Why the Therapy Support Workforce is so Vital
Did you know that 15% of the physiotherapy workforce are therapy support workers?
Therapy support workers are individuals who are an integral part of the physiotherapy team. They work with physios and other healthcare professionals, but do not have a physiotherapy degree or professional registration. They usually have qualifications relevant to their role, and extensive on the job training and experience, and as a result they are essential for providing outstanding patient-centred care. Despite this, therapy support workers are often significantly undervalued members of staff, and often fall near the bottom of the (unofficial) NHS hierarchy- which needs to change.
Did you know that therapy support workers can work beyond a band 4 / higher level, assuming there is support and the correct clinical governance procedures in place? This staff group have a significant wealth of knowledge and understanding to impart in order to benefit clinical services, and ultimately patient care. Support workers can often free up registered members of staff to see more complex patients, by seeing patients whose assessment and treatment is more routine, and less unpredictable. They also have an important role in training and inducting others, including students on placement as they are typically members of staff who have been working in the specific clinical area the longest. They are great sources of informal, and pastoral support and can help to guide their newer colleagues.
“Therapy support workers can work beyond a band 4 / higher level”
The tricky thing for students and new graduates to understand is the support worker scope of practice. Scope of practice is defined by the HCPC as: “The limit of your knowledge, skills and experience, and is made up of the activities you carry out within your professional role.”. What can be difficult to get your head around is that there is no ‘list’ of tasks that a support worker can or can’t do. Each hospital trust / board clinical area will have a different list of competencies the support workers can work towards, but the specific roles that each support worker will do will vary between workplace and is based on the individual practitioner’s knowledge, capability and training. So, if in one place a support worker can lead and run a falls prevention class, in another they cannot- even at the same band / level.
“Scope of practice is: “The limit of your knowledge, skills and experience, and is made up of the activities you carry out within your professional role.”
Delegation is an essential skill to learn ready for becoming a newly qualified practitioner, but in practice its historically done very badly and rarely officially covered on a healthcare course. Delegation isn’t about dumping a job list on another member of staff. It involves assessment, reasoned decision making and importantly, effective communication. The registered professional must decide if the task is appropriate to delegate, whether the person they are delegating too is trained, competent and it is within their band / level capabilities. They must also ensure that the person knows where to seek support, and feedback to if required. Effective delegation is an important skill to learn because as a registered professional, you are accountable for your actions, and those of the support workers you may be delegating to. Ultimately, it is your professional registration on the line if something were to go wrong.
Therefore, on a happier note my message is simple. Respect those around you and befriend the support workers in your team! Recognise that they are valuable members of the multidisciplinary team, and that they have a wealth of knowledge and experience to impart. Ensure that they can access CPD training and further education as appropriate to help them to continue to learn and upskill. And finally: unregistered does not mean unqualified.