Job summary
Band 7 Highly Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist
Paediatric Neuro-Orthopaedics 22.5 hours/week
9 months Maternity Cover to start September 2024
An opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Physiotherapist to join the neuro-orthopaedic team in the Paediatric Orthopaedic Service at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust. The team consists of very experienced orthopaedic consultants and advanced practice physiotherapists.
This established multidisciplinary team is responsible for providing orthopaedic care for children with a variety of clinical conditions, including neuro-disability. It is a tertiary service caring for children from across North-West London and beyond. Unique to this service, all orthopaedic referrals are assessed in physiotherapy led clinics. The team works in tandem with acute and community therapy, psychology, nursing, medical and surgical colleagues to ensure continuity of care. It is also responsible for supporting and guiding pre-intervention, post-intervention and maintenance rehabilitation programmes.
Main duties of the job
To provide expert assessment and diagnosis for children with neurological conditions referred to the paediatric orthopaedic service, advising on appropriate and effective treatment with support of the paediatric orthopaedic physiotherapy practitioners and paediatric orthopaedic consultants.
To work as an integral member of a multidisciplinary paediatric orthopaedic team providing a holistic service to the child and their family/carers.
To work alongside orthopaedic colleagues to triage new referrals to the paediatric orthopaedic service.
To provide a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment of the child with neurological impairment and identify/devise optimal management plans for children requiring surgery or other intervention/monitoring programmes.
To refer patients on to appropriate teams should they require further investigations.
To review CPIP assessments and measure hip radiographs.
To participate in gait analysis reviews, where appropriate.
To ensure management plans are in place for children pre and post-surgery, communicating with the family, acute and local therapy teams to optimise recovery and rehabilitation both pre and post-surgery/intervention.
To coordinate packages of care when intervention has been agreed, ensuring seamless service between orthopaedics, inpatient physiotherapy and local community services.
About us
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is proud to be one of the top performing and safest trusts in England. We have two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, plus our award-winning clinics across North West London and beyond.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CLINICAL
- To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work, including the management of patients in your care.
- To carry out highly specialised assessments of children with a variety of complex disorders and other physical/neurological conditions including neurological disorders, developmental delay and genetic syndromes referred to the neuro-orthopaedic service. To be highly competent in assessing and treating a wide range of paediatric and orthopaedic conditions based on theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and pathology.
- To interpret and analyse the relevant clinical and non-clinical facts found to formulate accurate diagnoses and prognoses for individual patients and to identify impairments and establish/score levels of functional ability.
PROFESSIONAL
- To comply with the physiotherapy codes of professional conduct at all times
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of professional activities.
- To be responsible, with the divisional therapy lead and orthopaedic consultants for leadership in maintaining and improving all aspects of clinical governance, evidence based practice and quality assurance in paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service.
- To be responsible for maintenance of accurate and evaluative written records using the POMR system; to include comprehensive and timely progress and discharge reports to medical referrers, legal and disability reports.
ORGANISATIONAL
- To be responsible for providing an efficient and effective physiotherapy service, by demonstrating good leadership, organisational, time management and prioritisation skills.
- To manage and prioritise own workload by appropriately balancing clinical and other demands to ensure all service needs are met.
- To formulate flexible strategies for clinical education and service development within area of physiotherapy expertise.
- To effectively plan and manage the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service including patient care, training, supervision, various meetings including management and strategy planning and meetings with other health professionals.
COMMUNICATION
- To be able to motivate, persuade and explain to others (staff, patients and their families) through advanced communication skills, utilising verbal and non-verbal skills, and using written and electronic information where necessary.
- To demonstrate expert ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff, where there may be barriers to effective communication
- To maintain good communication and liaison between all staff and MDT members regarding service provision and development and to promote a strong working relationship at all times.
- To clearly convey detailed knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff where appropriate.
RESEARCH and AUDIT
- To use specialist knowledge of current evidence to drive clinical audit, alongside the orthopaedic consultants.
- To evaluate and refine the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service through research and audit with the consultants.
- To identify areas of need and develop clinical guidance within the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service.
- To disseminate the results of audit/research/expert practice at local level.
EFFORT
- To carry out assessment and treatment using manual and therapeutic handling techniques which require moderate to high physical effort and concentration frequently during each working day.
- To comply with the trust health and safety policies including manual handling and infection control at all times.
- To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff and any emergency situations arising.
- To deal sensitively with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care, e.g. imparting news of poor prognoses
Job description
Job responsibilities
CLINICAL
- To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your work, including the management of patients in your care.
- To carry out highly specialised assessments of children with a variety of complex disorders and other physical/neurological conditions including neurological disorders, developmental delay and genetic syndromes referred to the neuro-orthopaedic service. To be highly competent in assessing and treating a wide range of paediatric and orthopaedic conditions based on theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and pathology.
- To interpret and analyse the relevant clinical and non-clinical facts found to formulate accurate diagnoses and prognoses for individual patients and to identify impairments and establish/score levels of functional ability.
PROFESSIONAL
- To comply with the physiotherapy codes of professional conduct at all times
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of professional activities.
- To be responsible, with the divisional therapy lead and orthopaedic consultants for leadership in maintaining and improving all aspects of clinical governance, evidence based practice and quality assurance in paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service.
- To be responsible for maintenance of accurate and evaluative written records using the POMR system; to include comprehensive and timely progress and discharge reports to medical referrers, legal and disability reports.
ORGANISATIONAL
- To be responsible for providing an efficient and effective physiotherapy service, by demonstrating good leadership, organisational, time management and prioritisation skills.
- To manage and prioritise own workload by appropriately balancing clinical and other demands to ensure all service needs are met.
- To formulate flexible strategies for clinical education and service development within area of physiotherapy expertise.
- To effectively plan and manage the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service including patient care, training, supervision, various meetings including management and strategy planning and meetings with other health professionals.
COMMUNICATION
- To be able to motivate, persuade and explain to others (staff, patients and their families) through advanced communication skills, utilising verbal and non-verbal skills, and using written and electronic information where necessary.
- To demonstrate expert ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff, where there may be barriers to effective communication
- To maintain good communication and liaison between all staff and MDT members regarding service provision and development and to promote a strong working relationship at all times.
- To clearly convey detailed knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff where appropriate.
RESEARCH and AUDIT
- To use specialist knowledge of current evidence to drive clinical audit, alongside the orthopaedic consultants.
- To evaluate and refine the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service through research and audit with the consultants.
- To identify areas of need and develop clinical guidance within the paediatric neuro-orthopaedic service.
- To disseminate the results of audit/research/expert practice at local level.
EFFORT
- To carry out assessment and treatment using manual and therapeutic handling techniques which require moderate to high physical effort and concentration frequently during each working day.
- To comply with the trust health and safety policies including manual handling and infection control at all times.
- To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff and any emergency situations arising.
- To deal sensitively with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care, e.g. imparting news of poor prognoses
Person Specification
Physiotherapy qualification
Essential
- BSc or Diploma in Physiotherapy
- HCPC
- MSc or level 7 courses relevant to speciality
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in paediatrics including with neurodevelopmental, orthopaedic and complex presentations
- Experience of using outcome measures
- Experience of assessing children with CP using CPIP
Desirable
- Experience working as a Band 7 in Paediatric Physiotherapy
- Experience of complex gait analysis
- Experience of serial casting
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Able to build strong working relationships
Person Specification
Physiotherapy qualification
Essential
- BSc or Diploma in Physiotherapy
- HCPC
- MSc or level 7 courses relevant to speciality
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in paediatrics including with neurodevelopmental, orthopaedic and complex presentations
- Experience of using outcome measures
- Experience of assessing children with CP using CPIP
Desirable
- Experience working as a Band 7 in Paediatric Physiotherapy
- Experience of complex gait analysis
- Experience of serial casting
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Able to build strong working relationships
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
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).