Physiotherapist

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver group and individual physiotherapy interventions in the Day Hospice
• Undertake home visits to support patients at end of life
• Provide advice on mobility, positioning, and equipment
• Recognise deterioration and escalate concerns appropriately
• Use sensitive communication to support patients and families
• Maintain accurate records and work within hospice policies

Main duties and responsibilities

Essential

• Main duties and responsibilities
• Day Hospice-Based Work
• Deliver group-based gentle exercise classes tailored to patients with complex and palliative care needs.
• Provide individualised physiotherapy assessments and interventions focused on symptom management (e.g., fatigue, breathlessness, anxiety).
• Collaborate with the wider hospice team to support holistic care planning.
• Contribute to patient education and empowerment through therapeutic activities.
• Community-Based Work
• Conduct home visits to patients at end of life, offering physiotherapy input to support comfort, mobility, and dignity.
• Liaise with families, carers, and community healthcare professionals to ensure coordinated care.
• Provide advice on equipment, positioning, and movement strategies to support patients in their preferred place of care.
• Clinical Practice
• To undertake initial assessment visits, these may be carried out at the hospice building or in their own home
• Recognise the deteriorating patient, escalating concerns or flagging up possible red flags and referring for review as appropriate
• To support patients through advanced communication skills to have difficult conversations, such as coming to terms with deterioration or adjusting to different levels of ability, including future planning discussions for Advance Care Planning
• Maximising wellbeing through the provision of services and interventions working in line with a rehabilitation agenda.
• To support patients when planning for discharge including signposting patients to appropriate alternative services.
• To maintain a safe working environment including completing risk assessments, incident reporting and infection control.
• To work within recognised manual handling guidelines demonstrating safe and appropriate use of hoists and manual handling equipment.
• To maintain accurate and timely patient records and documentation in link with professional standards and Hospice Policy.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide a comprehensive assessment of the patients needs.
• To act as point of contact for outside agencies, health and social care professions.
• To act in accordance with professional codes of conduct and practice,
• Leadership and Management
• To work with the wellbeing manager and other members of the MDT to ensure that Longfield offer a range of services providing appropriate delivery of patient care.
• To act as role model for therapy, health-care/therapy assistants, students and other care services staff.
• Ensuring own clinical competence adheres to current best practice.
• To communicate effectively with a wide range of people including patients/clients, carers and those who have been bereaved, Hospice colleagues, allied health professionals, and social care staff, primary care colleagues.
• To attend the Clinical Quality group, internal and external meetings as a representative of Longfield as required.
• To support the recruitment, monitoring, and development of new members of staff, utilising performance and competency frameworks mentor new staff to ensure that they have attained relevant skills and competency during their induction and probationary period.
• Education
• To keep up-to-date with evidence based developments to ensure that care conforms to best practice.
• To participate in multidisciplinary audit/research activities within agreed ethical guidelines.
• To support models of supervision for self and others.
• To be up to date with required mandatory training as outlined in the role profile.
• To work within a reflective model, identifying learning points to contribute to the delivery of best practice.
• To participate and contribute to the Hospice education programme offered both on-site and off-site as a representative of the Hospice both formally and informally.
• Professional
• To maintain own professional development and portfolio and registration requirements.
• To monitor standards of care, record and report findings including taking corrective action where required.
• Monitoring performance and standards of staff and volunteers, to address poor performance and develop improvement plans.
• Quality and Governance
• To ensure Longfield Care Services are evidence based and reflective of current research and best practice, reviewing new clinical evidence or models of working and making recommendations for service change and development.
• To contribute to the production of policies, guidelines and protocols to ensure improvements in the quality of patient care that are safe, clinically effective based on evidence of best practice
• Support the timely reporting of incidents ensuring an appropriate review documenting learning and actions
• Support the strengthening of governance structures within therapy services including the development and assessment of competency, outcome measures audit and surveys
• In conjunction with the MDT support the quality improvement and assurance, agenda by the monitoring of standards, recording and reporting findings and proposing actions required to improve service quality.
• To contribute to the governance agenda by supporting the monitoring of compliance against national minimum standards including supporting the collection of evidence for CQC.
• Health and Safety
• The post holder will be aware of and adhere to all hospice policies and procedures, and relevant legislation including Health and Safety at Work Act and agreed practice and policy, and that hazards are observed and reported to the appropriate office. This incorporates all aspects of risk assessment.
• Safeguarding Duty
• It is the responsibility of the post holder to be aware of and follow the legislations and guidance regarding Safeguarding Adults and Children as stated in the Hospice Safeguarding Policy. This applies to all staff regardless of which member of the family is the primary client. The post holder is responsible for ensuring they have appropriate knowledge and information according to their role.

Qualifications

Essential

• HCPC registered Physiotherapist.

Job circumstances

Essential

• Travel within the community is required; a valid drivers license and access to a vehicle is preferred.
• Training and supervision provided within a supportive team environment.

Experience

Essential

• Experience in palliative care, respiratory care, or long-term condition management.

Desirable

• Experience in delivering group exercise sessions.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and adapt interventions to varied environments.
• Commitment to compassionate, person-centred care.

Desirable

• Knowledge of fatigue, anxiety, and breathlessness management strategies.
• Familiarity with community-based healthcare services

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).