Senior Rehabilitation Engineer or Clinical Scientist

Job Description

Senior Rehabilitation Engineer or Clinical ScientistSalary: from £35,500 to £42,000 dependent on experienceMansfield Wheelchair Service, NG18 5QJPart time 3 days per weekPurpose of Job:To provide support to the Mansfield Wheelchair Service to ensure clients are provided with equipment that is appropriate to their functional needs, prognosis and environment whilst ensuring the equipment is of an appropriate quality and value for money andis provided within agreed delivery times. The post holder will be based at our Mansfield site but may be required to travel to other sites as necessary.The wheelchair service provided by Ross Care, on behalf of the NHS ICB, has a responsibility to ensure that all eligible Service Users receive the wheelchair equipment they require to meet their clinical mobility needs as assessed by the clinical team. Thepost holder will support the delivery of a safe, caring, responsive, effective and well-led wheelchair service by:

• Providing clinical and technical input to the wheelchair service, working closely with service users, their families and carers and the multi-disciplinary teams supporting service users
• Working under the direction of the Clinical Lead to achieve contractual standards of performance and excellent personalized customer service

Main Duties and Responsibilities:Management and Communication:

• Work positively with colleagues to maintain effective relationships within the team and with services such as the repair and maintenance service
• Report to and work collaboratively with the Clinical Lead, demonstrating an understanding of demand and capacity and efficient ways of working, to ensure provision of an effective clinical service that meets contractual obligations and provides excellentcustomer service
• Supervise junior team members, where appropriate, as directed by Clinical Lead or Regional Rehabilitation Engineer, providing opportunities for reflection on clinical and technical practice
• Identify areas for service development and participate in implementing developments
• Support development/review of policies and standard operating procedures
• Arrange, co-ordinate and attend clinics in community/school settings
• Communicate effectively with service user groups and with other stakeholders (eg community/hospital/paediatric therapists) to facilitate joint working, where appropriate, attending meetings as requested by the Clinical Lead
• Facilitate sensitive discussion of contentious outcomes with service users, carers, relatives, wheelchair service staff and other professional colleagues
• Facilitate effective communication with service users who have communication difficulties of any kind
• At all times, comply with controls assurance standards for wheelchairs
• Identify and report any areas of concern to service and senior managers

Clinical and Technical

• Work as an autonomous practitioner, managing a caseload of complex service users
• Develop in-depth knowledge of mobility equipment and provide advice and guidance to other clinical team members
• Demonstrate clinical and technical competence, effectiveness and best practice in key areas of clinical service delivery:
  • 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
  • Adjustments to, and minor modifications of, mobility equipment and accessories
  • Production of engineering drawings and manufacturing instructions for proposed modifications or adaptations
  • Assembly and programming of complex powered wheelchair control systems
  • Documentation, ensuring compliance with agreed record keeping systems/standards
  • Caseload management
  • Use of outcome measures
  • Medical device management, in accordance with current legislation

• Provide technical support as necessary to service centre manager and/or warehouse manager (eg training of FSEs, and warehouse technicians, warranty issues, adverse incidents, audit)
• Take responsibility for maintaining safe clinic environments
• Safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults through strict adherence to Ross Care safeguarding procedures and guidelines
• Lead in reviews and evaluation of existing and new equipment as requested by Regional Rehabilitation Engineer

Physical:

• 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
• Work with a variety of hand and powered tools in a range of environments
• Assist service users to transfer from surface to surface by the safest means, using any appropriate equipment
• Lift, carry or adjust wheelchairs and other equipment, potentially several times a day, on a daily basis (eg. into and out of storage areas, into and out of vehicles)
• Attend moving and handling training and comply with Ross Care policies for moving and handling, at all times
• Be exposed to unpleasant working conditions, environments or weather conditions (eg. sweat, bodily fluids, unhygienic surroundings, smoke