Highly Specialised In-patient Paediatric Physiotherapist
The postholder supervises the day to day running of the paediatric physiotherapy team and is line managed by the cross-site clinical specialist paediatric physiotherapist. In conjunction with the cross-site clinical specialist paediatric physiotherapist, the post holder coordinates a rolling program of education, clinical evaluation, audit and research within the paediatric pathway at UHL including on-call competencies for staff and establishing close links with the paediatric team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
As part of the senior clinical physiotherapy team on the UHL site, the post-holder will deputize for the inpatient lead as required. The post is based on the University Hospital Lewisham site but may at times be asked to work on other sites in order to maintain service levels.The Therapies team operates a 7-day working week within the Trust and the post-holder will be required to work at weekends and overnight on calls on a roster basis. KEY RELATIONSHIPS Clinical Specialist In-Patient Paediatric Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy Inpatient Site Lead UHL, Physiotherapy Outpatient Lead UHL, Head of Adult Physiotherapy, Heads of Therapies, Medical Consultants, Therapists in Occupational Therapy / Speech and Language Therapy / Dietetics, All Physiotherapy Staff Working Trust wide, Nursing staff, Referring Hospitals, Social Services, Community Services, GPs, Voluntary Services, Academic Institutions, Specialists external to L&G.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Clinical To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a significant caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations To work at an advanced level and to be professionally and legally accountable for a highly-specialised patient caseload and to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, and of the local pathway teams work.
This will include the management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with national and trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist. To assess patients capacity, gain valid and informed consent to treatment and where such capacity is lacking/absent to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient To undertake the comprehensive assessment and accurate diagnosis of patients including those with complex presentation, using investigative, palpatory, analytical and clinical reasoning skills Under supervision of the Physiotherapy Inpatient Site Lead to request diagnostic procedures that will inform clinical decision making as appropriate to individual competency level and the job role To undertake physical treatment techniques utilising highly developed manual skills To formulate individualised clinical management programs, utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to plan a highly-specialised program of care To use recognised outcome measures to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy interventions and ensure that treatment program are progressing appropriately To provide spontaneous and planned expert advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines and agencies.
To promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment program. To be consulted by staff within the local pathway and the trust To participate in and where indicated, initiate multidisciplinary / multi-agency team meetings and case conferences to ensure the co-ordination of patient care.This may include the review of patient progress and discharge planning To ensure accurate, comprehensive and up to date clinical records are maintained in accordance with Trust guidance and professionally agreed criteria To identify and employ suitable verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients where there may be barriers to understanding or the inability to accept diagnosis.
To facilitate the best possible communication outcome in every situation and use appropriate services, e.g. interpreters, SALT To ensure that individual practice and that of the local pathway team is patient focused and patient views are incorporated into treatment planning To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation and negotiation to gain co-operation in the continuation of the agreed treatment program To communicate with empathy, patient information which may be of a complex and sensitive nature including details of prognosis or disability that may be unwelcome To receive complex patient related information from patients, relatives, carers and other professionals to effectively plan and develop individual case management To communicate and advise regarding complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working within the physiotherapy service and with other professionals across health and other agencies to ensure the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service To be integral in discharge planning including liaison with referring hospitals or community staff to which patients are discharged, providing timely discharge reports To produce comprehensive patient related reposts for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and or treatment outcomes To undertake an extended scope role as appropriate to the needs of the service and supervised by the Physiotherapy Site Lead and Paediatric Clinical Specialist (an extended scope practioner undertakes delegated responsibility on behalf of medical practioner(s) including the independent management of complete episodes of care of patients from referral to discharge) To undertake the measurement and evaluation of work through audit, outcome measurement, the application of evidence-based practice and research where appropriate.
To identify and initiate audit projects to review current clinical practice within the pathway To facilitate the implementation and evaluation of physiotherapy clinical outcomes within a designated pathway and monitor adherence with professional and national standards To work to Trust and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy clinical guidelines and have a good working knowledge of relevant national standards to which quality of practice should be monitored.To raise physiotherapy staff awareness of current clinical developments and the implication these may have on clinical practice To be accessible and provide expert clinical advice to colleagues in particular for complex case management Once considered competent to participate in the on-call, week-end, bank holiday and extended working rotas where clinically appropriate To fully participate in whatever pattern of working (including 7-day rosters, weekend working and oncalls) is required by the service in the future All clinical staff are accountable and responsible for their own clinical competence and should limit their actions to those for which they are deemed competent in line with guidance from their professional bodies.
Education Training and Research 1. To educate patients/relatives/carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of physiotherapy intervention 2. To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through continuing professional development activities including reflective practice, review of current research and relevant literature, maintenance of a personal portfolio and the attendance of specialist training courses as identified within a personal development plan 3.
To participate in peer review as appropriate 4. To take an active role in appropriate uni professional and multi professional research initiatives 5. To provide regular training for designated pathway staff in local site 6. In collaboration with the Physiotherapy Inpatient Site Lead, to initiate implementation of new working practices on designated site 7.In collaboration with the Physiotherapy Inpatient Site Lead, to prepare, co-ordinate, participate and contribute to the delivery if a specific in-service training program for staff in the designated pathway 8. To train, assess and confirm competency of staff within the pathway on designated site 9.
To undertake the tuition, supervision and performance assessment of undergraduate physiotherapy students. This will include working with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the degree level qualification 10.
To provide specialist teaching and instruction to other disciplines to ensure a consistent approach to patient care 11. To assist / support colleagues undertaking higher education, audit and research projects 12. To participate in mandatory / statutory training as required by the trust and national standards 13.
To maintain state registration with the Heath Professions Council (HPC) and to provide evidence of that registration annually upon request