Job summary
We are seeking a motivated, dynamic and highly skilled Senior Physiotherapist with an interest in developing leadership skills, to work within our Community Palliative Care Team.
The Community Palliative Care Therapy team is a team of professionals that includes Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants whose aim is to support patients who have an advanced life threatening illness to remain in their preferred place for as long as possible, including as they approach the end of life.
We are looking for a holistic, flexible, confident practitioner to take on this challenging but rewarding role.
Main duties of the job
As a senior member of the Therapy Team, you will be expected to be a practitioner with a broad range of clinical competencies able to adapt to a variety of clinical circumstances.
You will be part of a community team where your proven ability to make high level clinical decisions will aid in supporting palliative patients in the community.
You will provide complex assessments and make high impact clinical decisions. You will be expected to work autonomously whilst drawing assistance from other colleagues in the MDT and in primary and secondary care.
You will use evidence based principles/current best practice and specialist skills to assess, plan, implement and evaluate clinical interventions and to ensure that all members of your team do so accordingly.
Your exceptional caseload management and communication skills will enable you to prioritise patient care and delegate to junior members of your team. You will work closely with other senior AHPs, community nurses, and other health or social care professionals to establish and maintain a whole systems approach for these patients
You will be expected to be a highly skilled Physiotherapist who is approachable, an excellent communicator, and able to adapt to the needs of both patients and service.
About us
The community palliative care team serving Camden, Islington and North East Westminster is managed by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and provides specialist community based palliative care service to the London boroughs of Camden, Islington and North East Westminster.
This post will give you the opportunity to experience a wealth of learning and development. You will work alongside and show leadership in a responsive dynamic MDT who put high quality, patient centred care at the heart of what they do. You will work closely on a daily basis with palliative care consultants, palliative care nurse consultants, clinical nurse specialists, specialist palliative care social workers, as well as therapy colleagues (OT and TA).
Regular CPD sessions and in-services are held, along with training opportunities identified from yearly appraisal.
You will have the opportunity to develop skills in managing people, and identifying and participating in service development through supervisory roles and QI projects.
There is much scope for development of both clinical and non-clinical duties within this role , we are proud of our high staff retention rate, and have played a significant part in the upskilling and of development of many clinicians within the team.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken. To work within the standards and guidelines of the team, the Trust, the CSP Code of Professional Values and Behaviour and the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics
- To undertake specialist physiotherapy assessment of clients with diverse needs through subjective questioning, objective assessment and other written material available.
- To prioritise factors involved in the clients presenting condition through clinical reasoning based on knowledge of current professional opinion, clients prognosis and other physical, social emotional and mental health issues.
- To set goals for treatment with clients and/or their carer and ensure that care is client centred and agreed by the client and/or their carer.
- To set and maintain a high standard of clinical practice which is evidence based where possible, using standardised assessment and outcome measures, where appropriate.
- To independently screen and assess complex multi-disciplinary referrals from a variety of sources. This screening requires individual responsible action when at times no other professional is currently involved. This screening will establish priority, determine needs and initiate a plan of intervention.
- To manage a caseload of clients with simple to complex needs with supervision and guidance as necessary from senior staff. To successfully monitor, evaluate and review physiotherapy treatment/interventions within a multi-disciplinary framework and to modify as necessary taking a key worker role as indicated.
- To use knowledge of other multi-disciplinary roles and external agencies to ensure effective referral management and achieve best client care
- To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for moving and handling people in community environments.
- To ensure contemporaneous client and service records are recorded and maintained on IT databases and that client documentation is according to trust and local policies.
- To prescribe, delegate and monitor the work of therapy assistants and counter sign documentation if required.
- To educate and teach the relevant carers/health workers to participate in on-going rehabilitation/ care programmes for clients, as appropriate.
- To actively be involved in the development of new specialist clinical services within the Team.
- To manage clinical risk in own caseload and ensure that therapy assistants and students comply e.g. manual handling risk assessment and local policy regarding lone working.
- To maintain and update a Continuing Professional Development Portfolio (CPD).
- To evaluate your practice through audit and outcome measures.
- To maintain and develop specific departmental duties as designated by the therapy lead.
- To utilise opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, apply critical appraisal and keep up to date with current practice in the field and attend accredited courses.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken. To work within the standards and guidelines of the team, the Trust, the CSP Code of Professional Values and Behaviour and the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics
- To undertake specialist physiotherapy assessment of clients with diverse needs through subjective questioning, objective assessment and other written material available.
- To prioritise factors involved in the clients presenting condition through clinical reasoning based on knowledge of current professional opinion, clients prognosis and other physical, social emotional and mental health issues.
- To set goals for treatment with clients and/or their carer and ensure that care is client centred and agreed by the client and/or their carer.
- To set and maintain a high standard of clinical practice which is evidence based where possible, using standardised assessment and outcome measures, where appropriate.
- To independently screen and assess complex multi-disciplinary referrals from a variety of sources. This screening requires individual responsible action when at times no other professional is currently involved. This screening will establish priority, determine needs and initiate a plan of intervention.
- To manage a caseload of clients with simple to complex needs with supervision and guidance as necessary from senior staff. To successfully monitor, evaluate and review physiotherapy treatment/interventions within a multi-disciplinary framework and to modify as necessary taking a key worker role as indicated.
- To use knowledge of other multi-disciplinary roles and external agencies to ensure effective referral management and achieve best client care
- To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for moving and handling people in community environments.
- To ensure contemporaneous client and service records are recorded and maintained on IT databases and that client documentation is according to trust and local policies.
- To prescribe, delegate and monitor the work of therapy assistants and counter sign documentation if required.
- To educate and teach the relevant carers/health workers to participate in on-going rehabilitation/ care programmes for clients, as appropriate.
- To actively be involved in the development of new specialist clinical services within the Team.
- To manage clinical risk in own caseload and ensure that therapy assistants and students comply e.g. manual handling risk assessment and local policy regarding lone working.
- To maintain and update a Continuing Professional Development Portfolio (CPD).
- To evaluate your practice through audit and outcome measures.
- To maintain and develop specific departmental duties as designated by the therapy lead.
- To utilise opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, apply critical appraisal and keep up to date with current practice in the field and attend accredited courses.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma Physiotherapy
- HCPC Registration
- Practice Educator training/ experience
Desirable
- Member of CSP
- Post-Graduate OR Master's Degree (MSc) degree
- Membership and/or involvement in special interest group
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of ongoing and relevant CPD
- Demonstrates a good understanding of the role of the physiotherapist within the palliative care team, as well as the roles of other members of the MDT
- Experience of joint visits to patients with other MDT members
- Evidence of working with other agencies, and an understanding of local services
- Confident in identifying a deteriorating patient, and how to escalate
- Evidence of interdisciplinary working
- Evidence of working as an autonomous practitioner in a community setting, lone working
- Use of standardised assessments and outcome measures
- Competent in triaging of therapies referrals
- Ability to prioritise and manage time effectively, and delegate
- Awareness of developments in NHS and clinical pathway development
- Able to show insight into the challenges faced by patients with a palliative diagnosis and their effects
- Aware and has experience of policies, process and guidance in place to protect patients
Previous experience
Essential
- Previous experience of working in the UK NHS or a similar health economy as a Physiotherapist
- Evidence of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
- Previous experience to include the following: oPalliative care oMSK
- Previous experience to include the following: oPain management oRespiratory
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Degree/Diploma Physiotherapy
- HCPC Registration
- Practice Educator training/ experience
Desirable
- Member of CSP
- Post-Graduate OR Master's Degree (MSc) degree
- Membership and/or involvement in special interest group
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of ongoing and relevant CPD
- Demonstrates a good understanding of the role of the physiotherapist within the palliative care team, as well as the roles of other members of the MDT
- Experience of joint visits to patients with other MDT members
- Evidence of working with other agencies, and an understanding of local services
- Confident in identifying a deteriorating patient, and how to escalate
- Evidence of interdisciplinary working
- Evidence of working as an autonomous practitioner in a community setting, lone working
- Use of standardised assessments and outcome measures
- Competent in triaging of therapies referrals
- Ability to prioritise and manage time effectively, and delegate
- Awareness of developments in NHS and clinical pathway development
- Able to show insight into the challenges faced by patients with a palliative diagnosis and their effects
- Aware and has experience of policies, process and guidance in place to protect patients
Previous experience
Essential
- Previous experience of working in the UK NHS or a similar health economy as a Physiotherapist
- Evidence of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
- Previous experience to include the following: oPalliative care oMSK
- Previous experience to include the following: oPain management oRespiratory
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).
