Understanding your role - AHP support workers

AHP support workers include a variety of roles including assistants and assistant practitioners but there are also many other job titles in use depending on the AHP clinical area.

These roles can also lead to a range of career opportunities, for those who have the ability, skills and values, to go on to become our future nurses, midwives and allied health professionals including dietitians, physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and diagnostic radiographers.

AHP support workers work with registered professionals, providing a wide variety of care and treatment depending on the clinical area they work into. Some examples of AHP support worker roles include:

• Helping dietitians assess, diagnose and treat an individual’s dietary and nutritional problems.
• Assisting occupational therapists in supporting people to carry out everyday tasks.
• Assisting physiotherapist in improving people’s mobility.
• Working with podiatrists to help care for service users with foot or ankle conditions.
• Assisting diagnostic radiographers to undertake images and provide support during the process.
• Helping speech and language therapists monitor swallowing difficulties and carry out therapy interventions to support communication

Responsibilities can include, but are not limited to:

• Direct delivery of clinical, technical, or scientific activities following training e.g. delivering programmes of care and or advice/education as directed by registered staff.
• Carrying out administration tasks related to patient care and the wider service e.g. arranging equipment delivery to patient homes.
• Providing routine and non-routine care and support e.g. supporting individuals during their care with activities of daily living.  Communicating information clearly and accurately using a range of methods 
• Demonstrating their role and duties to other support workers, students, or less experienced staff.

Dietetic support worker/assistant

• Assisting service users with therapeutic dietary choices
• Recording and analysing service users’ food and fluid intake
• Support with enteral tube feeding
• Taking and recording anthropometric measurements
• Supporting service users in achieving their personal dietary goals
• Delivering individual and group education in acute and community settings
• Ordering supplies and Oral Nutritional Supplement

OT support worker/assistant

• Helping patients adapt to life after major surgeries such as hip replacement
• Supporting children with disabilities taking part in school and play activities
• Helping people living with dementia to develop strategies
• Helping people living with mental illness get back into everyday activities such as work or volunteering
• Supporting older people to stay in their homes by assessing and providing minor adaptions and equipment
• Keeping patient records up to date
• Reporting progress to an occupational therapist

Podiatry assistant

• Applying dressings and treatments
• Booking appointments
• Taking insole templates
• Advising patients and their carers on foot health and footwear
• Carrying out simple tasks such as cutting toenails and applying dressings
• Checking feet for diabetic ulcers or other circulation problems
• Assisting podiatrists with minor surgical procedures

Speech and Language Therapy assistant

• Booking appointments and managing caseloads
• Preparing communication therapy services
• Providing therapy for patients after assessment by a registered SLT
• Providing swallowing care plans
• Providing dysphagia training to relatives, carers and ward staff
• Supporting patients to talk after a head or neck injury
• Modelling play and language activities

Physiotherapy assistant

• Getting equipment ready for use in treatments and tidying up afterwards
• Looking after patients when they arrive
• Helping patients to dress and undress
• Helping patients with their exercises
• Monitoring patients during exercise programmes
• Showing patients how to use mobility aids
• Organising clinics, dealing with phone enquiries and carrying out clerical duties
• Updating patient records, and marking their progress
• Working with other health care professionals, such as occupational therapists and nurses.

Radiography Support Worker

• Helping reassure patients undergoing treatment
• Processing the digital images taken
• Preparing patients for their treatment including transporting patients between other wards and departments
• Helping patients get into the correct position
• Updating patient records and booking appointments
• Cleaning treatment room and equipment between patients.
   

Skills and personal characteristics:

• Kind and caring
• Open and honest
• Willing to be hands on with patients
• Willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc)
• Able to follow instructions and procedures
• Able to work in a team but use their own initiative

You’ll also need:

• Communication skills, including listening
• Organisational skills
• Observational skills
• Basic IT skills

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