Senior Prosthetist

Job Summary

37.5 hours per week. We are seeking an experienced Prosthetist keen to further their career in this vibrant coastal city. You will manage your own caseload, undertaking clinical assessment, data capture, provision and review of a wide range of prostheses for patients of all ages and with a wide range of conditions, support and mentor colleagues and students as well as have the opportunity to undertake research and audit.

As an independent social enterprise in-house provider, working for [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] will provide the opportunity to collaborate with the full range of prosthetic and orthotic suppliers to deliver optimal solutions for the patients you work with.

The successful applicant will join a team of over 20 staff and will have the opportunity to undertake true MDT working, supported by an established team of prosthetists, consultant, specialist physiotherapists, specialist nurse, clinical and administrative support and a team of on-site prosthetic technicians with a full manufacturing facility.

If you are passionate about the prosthetic profession, keen to join a supportive, progressive team and would like the opportunity to work in beautiful Devon and Cornwall, this could be the role for you.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

Please note that [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Main Duties of the Job

• To work as a prosthetist, managing a caseload of adults and children with amputations or congenital limb differences including a full range of complex conditions.
• To provide support to our satellite clinic in Cornwall as required
• To contribute to maintaining and improving all aspects of Prosthetic practice, partaking in audit and research to inform evidence based practice.
• To provide professional prosthetic advice and expertise on specific projects and to internal and external stakeholders.
• To represent the prosthetic service working internally and external to the organisation as required to effectively fulfil any requirement of this job description, working productively with others as necessary.
• To input into the development of prosthetics ensuring local and national standards are maintained and improved as required.
• Within the role you will be expected to work with more complex patients providing holistic evidence-based care, assessing, planning, implementing the treatment requirements of the practice population.
• Participate in the management of enhanced assessments such as Primary MDT consultations.
• Promoting and supporting people in their care and treatment to help them manage their own health and wellbeing, maximise independence.
• Share knowledge and skills and empower others.
• Support the audit of patient outcomes.
• Prevent hospital admission.

About [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job Responsibilities

• To provide clinical input to the MDT. Give clinical and professional advice to the multi-disciplinary team regarding appropriate prosthetic provision for patients.
• Accept referrals from medical and healthcare professionals and undertake clinical assessment and examination of patients to provide suitable highly specialist prosthetic clinical-technical prescriptions for patients with a wide range of presentations including complex patients.
• Use measurement and data acquisition techniques in recording all pertinent information to ensure accuracy of patient prescriptions
• Perform positive model and CADCAM rectifications as appropriate
• Specify the design, componentry, materials, fabrication method and suppliers of prostheses and order individual items to meet the patients clinical needs.
• Perform mechanical and technical adjustments to prostheses
• Evaluate the completed device on the patient to ensure the desired quality of body-device interface, functional alignment, comfort, cosmetic appearance and mechanical integrity and safety.
• Re-evaluate the above following Service agreed time intervals to meet patient needs or requirements of a care plan (review appointments).
• Provide verbal, visual and written information, explanation and highly specialised clinical advice to the patient and/or carers at every stage of device provision for informed consent.
• To be accountable for the direct delivery of service by providing holistic evidence-based practice to patients and their carers, ensuring maximum independence and quality of life in a constantly changing environment. To achieve positive patient outcomes in partnership with multi-professional agencies and promoting this throughout the clinical team.
• Utilise a range of specialised clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical setting in which they are seen. Exercising a high level of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
• To triage and accept appropriate routine and urgent referrals directly from other disciplines, patients, carers, and members of the public and / or refer to other agencies where appropriate. Ensuring all referrals are prioritised accordingly. Whilst working within professional guidelines to make clinical decisions without supervision.
• To undertake comprehensive risk assessments of all situations associated with the care of patients to ensure patients and the carers safety.
• Preserve confidentiality and be aware of the Data Protection Act, Access to Health Records and Consent for Treatment.
• To participate in the implementation of relevant care pathways within the prosthetic profession.
• To participate with relevant clinical competency frameworks and essential training for the prosthetic service and others as required when linked to the profession
• To contribute to discussion around and development of clinical procedures, protocols, guidelines and policies that will support evidence based or best practice for the prosthetic profession in line with current organisation policy
• To Line manage junior members of the team as and when required, supported by the clinical lead prosthetist/senior prosthetist.
• Act as mentor for new staff and students, including delivery of a structured induction and training program for new members of staff alongside the service support manager and other senior clinicians. Ensure they are fully aware of their scope within the department.
• Take part in the process of clinical supervision and support clinical supervision and reflective practice for team members
• Contribute to discussions around the implementation of robust prescription guidelines to maximise budget for all patients based on individual needs
• To ensure consideration of available budgets when prescribing equipment and components and ensuring maintenance and repair is upheld.
• Contribute to discussion around approval of components requested outside of prescription guidelines
• To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
• Contribute to discussions around the implementation of robust prescription guidelines to maximise budget for all patients based on individual needs
• Contribute to discussion around approval of components requested outside of prescription guidelines
• Ensure safe and efficient use of stock and equipment. Ensure equipment is checked appropriately. Report any equipment defects. Advise stores person if low stock noted.
• Exercise a duty of care in relation to the use of the organisations equipment and resources in a cost-effective manner.
• Maintain effective working relationships with multidisciplinary team and deliver a cost-effective quality service to patient/carers within a defined geographical area.
• To contribute to resource governance through knowledge and appropriate prescribing decisions.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive documentation in line with legal and service requirements as an autonomous practitioner and to communicate assessment and other clinic outcomes to appropriate persons in the form of reports and letters.
• Maintain patient clinical records in accordance with HCPC policy and local guidelines.
• Report any accidents, complaints, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents following Trust procedure.
• Support the Clinical lead prosthetist and Service manager in the recording of accurate clinical activity data for NHSE data capture.
• Ensure line management and appraisal documentation is completed for the team members for which they hold manager responsibility.
• Carry out risk assessments and record these on the organisations risk register.
• Maintain and update risks on the risk register as required.
• Report patient adverse incidents related to the provision of prostheses to maintain patient safety and engage in national reporting and monitoring procedures for specialised medical devices.
• Advise and maintain effective liaison with technical support personnel including assistance with training to ensure best current technical practice in meeting patients needs.
• Use excellent negotiation and counselling skills and other tools to ensure the effective communication of complex, sensitive and emotional information and to overcome barriers to understanding. Such persons will include those At risk, the terminally ill, the vulnerable, those such as Stroke patients, the learning disabled, the deaf and hard of hearing and those possessing poor communication skills. Also non-English speakers and those who speak some English but who have a different first language.
• To be responsible for organising own time management on a daily basis in line with caseload demands balancing patient needs with the non-clinical aspect of the role.
• To attend various sites to carry out role, including satellite clinic and in-patient settings as necessary.
• To participate in an annual appraisal of their work in line with the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) where the job description will be reviewed, and objectives set. In line with the annual development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.
• To remain updated and competent and ensure that clinical practice is evidence based.
• Assume responsibility for own professional development and personal knowledge.
• Maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• To abide by the Statement of Conduct for Prosthetists Orthotists of the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Practice in accordance with the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists Guidelines for Best Practice.
• Participate in Clinical Supervision in accordance with the Organisations Policy. Proactively participate in peer support and supervision which may include for example, reflective practice, case conferences, journal clubs, clinical discussion and supervision sessions with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Participate and propose changes in Quality Assurance Systems, protocols and procedures as relevant and necessary.
• Ensure that Health & Safety legislation is complied with at all times, being aware of and following Organisational and Service Policies including: Health and Safety, Manual Handling, COSHH, Infection Control, Incident and complaints reporting, Risk Management
• Ensure adherence to [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] Policies.
• To contribute to the analysis of relevant clinical incidents across the profession and implementing learning from outcomes.
• To work with the clinical lead/senior clinicians in identifying, assessing and managing risk across the profession/service, utilising the risk register as appropriate.
• To proactively support clinical leaders with the management and maintenance of health, safety, and security following the relevant legislation and current organisation and service policies
• Provide feedback upon relevant clinical procedures/ protocols/ polices/ audit guidelines for specific aspects of own service in line with NICE guidance, best practice Guidance and professional forums and support implementation into practice.
• To proactively support and engage in clinical service improvements, suggesting new ideas, innovations and approaches to develop clinical and service excellence and quality of delivery, taking into account patient and other service users views and opinions to optimise the use of resources and respond proactively to changes in service needs.
• Monitor the emergence of new evidence and implement and evaluate research-based recommendations that are expected to improve patient care in own work area.
• Maintain links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care.
• Partake in audit and research within own specialty.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills (Essential)

• Highly Specialist knowledge of prosthetic theory, prescription, manufacture and delivery.
• Expertise in problem solving for complex prosthetic cases
• Detailed knowledge of medical device products and technologies relevant to clinical practice.
• Competent across a wide range of areas of Prosthetic clinical practice
• Knowledge of current practice of medical and other relevant Healthcare practitioners
• Ability to work without supervision, use own initiative but within professional guidelines.
• Highly Specialist Clinical assessment skills to enable clinical diagnosis and onward referral
• Excellent communication skills; written, verbal and IT based.
• IT Skills
• Excellent time management & organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to change

Qualifications

• Essential: BSc Hons Prosthetics, Orthotics or equivalent
• Desirable: Postgraduate education and or CPD relating to specialist prosthetics provision some to MSc level

Experience

• Essential: Relevant and significant post-graduate in clinical prosthetics practice.
• Demonstrable exposure to a wide range of highly specialist clinical prosthetic practice.
• Managing a clinical & manufacturing caseload that includes complex cases and a range of age groups and amputation levels
• Use of relevant outcome measures
• Experience of effective multidisciplinary working.
• Demonstrate involvement in quality issues or service improvement.
• Experience of audit/research
• Desirable: Relevant and significant post-qualification clinical practice. Student mentoring and line management experience, Training of clinical and technical staff, Service redesign or involvement in change

Additional Information

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer Details

Employer name: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

Address: The Thornberry Centre, 1 Brest Way, Derriford, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5XW

Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/