Advanced Specialist Physiotherapist - Paediatrics

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Nature of workTo supervise and give training to more junior members of physiotherapy staff, provide clinical and management supervision and act as a source of specialist advice.To provide highly specialised paediatric physiotherapy assessment and treatment for CYP living or at school (mainstream and specialist) in the specified geographical area.To work effectively within multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams.Where appropriate, to act as a key worker for CYP on their caseload, ensuring that there is good communication between all members of the team and that a coordinated programme is in place.To supervise, educate and assess the performance of physiotherapy students; this would be to a graduate standard and involve working with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set down by the degree level qualification.To work in a variety of settings such as mainstream schools, special schools, community settings, health bases (clinic-based work) and patient homes.

2. PlanningTo plan their own diary and prioritise their caseload.To work with the Physiotherapy Clinical Lead, Physiotherapy Team Leaders and other senior colleagues to coordinate physiotherapy delivery.To support more junior colleagues in caseload and diary management.

3. Specific projectsTo ensure that all CYP referred into the physiotherapy service receive an equitable service.

4. Patient contactTo hold responsibility for his/her own caseload, working without direct supervision.To undertake initial triaging assessments of CYP; setting expectations of therapy with families, prioritising need and giving initial recommendations.To work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary clinics e.g. Complex physical needs clinics, joint paediatrician/physiotherapy clinics, plaster clinics, Tone Management/Botulinum Toxin clinic to support the needs of CYP and their families and agree joint goals/plans for intervention.To undertake comprehensive, highly specialised physiotherapeutic assessments of CYP including those with diverse or complex presentations considering their functioning in family, school and other environments; using advanced clinical reasoning skills and advanced communication skills.To develop and deliver individualised therapy aims and programmes in collaboration with CYP, their families and other professionals. To support parents/carers in developing skills to deliver the programme and ensuring their competence, when the CYP requires support.To be responsible for reassessing CYP care as treatment progresses and make appropriate adjustments to therapy programmes, using appropriate outcome measures to guide practice.To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.To accurately and efficiently identify presenting symptoms, formulate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention.To incorporate evidence-based practice and NICE guidelines using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment modalities available, to provide effective and cost-efficient physiotherapy for CYP.To be responsible for discharging CYP from caseload on completion of treatment.To delegate appropriate clinical work to therapy assistants, overseeing the safety and competence of delivery.

5. Policy development To undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice. Make recommendations to the Physiotherapy clinical lead for changes to practice and be willing to lead the implementation of changes to practice or contribute to service protocols/pathways.To undertake the measurement and evaluation of current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or alongside Physiotherapy Team Leaders/Physiotherapy Clinical Lead. To work with colleagues to change the service protocol in line with results.

Communication

To represent the childrens physiotherapy service and /or individual CYP at the multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the management programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress, entry to school, and access to the curriculum and involvement in discharge planning.To work effectively with other members of the team around the CYP, including families, carers, education staff, other health professionals, social services and voluntary agencies.To assess the ability of the CYP and their carers to understand the management programme and to gain valid informed consent. To work within a legal framework with CYP who lack capacity to consent to treatment.In some instances, the post holder may be required to take on the key worker role for a CYP on the caseload, requiring liaison with other disciplines agencies and interpretation of professional jargon for the families.To provide clear, concise written reports for other agencies for statutory processes, e.g. Education, Health and Care Plan, Tribunal cases.Contribute to CCS internal communication strategies ensuring effective two-way communication and engagement within the organisation.Contribute to CCS external communication strategies working with the Head of Communications to raise awareness and promote the reputation of CCS services. The post holder will be required to use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with CYP and their carers to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include working with CYP who may have difficulties in understanding and/or communicating. To work with families and parents who are often in a grieving process, giving difficult information to families during this time.To communicate effectively with CYP, families and other professionals to agree joint goals for therapy.To employ advanced communication skills to investigate and manage concerns, incidents and complaints.

Patient and Public Engagement

To contribute to ensuring that CCS responsibilities to engage and consult with patients and the public are met in line with statutory requirementsTo undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with Physiotherapy Clinical Lead/Team Leaders. To work with colleagues to change the service protocol in line with results.To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.To actively seek feedback from service users to help inform improvements and developments in services delivered.

Budgetary Responsibility

To be responsible for the assessment and requesting of equipment such as postural sleep systems, walking aids and standing frames, for children on the postholders caseload, considering effective use of resources.To give advice on provision and ordering of equipment to other members of the team.

People Management

To supervise band 6 physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants and student physiotherapists in effective use of the record keeping system (SystmOne) according to professional body and the Cambridgeshire Community Services standards.To be involved in recruitment for new staff into the paediatric physiotherapy team.To provide support, guidance and training to therapy assistants and more junior physiotherapy staff assessing and evaluating competence.To encourage and support the professional development of other members of the team

Research & Development Activity

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.To be responsible for teaching student physiotherapists to graduate level on paediatric physiotherapeutic skills and knowledge within core clinical areas.To teach, assess and contribute to the performance assessment and appraisal of physiotherapy assistant staff, and to teach assistants employed by education.To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in paediatric physiotherapy developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraiser and appraisee and be responsible for complying with agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.To undertake the measurement and evaluation of work and current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with other team members.To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.To be competent in carrying out literature searches and to actively maintain/update specialist knowledge.To partake in research opportunities as they arise, including application for funding where appropriate.To undertake the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects.To manage and undertake research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and departmental research initiatives. To work with the lead practitioner to change practise in line with the results of audit.

Qualifications & Training

Essential

• Diploma or a degree in physiotherapy
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development maintained in a portfolio
• Recent attendance at relevant postgraduate courses
• HCPC Licence to Practice
• Student Supervision/Clinical Educators Course attendance

Desirable

• Peadiatric neurodevelopmental training
• Membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Membership of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists or other relevant special interest groups
• Masters or other Post Graduate Qualification
• Line management training
• Experience of undertaking appraisal and planning CPD for less experienced staff

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with different professional disciplines and agencies
• Working knowledge of electronic patient record system
• Experience and commitment to involve patients and service users in the design and development of service provision
• Evidence of delivering training
• High level clinical skills working with complex neurodisability children including assessment, outcome measures, treatment and provision of equipment
• Experience of supervising , supporting with competencies and training less experienced staff
• Experience of advising/providing second opinions
• Experience of developing case management skills in less experienced staff
• Experience of undertaking appraisal and planning CPD for less experienced staff
• Experience of developing and delivering core and specialist training
• Demonstrate ability to be a good team member

Desirable

• Experience in contributing to CQC/ SEND inspections
• Experience of working with children in the community setting including special schools, other educational settings, home and clinic

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession
• Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Understanding of clinical governance and its implications for services, including experience of quality issues and audit
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies of data protection, equal opportunities and health and safety and meet the differing needs of the patients
• Ability to keep accurate, concise and legible patient notes
• Ability to cope working in a stressful environment
• Demonstrates advanced communication skills in a variety of contexts
• Ability to think innovatively to support service development
• Knowledge of NHS, Education and social care policy and directives where these impact on service delivery
• Understanding service development, co-production and embedding into the whole team's practice

Desirable

• Evidence of participation in research/audit

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).