Job summary
We are excited to offer a unique opportunity to shape a new role within our Children's Community Physiotherapy Team as a Children's Exercise Specialist across Lambeth and Southwark.
This is an 12-month fixed-term post, with the potential to become substantive. You will help develop this innovative position, supporting children and young people with disabilities to be active in their communities.
In this autonomous role, you will take a family-centred approach to improving access to inclusive sport and physical activity for children and young people with physical and learning disabilities. Your focus will be on empowering families to build sustainable, healthy activity habits.
You will work with children and families to explore interests and motivations, identify barriers to participation, and set achievable goals that increase confidence and activity levels.
A key part of the role is acting as a community connector, building local knowledge and partnerships with sports clubs, leisure centres, schools and community providers, and linking families to appropriate opportunities.
You will work independently while collaborating with colleagues across health, education and community settings, delivering support in clinics, homes, schools and local facilities.
If you are passionate about inclusion and community-based healthcare, this is a rare opportunity to shape a role with lasting impact.
Main duties of the job
- To work as an autonomous Children's Exercise Specialist taking a holistic and family-centred approach to improve access to inclusive sports and physical activity opportunities for children and young people with physical disabilities.
- To help children and young people develop sustainable, long-term habits of physical activity as a form of self-management with the aim to adopt healthy lifestyles and engage with community activities
- Carry out assessments of individual needs and interests, identifying barriers to participation in physical activities.
- Work collaboratively young people and families to set achievable goals that promote increased physical activity
- To collate and maintain data on service users referred to the Children's Exercise Specialist to monitor impact and measure health benefits
- To develop an effective referral process and administrative practice working collaboratively with the Evelina Community Physiotherapy Team.
- To work autonomously and alongside colleagues across a range of community settings, including local sports centres, sports providers, leisure centres, gyms, schools and homes, in order to meet the individual needs of each child and family.
- Assist children and young people in finding meaningful ways to increase participation in community activities, identifying areas where additional support may be needed
- To use local knowledge of accessible sports, clubs, and community resources to link families towards suitable opportunities
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' is among the UK's busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
The paediatric community physiotherapy service is part of the Evelina London Children's Directorate within GSTT and sits within the Evelina Children's Community Services. Our children's physiotherapy community team deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for our local children and their families.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Duties and Responsibilities:
Clinical Duties
- To assess the child/ young persons current activity levels and identify potential barriers to these though discussion and coaching.
- To facilitate collaborative goal setting and support the child/young person to work towards these.
- To work with therapists and /or Clinical Manager to analyse the data to provide evidence for effectiveness of role.
- To apply clinical reasoning skills to highlight suitable activity opportunities such as adapted gym sessions, inclusive swimming, sports clubs in Lambeth and Southwark community
- To develop local knowledge and build connections with local sports/activity providers in Lambeth and Southwark in developing inclusive opportunities for children with physical disabilities.
- To work directly and build partnerships with local providers and other professionals to promote inclusive practice and accessibility.Reduce health inequalities and promote better physical, emotional, and social outcomes.
- To support the transition from physiotherapy-based exercise to community-based activity.
- To promote the development of self-confidence and self-management in children.
- To liaise with volunteer and charity organisations in Lambeth and Southwark and to share resources that can benefit the client. To develop and maintain a directory of inclusive sports services.
- To be responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date individual patient records. To document all patient encounters on EPIC (electric note system), upload any relevant documents outcome appointment complete progress notes and discharge once an episode of care is complete
- To seek timely advice and support as appropriate.
- To plan, organise and prioritise own patient caseload,
- To develop a new referral pathway to manage, triage and prioritise referrals to the Childrens Physical Activity Advisor To work as a lone practitioner within a variety of community and domiciliary settings such as home, school, sports and leisure centres etc.
- To communicate and share information effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary health team, referrers, and external agenciesUndertake any other duties commensurate to the grade, required to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the role and service.
Please see job description for full responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Duties and Responsibilities:
Clinical Duties
- To assess the child/ young persons current activity levels and identify potential barriers to these though discussion and coaching.
- To facilitate collaborative goal setting and support the child/young person to work towards these.
- To work with therapists and /or Clinical Manager to analyse the data to provide evidence for effectiveness of role.
- To apply clinical reasoning skills to highlight suitable activity opportunities such as adapted gym sessions, inclusive swimming, sports clubs in Lambeth and Southwark community
- To develop local knowledge and build connections with local sports/activity providers in Lambeth and Southwark in developing inclusive opportunities for children with physical disabilities.
- To work directly and build partnerships with local providers and other professionals to promote inclusive practice and accessibility.Reduce health inequalities and promote better physical, emotional, and social outcomes.
- To support the transition from physiotherapy-based exercise to community-based activity.
- To promote the development of self-confidence and self-management in children.
- To liaise with volunteer and charity organisations in Lambeth and Southwark and to share resources that can benefit the client. To develop and maintain a directory of inclusive sports services.
- To be responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date individual patient records. To document all patient encounters on EPIC (electric note system), upload any relevant documents outcome appointment complete progress notes and discharge once an episode of care is complete
- To seek timely advice and support as appropriate.
- To plan, organise and prioritise own patient caseload,
- To develop a new referral pathway to manage, triage and prioritise referrals to the Childrens Physical Activity Advisor To work as a lone practitioner within a variety of community and domiciliary settings such as home, school, sports and leisure centres etc.
- To communicate and share information effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary health team, referrers, and external agenciesUndertake any other duties commensurate to the grade, required to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the role and service.
Please see job description for full responsibilities.
Person Specification
Qualifications/Education
Essential
- A degree or diploma (or strong relevant training) in sport/exercise science, physical activity promotion, community health, public health, nutrition, or similarly relevant field. Or equivalent level of experience
- Minimum of grade C/4 or above in Maths and English at GCSE level or equivalent (Level 2 and above)
Desirable
- Evidence of experience of managing or being involved with projects
- Any coaching or similar experience
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and young people with physical disability
- To have knowledge of the benefits of exercise on long term health outcomes for children with physical disability
- Experience of working with carers and reviewing their needs
- Experience and knowledge of sports and physical activity
- To have knowledge of accessible sports and physical activity in Lambeth and Southwark or other boroughs
Desirable
- Experience of service development or supporting on project
- Experience of working in a gym or leisure centre
- Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of working in a community setting
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential
- Proficient in use of IT systems and applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel
- Excellent communication, analytical and interpersonal skills
- The ability to recognise challenging situations when they occur and to generate potential solutions, seeking advice where necessary
- Ability to produce comprehensive reports, letters and data
- To demonstrate an understanding of the implications of disability on peoples' lives
- The ability to manage and prioritise own workload
- To demonstrate excellent communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to understand roles of others and recognise own boundaries
- Ability to work collaboratively with clients, families, carers and colleagues
Physical Requirements
Essential
- The ability to travel and work across a range of community settings with use of mobile devices
Person Specification
Qualifications/Education
Essential
- A degree or diploma (or strong relevant training) in sport/exercise science, physical activity promotion, community health, public health, nutrition, or similarly relevant field. Or equivalent level of experience
- Minimum of grade C/4 or above in Maths and English at GCSE level or equivalent (Level 2 and above)
Desirable
- Evidence of experience of managing or being involved with projects
- Any coaching or similar experience
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and young people with physical disability
- To have knowledge of the benefits of exercise on long term health outcomes for children with physical disability
- Experience of working with carers and reviewing their needs
- Experience and knowledge of sports and physical activity
- To have knowledge of accessible sports and physical activity in Lambeth and Southwark or other boroughs
Desirable
- Experience of service development or supporting on project
- Experience of working in a gym or leisure centre
- Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of working in a community setting
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential
- Proficient in use of IT systems and applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel
- Excellent communication, analytical and interpersonal skills
- The ability to recognise challenging situations when they occur and to generate potential solutions, seeking advice where necessary
- Ability to produce comprehensive reports, letters and data
- To demonstrate an understanding of the implications of disability on peoples' lives
- The ability to manage and prioritise own workload
- To demonstrate excellent communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to understand roles of others and recognise own boundaries
- Ability to work collaboratively with clients, families, carers and colleagues
Physical Requirements
Essential
- The ability to travel and work across a range of community settings with use of mobile devices
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
