Technician

Job overview

The Community Equipment Store provides and collects equipment and wheelchairs into and from people’s homes and local hospitals. It manages the procurement, repair, reconditioning and decontamination of equipment and wheelchairs.

The post holder will work in the repair and maintenance of equipment and wheelchairs.

The post holder will work closely with other staff members in the store as required to meet patient and service needs.

They will ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner, including the requesting of spare parts and completing routine maintenance of appropriate equipment. They will perform all tasks within the workshop as required; ensuring items issued by the store are fit for purpose and safe. They will work with the admin team to organise community visits.

This is a customer-facing role, having daily contact with clients, clinicians and other team members. The postholder will work on a shift basis including weekend and on-call duties. They will also occasionally provide support in the warehouse as part of the on-call rota.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within a competency-based framework to manage a workload of equipment and wheelchairs to be maintained, repaired or set up for use. They will perform activities that range from routine to more complex and will work closely with the Lead Technician, supporting and liaising to ensure all essential tasks are completed. The postholder will support the training of new technicians and provide cover in the occasional absence of the Lead Technician.

Part of the role will be to actively participate in the induction and training of junior technical staff, supervising competencies to ensure appropriate skills levels to deliver a customer-focused service. The post holder will be expected to accept delegated tasks and delegate to the junior staff when required to do so.

Responsibilities will include:

• Calibration and fault finding on the equipment in store, including electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic engineering components. This will include various makes and types of bath-lifts, profiling beds and chairs, pressure relief mattresses, hoists, wheelchairs, chargers, and transformers.
• Testing and repairing equipment
• General maintenance including completing safety tests in a timely manner.
• effective use of recording and documentation systems.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Technical duties

To work in accordance with the requirements of Health Technical Memorandums (HTMs) and all relevant legislation on sterilisation, hoists and electrical equipment as an appointed competent person for the Trust and Local Authority.

• Undertake routine preventative maintenance inspections, essential repairs and commissioning tests on items which includes all relevant mechanical and electrical safety tests.
• Undertake activities in accordance with Trust, Local Authority standards and procedures, HSE regulations and manufacturers specifications.
• Ensure any items which are unsafe are removed from use and disposed of appropriately.
• Following appropriate training, undertake Trust and Local Authority annual Portable Appliance Tests and Hoist Safe Working Load Tests and service record checks.
• Follow planned maintenance schedules and annual safety checks.
• Seek advice from team leaders on the recycling or scrapping of equipment and wheelchairs, including raising concerns on the safety and cost effectiveness of refurbishment.
• Participate in risk assessments pertaining to equipment and wheelchair provision.
• Alert service manager of any near misses/incidents relating to MHRA guidance.
• Use all relevant tools and equipment within safety guidelines as necessary for the completion of tasks.
• Work individually or in partnership with colleagues and clinicians,  giving advice and support to others on areas of expertise.
• Carry out all community visits ( e.g. homes, schools, residential care) ensuring identification of self, including wearing of uniform and ID badge, providing verbal information to clients on purpose of your visit and gaining consent to enter premises and review equipment. Ensure lone worker processes and the Trust Lone Worker Policy are followed.
• Within own skills base, provide safe setting up and handover of wheelchairs and equipment which includes verbal instruction, training, advice and physical demonstration of their use as appropriate. Ensure every contact counts, considering relevant preventative or supportive information to meet longer term concerns. . Ensure all relevant paperwork is completed and returned.
• Alert relevant therapy staff of any issues which arise at the handover of equipment.
• Communicate with clients, their carers, relatives and other professionals using a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools, including where there may be barriers to communication. Seek advice and support from the MDT to aid communication where there are complex needs and where joint working is required.
• Maintain BEST as an up-to-date stock control system to ensure the provision of accurate and factual equipment records.
• Participate in stocktaking and related audit as and when required.
• Develop innovative approaches to service provision, reviewing current evidence to guide practice and support the Lead Technician to progress ideas and implement.
• Seek advice and support from senior staff where necessary.
• Work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and on-call.
• Contribute to the wider team, supporting others, especially during periods of staff pressures.
• To undertake any other duties that may be required in negotiation with as specified by the service management to support service delivery/ development and which are applicable to the grade of the post.

For more detailed information, please read the job description linked below.

As a Trust we are keen to offer and encourage flexible working opportunities to address health and wellbeing and work-life balance for our employees, this will have a positive impact on the care we provide.

Flexible working is part of a wider commitment to improve the quality and experience of working life and we recognise that it is a key contributor for the recruitment and retention of our employees.

We therefore support and encourage open conversations around a specific working pattern to suit your work-life balance or a multi-role career, if it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

Local flexible working arrangements are developed in partnership between the line manager and employee in order to ensure equality of access to flexible working, as far as practicable, regardless of role, shift pattern, team or pay, based on: patient/service user and staff experience, service delivery and work-life balance of colleagues.

We are committed to creating and maintaining a fair and supportive working environment and culture, where contributions are fully recognised and valued by all and staff feel empowered to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. As employers we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and well-being of all our staff. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution, supports us to be an Employer of Choice and ultimately enables our employees to support the effective care of our patients.

We strongly value the different perspectives and ideas a diverse workforce brings to deliver better outcomes for our patients.  We welcome applications irrespective of people’s age, disability, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.

To learn more about Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, and discover the unique benefits on offer to employees, view our latest videos, plus more, please visit our recruitment website at https://joinnlag.co.uk/

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“We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children/vulnerable adults and expect the same commitment from all staff and volunteers”.

Please be aware that all new employees starting work with us will be charged for the cost of their DBS check, if it is required for their role.