Senior Physiotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL AND PROFESSIONAL

Patient Care

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including management of clinical risk, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with national and trust clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways where they exist.

To receive referrals, undertake full assessment and independently plan individual specialized treatment programmes for patients appropriately depending on the physiotherapists diagnosis, using clinical reasoning and specialist skills such as use of respiratory adjuncts, tone management, patient education, exercise and posture and seating management.

To use recognized outcome measures to evaluate the effect of the physiotherapy interventions and ensure the treatment programmes are progressing appropriately.

To carry a designated clinical caseload including complex patients and prioritise that work efficiently taking into account clinical and service priorities using specialist knowledge to underpin decisions.

To provide individual patient equipment as required, such as, walking aids, splints and supports. To issue such equipment with due regard to safety of the equipment, and in line with legal, national and local guidelines

To be responsible for the standard of physiotherapy carried out by senior physiotherapy assistants or assistant practitioners working with you.

To undertake home visits when appropriate, to ensure planned discharge from hospital.

Advise, guide and teach junior staff and students in the assessment and management of patients and other aspects of clinical practice.

To be an active member of the on-call, weekend duty rotas, and cover of statutory and public holidays including working as lone physiotherapy practitioner at night.

Communication

To consult appropriately with senior specialist staff regarding patients with particular problems.

Provide patients, families and other carers with specialist advice or instruction to promote the understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure consistent patient management.

To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximize rehabilitation potential and to improve understanding of the condition which will require the appropriate response to the patients level of communication, facilitating the best possible communication outcome e.g. use of interpreters.

To be able to persuade and motivate patients through effective communication skills.

To provide and receive information from patients, carers and other professionals regarding a patients condition and treatment progress. This may include the sharing and receiving of complex and/or sensitive information.

Develop and maintain close working relationships with physiotherapy colleagues, referring clinicians, other members of the multidisciplinary team and other appropriate persons or agencies involved in the provision of care to these groups of patients in the community and hospital settings to provide a co-ordinated service.

MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

Information Management

To maintain comprehensive, accurate and timely patient notes and records in accordance with departmental policy and to ensure the safekeeping and confidentiality of these records.

To keep comprehensive records of activity in accordance with local and national requirements, using departmental software systems as required.

Human Resources Management

To participate in the Kings College Hospital Employee Performance Appraisal system and to fulfill its requirements, progressing to undertaking independent appraisals of junior staff.

To organise and monitor the day to day work of the physiotherapy assistants and porter where allocated.

To deputise for the Band 7 physiotherapist when appropriate and adapt to changing service demands.

To participate in the supervision and teaching of junior physiotherapy staff, students and assistants, progressing to independent supervision, management and competency assessment of a student.

Physical Resources

To ensure that work areas are kept safe and tidy and to be responsible for regular inspection and reporting defects of equipment used and report to the Clinical Lead Physiotherapist.

Service Development

Identify opportunities to improve the service, and to discuss them with the Clinical Lead Physiotherapist and take forward as personal project.

To demonstrate a knowledge of Clinical Governance and have an active role in clinical effectiveness and audit programmes in order to develop and improve services.

TRAINING, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

To undertake in-service and post-graduate training to improve patient care and for professional development.

Keep abreast of current development in physiotherapy generally and specifically in the area of Elderly Rehabilitation physiotherapy, and incorporate into current practice and disseminate to other members of staff, following discussion with the Clinical Lead.

To contribute to the in-service training programmes for the physiotherapy staff, including teaching on it.

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, using reflective practice and maintain a portfolio that indicates personal development.

To be involved in research and evaluation of practice as opportunities arise.

To participate in education programmes for schools, community groups and other visitors to Kings College Hospital.

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

• HCPC registration
• Degree or other recognized qualification in physiotherapy

Desirable

• Member ACPIN or AGILE

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Wide-ranging post-graduate clinical experience including musculo skeletal, orthopaedics, respiratory, elderly and neurology
• Extended post-graduate experience in acute medicine including elderly care.
• Knowledge and understanding in a broad range of conditions and problems which may affect adults , including Older people in an acute setting

Desirable

• Experience working in the Community
• Knowledge of assessment and provision of ADL equipment and minor adaptation

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Good assessment skills and varied rehab techniques
• IT skills, including keyboard and word processing skills
• Able to work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary team and understand roles

Desirable

• Able to present information to small groups

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

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Employer's website

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