Stroke Specialist Physiotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical:

1. To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner to work alone with access to guidance from highly specialised Physiotherapists within Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS foundation Trust.

2. To be professionally and legally accountable for a designated patient caseload and to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands.

3. To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload. This may involve complex decision making regarding patients being safe to return to or remain in their place of residence or requiring admission to hospital.

4. To assess patients capacity, gain valid informed consent to treatment and where such capacity is lacking / absent to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient.

5. To undertake the specialist assessment and accurate diagnosis of the patients condition using expert investigative analytical and enhanced clinical reasoning skills. From this specialised assessment analyse findings and develop, implement and evaluate an individualised clinical management programme utilising a wide range of treatment options e.g. manual techniques, specialised gait re-education. Following evaluation, manage and close programmes at the appropriate time. To demonstrate the above skills when frequently working alone in the community without access to other colleagues.

6. To undertake environmental risk assessment with regard to home safety.

7. Drawing on previous specialist experience in the field of stroke rehabilitation, formulate and monitor rehabilitation care packages analysing all options to plan individual and specialised programmes of care.

8. To participate in and occasionally lead the formulation of social care packages e.g. delegating and signposting regarding social care in those patients for whom rehabilitation requiring the potholders specialist knowledge is inappropriate.

9. To evaluate progress, re-assess and alter exercise and treatment programmes as required using specialist knowledge following assessment to access other specialities if required e.g. Telecare, mental health care teams.

10. To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines and agencies to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy for each individual patient and to ensure continuation of the individualised treatment programme. This will include manual handling advice.

11. To attend and initiate multidisciplinary / multi agency team meetings and case conferences to ensure the coordination of patient care. This will include review of patient progress setting of short- and long-term goals and discharge planning from hospital and onwards from the ESDT.

12. To ensure accurate, comprehensive and up to date clinical records are maintained and realistic short term and long-term goals are set, evaluated and reviewed at the appropriate timescales in accordance with Trust guidance and professionally agreed criteria.

13. To produce comprehensive patient related reports and correspondence for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and/or treatment outcomes.

14. To undertake ongoing measurement and evaluation of own work through audit, outcome measurement, the application of evidence-based practice and research where appropriate.

15. Responsible for formulating accurate prognoses and recommending best course of intervention and in developing comprehensive discharge plans.

16. To work to Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation 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.

17. To manage and negotiate to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.

Leadership

1. To supervise, train, advise, support and manage rehabilitation assistants, students performance who report to the post-holder.

2. To attend and contribute to departmental, countywide and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust meetings to ensure the effective exchange of information across the team and co-ordination of local service delivery.

3. To be responsible for co-ordinating, allocating and organising the work of assistant staff to meet service priorities.

4. To take responsibility for the appropriate selection, issue and education regarding the safe use of equipment to patients following specialist assessment e.g. the appropriate walking aid to promote independent and safe mobility in a variety of environments.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship as per the Governments UK VISA and Immigration Rules and Regulations. For more information please visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Diploma/degree in Physiotherapy
• State Registered Physiotherapist (HCPC)
• Appropriate range of postgraduate clinical education

LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Extensive postgraduate clinical experience
• Appropriate experience in neurological physiotherapy/stroke rehabilitation
• Evidence of having worked unsupervised
• Experience of having supervised rehabilitation assistant staff who are directly accountable to the post holder
• Experience of leading and delivering in-service training programmes
• Evidence of working with multidisciplinary teams and across multi-agency boundaries

Desirable

• Experience working in a stroke related field

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Independent Living Centre

Village Road

Cheltenham

GL51 0BY

Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)