ensure that documented information is accurate, up-to-date and reflective of the departments involvement with individual service users and to use computerised records accordingly
• Ensure all relevant systems are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure safe care of all patients including safe discharge from services
• Carry out duties with due regard to the Trusts Equal Opportunity Policy
• Research and service improvement

Participation in research, audit, evaluation and service improvement projects. Eg supervision, training, developments

• Attend all mandatory training and be responsible for maintaining up to date additional training and responsibilities relevant to the post (e.g. medical devices, competency training etc)
• Leadership

The importance of being a role model, identifying areas for self improvement and supervising others, and leading on patient safety, improvements and support for others.

• Will take the responsibility for the training of others, including delivering training
• Personal and professional values and behaviours

Understanding and demonstration of the values in the NHS Constitution and NHS People Promise, as well as self-development and personal well being

• Participate in regular supervision
• Participate in an appraisal annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal
• Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols
• Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary
• Maintain professional conduct including appearance at all times
• Be responsible for good time management and attendance.

Person Specification

Qualifications/training

• 5 GCSEs including Maths and English (grades 9-4 or A*, A, B, C) or equivalent level 2 qualification(s). Equivalent working experience in a relevant role will also be considered.
• Level 5 Apprenticeship/ will complete when in post
• Band 4 Calderdale Framework Competencies completed/ Will complete when in post
• Willingness to participate in competency based training around rehabilitation and health and social care assessment.
• A-Levels or Health and Science A-Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications
• Foundation degree Health and Social Care
• Care Certificate
• Previous competency-based training in a relevant field.

Knowledge, Experience, Expertise

• An understanding of the needs and issues concerning illness and disability.
• Recent experience of working in a health and social care setting.
• Previous experience working in a multidisciplinary team in health, social care or education.
• An understanding of the concept of recovery from a period of being unwell, disability and the effects that some common long term conditions can have on a patients health and wellbeing.
• Basic computer skills.
• Experience of working in hospital, patients' homes and other community settings
• Experience of teaching and instructing/basic counselling skills.
• Experience of completing needs based assessment with service users or carers resulting in provision of services.
• Experience of completing care plans.
• Experience of working with service users with life limiting conditions.
• Experience or working with people at challenging times in their lives
• An ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions, seeking help appropriately, particularly in unforeseen circumstances.
• An understanding of enabling a person to learn or re-learn skills.
• An understanding of the issues when working in a service users' own homes.
• Understanding and knowledge of equipment that is regularly used to support discharge.
• Understanding of wider inter-agency issues.
• Knowledge of legislation and policy that has shaped current health and social care provision.
• Knowledge of current community based resources that can support people to live well at home

Communication and Relationships

• Demonstrates positive attitudes and behaviours.
• Works well in a team.
• Able to work independently with service users without direct supervision.
• Able to use initiative and be aware of limitations.
• Problem solving/decision making skills based on patient's needs.
• Ability to deal sensitively with distressing, emotional situations.
• Ability to relate to others and adapt approach accordingly.
• Able to motivate others.
• Awareness of cultural issues and valuing diversity.
• Organisational skills to manage time and caseload and to actively participate in the workload management of the team.
• Able to use own initiative.
• Able to fulfil the health requirements of the post as identified in the Job Description, taking into account any reasonable adjustments recommended by Occupational Health.
• Must be eligible to work in the UK.
• Ability to work in various locations throughout the network of services provided by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

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.

Employer name

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

£26,530 to £29,114 a yearper annum, pro rata