Cancer Center Complementary Therapy Volunteer - London, United Kingdom - University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

1 week ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

As a volunteer complementary therapist, you will gain valuable experience of providing complementary therapy to cancer patients in an NHS setting and the opportunity to develop these specialist skills.

You will volunteer as part of a team of specialist cancer care complementary therapists (including massage therapists, aromatherapists, reflexologists and reiki practitioners) within a supportive cancer care service.

This volunteer role involves providing hands on sessions of your agreed complementary therapy/therapies to haematology and or oncology patients and/or their carers.

Therapy sessions will be provided in day care settings and in our dedicated therapy rooms.

Volunteers can deliver sessions either to patients who have requested or booked a session or proactively offer their services in the day-care areas.

The role requires that the therapist is confident to work independently and be always responsible for their own safe practice, while maintaining accountability to their complementary therapy supervisor(s) and making best use of the learning and development opportunities that this role provides.

The day care areas where chemotherapy and other treatments are delivered are busy clinical departments where complementary therapy can help patients who are stressed or anxious about their treatment or experiencing side effects.

However, they require that therapists work flexibly around the needs of patient care.

Good time management is essential both on day care and in the therapy rooms to ensure patient bookings run smoothly and time is maximised to benefit patients.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES
Completing volunteer sign in and out
Reporting to complementary therapy supervisor on arrival
Carrying out effective consultations with patients to ensure that the treatment provided meets their needs and any safety considerations for their health condition
Providing complementary therapy sessions either to patients or carers who have specifically requested or booked sessions, responding to requests from nursing staff to see particular patients or their carers or proactively offering their services
Managing time effectively to ensure smooth running of booked session and to maximise the number of patients seen
Following all current PPE requirements and local infection control policies
Keeping therapy kit clean and organised and clearing up after workspace including the therapy room after sessions provided
Completing clear and accurate patient notes which will go on the patient's hospital records and entering data onto spreadsheet for sessions completed
Liaising with complementary therapy supervisor(s) to ensure best practice at all times
Encouraging patients to complete and return evaluation forms
Responding to patient enquiries and referring to appropriate services where further help is required

Always Representing the complementary therapy team at UCLH professionally to patients, carers, staff and members of the public

The role description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it may evolve over time to suit the needs of the team and the skills and strengths of the volunteer

QUALIFICATIONS, PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION

To have studied and qualified in massage, aromatherapy or reflexology at a recognised college/school (Level 3/ITEC equivalent)
To have been practicing that therapy professionally for at least 2 years
Registration with a Professional Standard's Authority voluntary regulatory body for that therapy or therapies
Membership of a professional association for your therapy/therapies
To hold and be responsible for maintaining current public liability and professional indemnity insurance
To be responsible for adhering to the professional body's codes of conduct and ethics

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

To be confident and competent in the delivery of your therapy, and to have the ability, with training, to adapt your therapy/therapies to the specialist needs of our vulnerable patient group.

To be able to assess patients prior to therapy for contraindications and cautions to the complementary therapy to be given

To be able to adapt your practice to provide effective treatments in different settings, which on day care will include background noise, working on hospital beds or chairs and with possible interruptions.

To gain valid, informed consent from patients and carers and work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment

To have good organisational and time managements skills to ensure smooth running of booked sessions and to maximise effective use of time to benefit patients.

To have the ability, once inducted, to perform your role independently while your supervisor is with their own patients or focusing on other non-clinical tasks
To have the ability to reflect on own clinical practice, to maintain accountability to your complementary therapy supervisor(s) and to make best use of the learning and development opportunities that this role provides