Job summary
We are excited to welcome applications from experienced MSK physiotherapists who are seeking to deliver the highest level of clinical care from a general practice setting. The First Contact Practitioner (FCP) model has been designed to support musculoskeletal clinicians in primary care as well as provide a resilient framework for the future of FCP delivery.
Both full time and part time posts are available.
Candidates will be required to present original certificates for qualifications at interview stage and during the onboarding process.
Please note this vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of suitable applications are received.
Recent unsuccessful applicants need not reapply.
Main duties of the job
The role will be based predominantly in Primary Care, within the established FCP team within a PCN. You will be the first point of contact for patients with undiagnosed MSK disorders and will need highly developed differential diagnostic skills to ensure patients are managed safely, efficiently, and effectively.
You will direct the care pathway for your patients autonomously, including assessment and diagnostics, provision of diagnosis, appropriate self-care advice or onward referral as indicated.
You should understand indications for, and limitations of, relevant MSK investigations, and will be confident in explaining their use and implications to patients. You should have or be currently undertaking Level 7 learning within MSK.
This role is designed to establish MSK expertise in Primary Care, and as such you will work closely in practices to build excellent working relationships with the PCN team members. You will bring expert MSK knowledge to your PCN, and as such will be a resource to the wider team. You will work closely with your Band 8a FCP to provide support and training within the PCN and wider FCP team. You will need to have clear evidence of team working and will be expected to support the Band 8a FCP in effective service delivery, audit and improvement. Although the role will be primarily Primary Care based, you will also be a key resource for the wider MSK and Physiotherapy team.
About us
Choose Well - Choose WWL
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values 'the WWL Way'.
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- To provide clinical leadership for a designated area of work and to plan andorganise efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and use oftime.
- To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of anynew trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into the work ofthe team.
- To establish priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related andprofessional demands, and ensure that they remain in accordance with those of theservice as a whole.
- To ensure excellent standards of evidence based care are delivered in specialistarea of responsibility.
- Provide day to day management for designated staff.
Planning and Organisational Duties
- To be responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the ClinicalLead/FCP, and to plan and organise efficiently and effectively with regard topatients management and use of time.
- To be responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatmentresources available.
- To be responsible for ordering, monitoring and maintaining equipment used incarrying out duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence tuse equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through,teaching, training and supervision of practice.
- To deputise for the Clinical Lead/FCP in terms of operational issues as required.
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line withlegal and departmental requirements and communicate assessment and treatmentresults to the appropriate disciplines in form of reports and letters.
- To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the useof the PCN.
- To comply with the organisational and PCN policies and procedures and to beinvolved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate.
- To be actively involved in the recruitment and selection of lower grade staff.
- To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast ofnew trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
- To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Plan (PDP)as both appraiser and appraise.
- To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practicesthrough the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, audit and outcome measures,either individually or with Clinical Lead/FCP. Use information gained to makerecommendations for change.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and RiskManagement and apply to work situation
- To undertake any other duties as considered appropriate by the Clinical Lead forMSK/FCP.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of yourown work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure highstandards of clinical care for the patients under your management, and supportmore junior staff to do likewise.
- Post holders are required to work independently, within broad clinical andprofessional guidelines. Work is supervised rather than managed and thissupervision may be provided by peers who may be internal or external to theorganisation.
- To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosisand prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions, to recommend the bestcourse of intervention, and to develop comprehensive discharge plans.
- To produce informative and detailed information for out of Trust patient transfers forcontinuing musculoskeletal management.
- To deliver the physiotherapy element of care for patients within the PCN locations,and on occasions to deliver appropriate elements of care normally undertaken byother therapy colleagues.
- To represent the Trust externally (locally and regionally) regarding musculoskeletalservices provided to patients within the speciality.
- To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills and to formulateindividualised management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning andutilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a specialisedprogramme of care.
- To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and toorganise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use oftime.
- To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses forassessment and manual treatment of patients.
- To participate in the development of policy and practice changes within the PCN which will impact on service users.
- To communicate complex patient-related information (as well as non-patientinformation) effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapycolleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated
- multidisciplinary service.
- To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitationpotential and to ensure understanding of condition. Use communication skills suchas persuasion, motivation explanation to encourage patients to undertake theirmanagement programme.
- To use communication tools (verbal and non-verbal) to gain informed consent withpatients where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g. loss ofhearing, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, fear etc.
- To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work withina legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
Responsibility for Human Resources
- Provide day to day supervision, management and development for designated staff.
- To work with FCPs within the PCN to ensure smooth running of the overall service.
- To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and personal development plan (PDP)as both appraiser and appraisee This will include the use of formal appraisaldocumentation
- To accept appropriate responsibility for any tasks delegated to less senior qualifiedor unqualified staff.
- To ensure that designated staff implement policy and service developmentchanges.
- To work with the Clinical Lead/FCP and other staff in developing the strategic andoperational management of the service.
Responsibility for Teaching
- To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives,carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of FCP, andto ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
- To provide specialist and highly specialist advice to colleagues working within otherclinical areas (outpatient departments, sub-acute sites and in-patient specialities etc) re: patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
- To provide specialist advice, teaching and training, including presentation to other members of the IDT/MDT regarding the physical and medical management of patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
- To educate, supervise and performance manage more junior staff, trainee assistant practitioners, assistants and students. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.
- To educate, supervise and performance manage via the use of competencies qualified and unqualified nursing staff, in specific areas of musculoskeletal management.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- To provide clinical leadership for a designated area of work and to plan andorganise efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and use oftime.
- To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of anynew trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into the work ofthe team.
- To establish priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related andprofessional demands, and ensure that they remain in accordance with those of theservice as a whole.
- To ensure excellent standards of evidence based care are delivered in specialistarea of responsibility.
- Provide day to day management for designated staff.
Planning and Organisational Duties
- To be responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the ClinicalLead/FCP, and to plan and organise efficiently and effectively with regard topatients management and use of time.
- To be responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatmentresources available.
- To be responsible for ordering, monitoring and maintaining equipment used incarrying out duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence tuse equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through,teaching, training and supervision of practice.
- To deputise for the Clinical Lead/FCP in terms of operational issues as required.
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line withlegal and departmental requirements and communicate assessment and treatmentresults to the appropriate disciplines in form of reports and letters.
- To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the useof the PCN.
- To comply with the organisational and PCN policies and procedures and to beinvolved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate.
- To be actively involved in the recruitment and selection of lower grade staff.
- To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast ofnew trends and developments, and incorporate them as necessary into your work.
- To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Plan (PDP)as both appraiser and appraise.
- To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practicesthrough the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, audit and outcome measures,either individually or with Clinical Lead/FCP. Use information gained to makerecommendations for change.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and RiskManagement and apply to work situation
- To undertake any other duties as considered appropriate by the Clinical Lead forMSK/FCP.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of yourown work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure highstandards of clinical care for the patients under your management, and supportmore junior staff to do likewise.
- Post holders are required to work independently, within broad clinical andprofessional guidelines. Work is supervised rather than managed and thissupervision may be provided by peers who may be internal or external to theorganisation.
- To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosisand prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions, to recommend the bestcourse of intervention, and to develop comprehensive discharge plans.
- To produce informative and detailed information for out of Trust patient transfers forcontinuing musculoskeletal management.
- To deliver the physiotherapy element of care for patients within the PCN locations,and on occasions to deliver appropriate elements of care normally undertaken byother therapy colleagues.
- To represent the Trust externally (locally and regionally) regarding musculoskeletalservices provided to patients within the speciality.
- To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills and to formulateindividualised management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning andutilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a specialisedprogramme of care.
- To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and toorganise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use oftime.
- To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses forassessment and manual treatment of patients.
- To participate in the development of policy and practice changes within the PCN which will impact on service users.
- To communicate complex patient-related information (as well as non-patientinformation) effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapycolleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated
- multidisciplinary service.
- To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitationpotential and to ensure understanding of condition. Use communication skills suchas persuasion, motivation explanation to encourage patients to undertake theirmanagement programme.
- To use communication tools (verbal and non-verbal) to gain informed consent withpatients where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g. loss ofhearing, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, fear etc.
- To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work withina legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
Responsibility for Human Resources
- Provide day to day supervision, management and development for designated staff.
- To work with FCPs within the PCN to ensure smooth running of the overall service.
- To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and personal development plan (PDP)as both appraiser and appraisee This will include the use of formal appraisaldocumentation
- To accept appropriate responsibility for any tasks delegated to less senior qualifiedor unqualified staff.
- To ensure that designated staff implement policy and service developmentchanges.
- To work with the Clinical Lead/FCP and other staff in developing the strategic andoperational management of the service.
Responsibility for Teaching
- To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives,carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of FCP, andto ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
- To provide specialist and highly specialist advice to colleagues working within otherclinical areas (outpatient departments, sub-acute sites and in-patient specialities etc) re: patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
- To provide specialist advice, teaching and training, including presentation to other members of the IDT/MDT regarding the physical and medical management of patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
- To educate, supervise and performance manage more junior staff, trainee assistant practitioners, assistants and students. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.
- To educate, supervise and performance manage via the use of competencies qualified and unqualified nursing staff, in specific areas of musculoskeletal management.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/degree in Physiotherapy
- Evidence of relevant post graduate clinical education and CPD
- HCPC Registration
Desirable
- Clinical Educators course
- Active member of relevant special interest group
- Completion of FCP Roadmap to Practice Stages 1 and 2
- Completion of Level 7 module relevant to area of practice
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience at Band 6 level or above in relevent areas of practice
- Experience of participation in service improvement
- Experience of supervising qualified staff
- Minimum of five years post graduate experience with at least three of these within an MSK field.
Desirable
- Experience at Band 7 level or above in relevant areas of practice.
- Post Graduate Experience in a variety of specialities in range of settings.
- Experience of delivering training relevant to area of practice
- Experience of Clinical Audit
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of ability to work independently
- Ability to pass on skills/knowledge to others within both formal and informal environments
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
- Self-directed learning
- Evidence of ability to provide leadership
Desirable
- Research skills
- Presentation skills
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of a wide range of conditions and their medical/surgical management relevant to caseload
- Knowledge of professional ethics and their application in practice
- Knowledge of the principle elements of clinical governance
Desirable
- Knowledge of audit/critical appraisal
- Knowledge of national policies
Additional
Essential
- Commitment to deliver high standards of care in line with WWL objectives
- Ability to work collaboratively within the multi-disciplinary team
- Committed to personal and team development
- Commitment to speciality/area of practice
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma/degree in Physiotherapy
- Evidence of relevant post graduate clinical education and CPD
- HCPC Registration
Desirable
- Clinical Educators course
- Active member of relevant special interest group
- Completion of FCP Roadmap to Practice Stages 1 and 2
- Completion of Level 7 module relevant to area of practice
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience at Band 6 level or above in relevent areas of practice
- Experience of participation in service improvement
- Experience of supervising qualified staff
- Minimum of five years post graduate experience with at least three of these within an MSK field.
Desirable
- Experience at Band 7 level or above in relevant areas of practice.
- Post Graduate Experience in a variety of specialities in range of settings.
- Experience of delivering training relevant to area of practice
- Experience of Clinical Audit
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of ability to work independently
- Ability to pass on skills/knowledge to others within both formal and informal environments
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
- Self-directed learning
- Evidence of ability to provide leadership
Desirable
- Research skills
- Presentation skills
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of a wide range of conditions and their medical/surgical management relevant to caseload
- Knowledge of professional ethics and their application in practice
- Knowledge of the principle elements of clinical governance
Desirable
- Knowledge of audit/critical appraisal
- Knowledge of national policies
Additional
Essential
- Commitment to deliver high standards of care in line with WWL objectives
- Ability to work collaboratively within the multi-disciplinary team
- Committed to personal and team development
- Commitment to speciality/area of practice
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
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
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Wigan Borough PCNs
Wigan Borough
Wigan
WN1 1XX
Employer's website
http://www.wwl.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
