Exercise Specialist for Stroke and Neuro Rehabilitation

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication and working relationships

• Establish robust communication networks with patients, carers, other health and social care workers and other agencies (e.g. exercise prescription, Stroke Association)
• Provide and receive complex and sensitive information, working with patients who may have barriers to understanding and communication, due to cognitive and communication problems.
• Provide clarity and explanations to patients and carers regarding diagnosis and impact on lifestyle.
• Use motivational and negotiating skills to work with patients/carers to agree treatment goals and influence compliance with jointly agreed plans of treatment and care in relation to fitness and lifestyle behaviours.
• Attend multidisciplinary meetings to ensure that there is an integrated approach that benefits patients overall care.
• Promote awareness of lifestyle behaviours, exercise and fitness within the team, negotiating priorities where appropriate.
• Provide training on exercise and fitness in relation to the client group to the multidisciplinary team (MDT), patients and carers.
• Contribute to Trust wide networking and communication, which aims to share best practice and consistency in service delivery across the Trust.
• Obtain patient consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

• To maintain accurate comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal, departmental and Trust standards of practice.

Planning and organisation

• Plan, organise and prioritise own workload and guide the workload of support workers as appropriate.
• Exercise good and effective personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
• Co-ordinate patient appointments.
• Plan, coordinate and deliver activities and programmes in conjunction with external agencies (e.g. collaborate with leisure centres/local exercise classes etc to provide exercise and fitness opportunities for patients with long-term neurological conditions, exercise classes and training forums delivered in conjunction with MS Society and Stroke association)

Analytical and judgement

• Assess patients who have physical, mental health and social needs, at times with complex needs.
• Undertake risk assessment, using clinical judgement and provide accurate feedback to the team as necessary e.g. in relation to lone working, safeguarding concerns
• Complete an assessment to develop an understanding of their problems and goals, and decide appropriate intervention and treatment plan.

Responsibility for patients and client care

• Manage own caseload without day to day supervision. Support is available from more specialist registered staff in the team.

• To assess patients physical activity status and readiness to engage in physical activity, and assess functional fitness capacity. This may require liaison with GPs or other health professionals to confirm readiness and possible precautions to exercise. Identify specific problems/needs; develop goals and appropriate treatment plans in partnership with the patient and others in order to maximise patient independence.
• To provide information and advice on physical activity and getting started with exercise to ensure that patients expectations are managed regarding ongoing rehabilitation, physical activity and long-term self-management of activity levels alongside their neurological condition.

• Work with patients, carers, other professionals and agencies to meet identified needs and encourage to work towards self-management of their condition e.g. sport and leisure facilities, voluntary agencies and health lifestyles teams).
• Provide teaching and guidance to both patients and carers as required.

• To provide 1:1 advice about addressing the barriers to taking part in physical activity to enable them to access community groups or a gym-based environment
• To set-up exercise groups adapting to individual patients needs
• Evaluate patient progress and modify treatment if required using evidence-based outcome measures.

• Maintain accurate and timely patient records and reports using agreed standard formats.
• Ensure that referrals are dealt with in a timely manner, taking into consideration clinical priorities in case management.
• The post holder is expected to comply with trust infection control policies & conduct him/herself at all time in a manner as to minimise the risk of health care associated infections.

Policy and service development

• To have good working knowledge of and ensure compliance with National and Local Trust guidelines, policies and procedures. To Keep up to date with relevant exercise and fitness, therapy, Trust and Health and Social Care developments in liaison with the Service Lead and other colleagues.

• To ensure you and your team attend and comply with all mandatory training sessions / responsibilities and update knowledge and skills as required by Trust policies
• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practise, through CPD activities and to maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development. Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence-based practise, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types
• By taking personal responsibility for service improvement, by implementing change positively and contributing to team/MDT discussions in a constructive and flexible way

• Participate in the planning, reviewing and development of therapy services, relevant policies and care pathways.
• Report any incident/untoward incidents/near misses to the Manager in accordance with Trust policy.
• Be aware of, and follow the Health and Safety at Work Act and local/national guidelines.
• Contribute to gathering and entering data to include patient feedback on their completion of their group exercise sessions.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• Assess for, prescribe and order equipment and resources.
• Ensure safe and efficient use of stock and equipment. Ensure equipment has appropriate checks made. Report any equipment defects, taking action to ensure any such equipment is withdrawn from service.
• Demonstrate and instruct on the use of equipment to ensure safety

Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management

• This post has no supervision responsibility

Information technology and administrative duties

• To be competent in the use of data recording systems used within the Trust to include IHCS, SYSTMONE, etc to record patient related activity and data
• To maintain and update knowledge and competencies in the use of other IT systems relevant to the service
• To be competent in on line training via the HIVE

Responsibility for research and development

• Set a high standard of patient care and maintain an up to date knowledge of clinical practice, taking advantage of various Continuous Professional Development opportunities where appropriate, recording learning outcomes.

• Participate in Clinical Governance activities including clinical audit, research, clinical supervision, service review and annual appraisal schemes.
• To undertake as directed a collection of data for use in service audit and research projects. To manage and undertake research in specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and departmental research initiatives
• Make recommendations to clinical lead/manager of service for changes to practice by the team. May implement specific changes to practice

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in a field related to sport/exercise science or equivalent
• Registered with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS)
• Experience of setting up and delivering exercise groups
• Experience creating patient specific exercise programs for rehabilitation

Desirable

• Knowledge of physiotherapy and occupational therapy roles
• Experience in specific clinical area (stroke/neuro-rehabilitation).
• Evidence of acute or community NHS experience

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Newton Abbot Hospital

West Gold rd

Newton Abbot

TQ122TS

Employer's website

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