Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

Band 4 Senior Physiotherapy Assistant or Assistant Practitioner.

A vacant post within the Integrated Respiratory Team has arisen in North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) in the area of South West Essex.

The Integrated Respiratory Team are and integrated service with Nursing staff, Specialist Physiotherapists, Assistant Practitioners, Senior Physiotherapy Assistants and Administration staff.

The team cover many aspects of community respiratory care, services include, Respiratory Case management, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Home Oxygen Service, Respiratory Virtual Ward and Breathlessness and Diagnostics service (Spirometry and FeNo). 

Band 4 duties will include supporting aspects of service in each area after training and competency review, is will include:

Main duties of the job

1. Promoting effective self-management of patients following initial assessments.

2. Contribute to patient education and wider holistic support network 

3. Support COPD patients and other suitably identified respiratory conditions with assessment with clear lines of escalation to senior staff.

4. Support with Oxygen home safety and management of stable oxygen case load with escalation of CBG results .

5. The post holder will be able to perform appropriate level of assessment and delivery of Pulmonary Rehabilitation. 

6. The post holder will be expected to support the delivery of the Respiratory Virtual Ward (RVW) which supports Admission Avoidance and Early Supported Discharge pathways while being supervised by a senior member of staff.

7. To support Breathlessness and Diagnostics service by performing quality FeNo and ARTP accredited Spirometry. This service is evolving and additional suitable pathways and reviews maybe made.

8. To support with all aspects of service delivery and ongoing review of pathways and transformation of Respiratory services as competency and ability allow.

10. Support and deliver the Trusts Values.

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement – Fringe

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £1,258 and a maximum payment of £2,122 per annum pro rata).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are a busy, fast paced team, within an ever changing landscape of Respiratory Care, forward thinking and innovative, we work closely with our local partners working towards consistent care across Mid and South Essex. 

As an integrated service there will be in house training on all aspects of service and staff are expected to support all areas of service provision with the chance to upskill in nursing and therapy areas.

The post is Monday - Friday 9-5pm and Saturday - Sunday 9-5pm, this will be on a 4 week or suitable rota basis once all training and competency is signed off and has a level of flexibility . 

The successful candidate will have an interest in respiratory care and delivering the best.

This post requires that you work flexibly across South West Essex and be able to travel to clinic locations across patch and also home visiting. 

The area covered is Thurrock and Basildon, Brentwood, Wickford and Billericay within the MSE.

Certain respiratory qualifications and courses are mandatory but this can be supported if the successful candidate does not have these currently but qualifies at interview. 

The service and Trust actively support CPD. 

Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.

Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

AP Qualification NVQ L2 numeracy and literacy and evidence of continued learning

Desirable criteria

ARTP registration CBG competency

Experience

Essential criteria

experience working in the NHS

Desirable criteria

Community experience Acute experience Rehabilitation experience Respiratory experience

Skills

Essential criteria

evidence good communication skills IT skills evidence of organisational skills

Desirable criteria

Evidence of QI

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.