Senior MCSI Physiotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care and supporting less experienced staff to do likewise.
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients (adults and children) with spinal cord injury, including those with diverse or highly complex presentations / multi pathologies and use advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition.
• Assess patients understanding of treatment proposals, gain informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment
• To plan and deliver individual physiotherapy treatment programmes based on a specialist knowledge of evidence based practice, using investigative and analytical skills, clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of a wide range of treatment skills e.g. manual physiotherapy techniques, patient education, aquatic therapy, respiratory care, neurological facilitation.
• Continually reassess, evaluate patient progress, and modify treatment programmes as required.
• To represent the therapy service and / or individual patients at the multi-disclipinary team (MDT) forums, to ensure physiotherapy is integrated within the delivery of a coordinated multi-disciplinary service. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress, appropriate referrals for further interventions and involvement in discharge planning.
• To effectively communicate with patients, families and carers, to progress and encourage compliance with their rehabilitation programmes. Patients may have difficulties in understanding or communicating due to issues with hearing, sight, speech, psychological or learning difficulties. A variety of excellent communication skills will be required to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Communication style will need to be adapted as required.
• To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to families, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To be clinically responsible for a caseload of patients, and to be able to organise and prioritise effectively.
• To be a Key Worker, use the Needs Assessment Checklist, chair Multi-disciplinary Goal Setting meetings and coordinate the individual patients rehabilitation and discharge plans.
• To ensure correct provision of equipment for patients to facilitate discharge.
• To support patients through acceptance of stressful, complex physical conditions.
• When working on the emergency duty rota, undertake the assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients with respiratory problems, who may have a complex presentation and maintain associated records as an autonomous practitioner.
• To be an active member of the evening on-call service, reporting to and advising the medical and nursing staff any necessary assessment findings such as respiratory function or mobility needs and abilities.
• Consistently maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date treatment records in the form of reports or letters when appropriate.
• To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all appropriate therapeutic equipment.
• To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, coordination and palpatory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients
• To be involved in the assessment for and provision of specialised equipment, including tilt tables, standing frames, wheelchairs and specialised seating included cushions and back rests.
• To be responsible for the organisation of the aquatic therapy provision for the MCSI patients.

Education and Research

• To undertake audit / research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and / or physiotherapy department research initiatives.
• To investigate and participate in research and / or audit projects within profession and / or with multi-disciplinary colleagues
• To be responsible for teaching student physiotherapists to graduate level on physiotherapeutic skills and knowledge within the area of spinal injuries and complete appropriate documentation to the necessary standard.
• To assist in the training and supervision of staff within the team, the wider team and external agencies.
• To actively participate in the in-service training programme, through attendance and delivery of training.
• Maintain statutory training to an expected level in accordance with Trust/local guidelines.

Search Professional

• Be responsible for maintaining and developing specialist knowledge and skills through a variety of CPD opportunities including relevant courses to ensure a high level of knowledge and skills and maintain a portfolio which reflects development. Keep up to date of developments in the profession and encourage others to do likewise. To be aware of professional clinical interest groups.
• To set high personal and professional standards of work within the CSP / Trusts clinical guidelines, National Service Frameworks (NSF) and NICE guidance and monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate.
• To participate in the staff appraisal and mentoring schemes and personal development plan as both appraiser and appraise.
• Ensure patients, students and staff are competent with the use all relevant therapeutic equipment and provide any necessary training and supervision.
• To work autonomously on a day to day basis, prioritising workload effectively.
• To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and professionals allied to medicine, to ensure delivery of a coordinated multi-disciplinary service.

Organisational

• To be responsible for organising and planning own work caseload to meet service and patient priorities, realising the need to be flexible and being able to adjust plans / delegate, as situations arise.
• To provide supervision and coordination of less experienced senior staff, students, TIs and assistants on a daily basis.
• To assist in the provision of an effective and efficient physiotherapy service to the MCSI.
• To deputise for the Band 7 Physiotherapists, taking responsibility, allocating and organising staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis.
• To undertake as directed the collection of appropriate data or statistics for use in service audit and research projects. To undertake audit / research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and / or physiotherapy department research initiatives.
• To help organise and take part in patients sporting and social activities.
• To identify opportunities, make recommendations and help implement improvements / developments to the physiotherapy service to MCSI in order to provide the best patient care within the resources available.
• To comply with the organisational and department policies and to assist in the regular review and updating of policies as appropriate.
• To participate in departmental meetings, to contribute ideas for the progress and planning of the service.

Additional Information

• Physical Skills and Effort continuous need for manual handling. The rehabilitative nature of this setting requires that aspects of manual handling are carried out without handling equipment, thereby facilitating patient independence. This requires continual risk assessment to safely meet the needs of the task. This would include patient positioning, supporting of limbs, assistance with transfers and standing.
• Working conditions this is an emotionally and psychologically challenging environment due to the complexity and life-changing nature of Spinal Cord Injury.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Degree in Physiotherapy or Grad. Dip. Phys.
• HCPC registration
• CPD Portfolio with evidence of IST and reflective learning
• Evidence of post graduate courses in clinical skills and neurological conditions

Desirable

• Member of special interest group
• Validated courses in neurological rehabilitation

Experience

Essential

• Broad rotational experience as a Junior & experience at working at a senior level in spinal injuries

Desirable

• Experience in neurological rehabilitation

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Ability to work in a multi disciplinary team and independently
• Ability to organise and prioritise
• Ability to cope with stressful environment / patients / carers
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Supervision of Junior therapy staff
• Ability to pass on skills / knowledge to others
• Must be able to take part in the on-call rota

Desirable

• Leadership skills

Knowledge (including specialist or technical knowledge required)

Essential

• Specialist knowledge of range of neurological and musculo-skeletal conditions
• Knowledge of clinical governance and its implications e.g. quality, audit Ability to operate medical equipment

Desirable

• Involvement in audit, research and quality issues
• Competent IT Skills
• Presentation skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

RJAH Hospital

Twmpath Road

Oswestry

SY10 7AG

Employer's website

https://www.rjah.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)