Highly Specialist Children's Community Physiotherapist
Advert
Job overview
Due to expansion of the team, we are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for an experienced clinician to become a pivotal part of our innovative and forward-thinking team, serving the diverse communities of the City of London and Hackney.
Role Overview:
In addition to our core community offer, our service aims to cover:
- Neonatal unit
- Special Schools
- Orthotics & Gait
- Paediatrics Musculoskeletal
- Transition to adulthood
- Expansion of our physiotherapy paediatric screening clinics across the
- Traded services
in addition to these leadership responsibilities, you will manage a small, complex
clinical caseload and provide mentorship to junior staff members.
Occasionally you may need to work evening or weekend sessions to attend school or community events.
Main duties of the job- Lead and manage specialist area, including overseeing referrals and maintaining a mixed caseload of children aged 0-19, with a focus on transition to adulthood pathways.
- Work closely with consultant paediatricians and multidisciplinary teams to deliver comprehensive, specialist paediatric care.
- Provide supervision, mentorship, and clinical support to junior physiotherapy colleagues, assistants, and students, fostering professional growth and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Offer expert advice on neuro-developmental disorders and complex neuro-muscular conditions, contributing to multidisciplinary and inter-agency discussions.
- Engage in universal and targeted interventions, including training for the wider workforce, drop-in clinics, specialist groups, and aqua/hydrotherapy sessions, promoting comprehensive therapeutic support.
- Stay abreast of advancements in paediatric physiotherapy, disseminate new knowledge, and participate in service policy development as delegated by the Clinical Lead.
Working for our organisation
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City and beyond.
We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.
Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times.
We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly.
Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well-regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits.
Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment/s on this page
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria- • Recognised Physiotherapy Degree Qualification or equivalent leading to registration with HPC
- • Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice
- • Registered Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
- • Evidence of relevant and regular CPD
- • Previous experience of working within the NHS
- • Clinical Educator Course
- • Membership of relevant Special Interest Groups, including Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP)
- • Relevant MSc or involvement in clinical research
Skills / abilities
Essential criteria- • Proficiency in physically facilitating and handling babies and children with complex physical and learning disabilities as well as respiratory conditions with the ability to demonstrate handling techniques to others
- • Proficiency in full physical orthopaedic and neurological assessment of children 0-19 with sound knowledge of normal developmental variants
- • Up to date knowledge of different pieces of specialised equipment and ability to work with specialised equipment requiring a level of fitness, agility, dexterity, speed, strength, precision and competence.
- • Able to work independently and as part of an MDT team
- • Ability to work with families who may be in crisis and resistant to professional input.
- • Ability to highlight safeguarding concerns and react accordingly
- • Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills. Should be able to support and advice appropriately.
- • High level negotiation and problem solving Skills
- • Excellent analytical and reflection skills
- • Well developed concentration skills
- • Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- • Good organisational and prioritisation skills
- • Proficient in relevant community language
- • Advanced IT skills (e.g. web design experience/ experience of creating databases / using social media within healthcare setting)
Experience
Essential criteria- • Extensive post graduate experience
- • Experience of working as a specialised physiotherapist in a community physiotherapy setting, or Paediatrics.
- • Experience of working with children transitioning to adulthood
- • Experience of supervising and teaching junior staff and the wider work force
- • Experience of developing care pathways and leading on clinical projects
- • Other relevant experience in child care or educational settings
- • Experience of working within a range of community settings
- • Experience of working in acute settings in paediatrics.
- • Experience of running and setting up groups and working with community providers.
- • Experience of working through competencies with junior staff
Knowledge
Essential criteria- • Extensive knowledge of evidence-based therapeutic interventions and outcome measures for children and young peoplee
- • Highly specialist knowledge of complex needs and respiratory interventions for disabled children and young people.
- • Knowledge of st• In depth knowledge of child development and normal variants of childhoodandardised assessment tools relevant to the client group and their application in informing service provision
- • Highly developed clinical reasoning skills
- • Knowledge of monitoring clinical risk and appropriate management.
- • Understanding of the principles of clinical governance /audit / research and evidence based practice.
- • Understanding of the roles of the wider work force in paediatrics and up to date knowledge of relevant policies, legislation or directives .
- • Knowledge of standards of record keeping
- • Competence in prescribing, adjusting and fitting equipment and aids for paediatric client group
- • Knowledge of national policies and procedures relevant to children’s physiotherapy, including within own specialist area.
- • Knowledge of evidence base and relevant research in MDT pathways of care
- • In depth knowledge of typical and pathological gait in paediatrics
- • Advanced knowledge of evidence and theory supporting hydrotherapy interventions.
Other
Essential criteria- • A dynamic and modern approach to therapeutic provision
- • Ability and willingness to travel around the Borough
- • A commitment to equal opportunities
- • Able to respond to external demands appropriately
General Guidance for Applicants
Please ensure that you read the "Guidance Notes On Submitting An Application" under "Additional Documentation" before completing your application.
Please note: we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
We are committed to achieving equality and inclusion at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and we respect and value the diversity and differences of our patients and our people, ensuring everyone is enabled to thrive, feels a sense of belonging, and is able to be their authentic self.We offer a range of flexible working options that enable you to balance your work and personal life, including part-time, compressed hours, remote working and job-shares.
If you are interested in joining our team, please let us know your preferred working pattern in your application, and we will consider all requests for flexible working and try to accommodate them wherever possible.
Please note that secondment arrangements will be considered for any fixed term positions, with the agreement of the existing line manager.
We are committed to equal opportunities, and have been approved as a Disability Confident Employer.