Job responsibilities
Specific Duties and ResponsibilitiesCommunication1. To adapt communication with patients who have communication andunderstanding difficulties e.g. dementia, learning difficulties, visual and hearing impairments, non-English speaking patients and encourage all members of the team do likewise.2. With guidance from senior staff assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment such as patients who have dementia, learning difficulties or who are acutely confused, or who are sedated and ventilated3. To persuade, motivate, empathise, reassure, explain and encourage patients in undertaking their treatment programme, ensure understanding of their condition and communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential.4. To demonstrate ability to clearly communicate complex and sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. This may include explaining diagnoses or prognoses about long-term / permanent disabilities or chronic pain, where an educational and counselling role is required.5. To be able to diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients, and relatives using negotiation and interpersonal skills6. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.7. To maintain close links and work collaboratively with all staff and people involved in patient care and uphold good working relationships at all times8. To represent the physiotherapy department in good standing within the trust and external agencies e.g. GPs letters.9. Ensure timely communication with the team leader on all professional matters.10. To report verbal/formal complaints, incidents and accidents to physiotherapy management as soon as possible, document according to trust policy and support investigations into incidents and complaints as appropriate.Management and DevelopmentA. PHYSICAL RESOURCES1. To be responsible for the equipment used in carrying outphysiotherapy/osteopathic duties, and to adhere to departmental equipment policy and Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) standard. To ensure the safe use of equipment and reporting of faults by self and others including patients, carers and other health professionals2. Ensure personal competence of use of equipment used in carrying out in duties3. To comply with all trust policies and procedures and the Health and Safety at Work Act, including adherence to Universal Precautions and Infection Control measures.B. INFORMATION RESOURCES1. To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using SOAP/ POMR format to demonstrate evaluation, analysis and clinical reasoning in the provision of patient care.2. To maintain the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or the General Osteopathic Councils Osteopathic Practice Standards and departments standards for documentation3. To monitor and accurately record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances and issues with senior staff.4. Use computer databases to provide accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by the Band 7 staff and Clinical Team Leaders.C. PLANNING AND ORGANISATION1. To flexibly plan and prioritise own time to ensure that patient care, training, supervision, and meetings are undertaken with occasional guidance from Band 7 staff and Clinical Team Leaders in outpatients2. To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service3. To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required.4. To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.5. To actively promote and develop equality and diversity practices and strategic management in this area in order to promote equity of access of care for patients and equity of access to job opportunities and development opportunities for staff.
D. SERVICE DEVELOPMENT1. To assist Band 7 and Superintendent Staff in the proposal and implementation of Trust Policy and Service Developments within the physiotherapy/MSK rehabilitation department
E. HUMAN RESOURCES1. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Individual Development Plan (IDP) using the knowledge skills framework2. The jobholder is required to participate in the Trust appraisal process and work towards meeting identified development needs
Service Delivery and Improvement1. To be involved in conjunction with the Head of Physiotherapy, clinical team lead physiotherapists and Band 7 MSK senior physiotherapists for policy implementation for the designated area2. To be responsible in liaison with the clinical team leader and Band 7 MSK physiotherapists for identifying and implementing service development within the designated area and to ensure effectiveness of patient care is continually monitored and improved.3. To support the Band 7 MSK senior physiotherapists in implementing policy and service developmental changes.4. To support the Band 7 MSK senior physiotherapists to ensure that the service within the physiotherapy outpatient area responds to national initiatives and policy within the framework of clinical governance including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based health care, managing clinical risk, and research and development issues.
Leadership1. To assist the team leader in the day to day supervision and coordination of the junior and assistant physiotherapy staff.2. To supervise less experienced staff and formulate individual development plans and undertake regular appraisals with Junior and assistant staff using the knowledge skills framework.3. To supervise undergraduate physiotherapy students on clinical placements within the department
Patient Care Delivery1. To accept clinical responsibility for an appropriately designated caseload patients, and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. This may include chronic pain care, education and self-management, individual exercise program, running of exercise classes.2. To ensure high standards of clinical care within the designated area , and adhere to Trust, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or General Osteopathic Council and departmental standards of care3. To be competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of patients with musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions, including those with a complex presentation, using advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, often in situations where conflicting evidence is present.4. To formulate and develop individual patient management, treatment and discharge plans, using clinical reasoning, current evidence and a wide range of treatment skills.5. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, which may be conflicting, using underpinning theoretical knowledge and experience to suggest a diagnosis, identify main problems and form prognoses in a wide range of complex and complicated conditions.6. To continually re-assess patients in order to progress treatments effectively and advise patients, employers and occupational health departments on the appropriate time to return to work, sports and other activities.7. To seek senior and clinical lead guidance with highly complex or challenging patient cases8. To demonstrate well developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for the assessment and manual treatment of patients e.g. specific soft tissue massage, mobilisation and manipulation9. To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and riskmanagement and ensure its effective application to the work situation, guided by the clinical leads and physiotherapy management as needed.10. To maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times and support peoples equality, diversity and rights.11. To be flexible in working practice to enable support of other team members according to work pressures.12. To advise the team leader of any problems to the service to ensure quality and effectiveness of care for their patients.13. To use theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate e.g. for further treatment or specialist consultant opinions using appropriate referral systems and guidance from senior staff.14. To be an active member of the evening and weekend on-call service and/or orthopaedic service.15. To maintain professionalism in public, ward and rehabilitation areas16. To advise the team leader of any problems within the service to ensure quality and effectiveness of care for their patients.17. To undertake any other duties as may be deemed necessary by physiotherapy managers in the provision of the physiotherapy service.
