Highly Specialist Physiotherapist in Palliative Care

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see job description for full list of roles and responsibilities

Clinical Duties

The post holder will provide high standards of competent and effective clinical care with evidence based, measurable outcomes and can deliver this care as an autonomous practitioner.

To be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of Highly Specialist physiotherapy rehab intervention to patients who are palliative, living with life limiting diseases.

To be able to demonstrate clinical reasoning at a HighlySpecialist level including differential diagnosis of complex presentations.

Be involved in daily management of complex palliative patients and planning own workload/visit allocation

Provide care in a range of settings within Wirral to include community, patient homes, nursing and residential homes and possibly day care centre and third sector organisations.

Active involvement in the development and provision of structured and specialised on-going Rehabilitation programmes with patients, relatives and carers and nursing and residential home staff.

Liaise at a Highly Specialist level with Consultants, G.P.s, Nurses, other Health / Social Care Professionals, Nursing Home and hospital staff to discuss, plan and implement multi-disciplinary care plans for individual patients with a complex range of needs.

To be aware of evidence- based practice, local and national guidelines and to support the development and implementation as local policy and practice to demonstrate this knowledge in the management of complex cases.

Make appropriate, timely secondary referrals to other Health / Social care Professionals, services and agencies to meet the individual needs of the complex patient.

To have individual responsibility and be professionally accountable for all aspects of clinical work for patients, delegating as necessary and referring onwards as needed to other Health / Social Care Professionals, care workers and/or departmental specialists by following agreed pathways.

Provide education advice to patients, relatives and carers and other professionals as necessary.

The post holder will attend meetings with other Health / Social Care Professionals, their teams and other groups to discuss update and implement new pathways policies and procedures across agencies as necessary.

To have appropriate hand eye co-ordination.

Maintain high levels of concentration during patient contact time

To be competent in the assessment, demonstration and fitting of equipment where necessary to improve clinical outcomes and independence, both within the nursing/residential home or patients own home environment.

To have the capability to move and handle and find solutions for patients with complex moving and handling needs of complex neurology, wheelchair users or confined to bed, possibly in confined spaces.

Actively participate in MDT meetings and to take delegated responsibility for actions from those meetings including policy, clinical or service development commensurate with the skills of a specialist practitioner.

To support the service in its responsibility for the maintenance, security, rotation and ordering of stock.

Adhere to department and Trust Standard Operating Procedures, protocols, policies and guidelines.

Build and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with colleagues, patients, GPs and other health / social care professionals, working effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team and always promoting the service/department.

To actively contribute to the development of the service, and to the identification and implementation of quality improvements and initiatives.

Provide supervision and support the development of junior staff through mentorship to staff and students and be responsible for the completion of summative assessment.

Carry out treatments, which include kneeling, crouching, bending, lifting, moving weights and equipment, maintaining static / awkward postures for short periods of time, several times a day, daily.

Communication and Administration

Excellent communication / interpersonal skills with individuals and groups of patients may be required to provide complex or sensitive information. Be able to communicate clearly with a variety of health and social care professionals. Ability to influence and use assertiveness skills effectively to deal with contentious situations.

To accept responsibility for establishing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships within the work environment with patients, colleagues G.Ps, Health Visitors, Community Nurses, Nursing Home staff etc and work effectively as a member of the multi-disciplinary team particularly around complex cases.

To gain informed consent in accordance with Trust policy.

To maintain high quality and accurate records of all patient consultations, telephone consultations and related work carried out at each clinical session.

To prepare high quality clinical reports demonstrating objective assessment and measured outcomes

To accurately report consultation activity using Trust data capture systems.

To attend and actively contribute to departmental meetings.

Liaise with and return telephone calls to other members of the team and to write to G.P.'s and hospital consultants regarding patient management and discharge summary.

To ensure that all information relating to clients and staff gained through employment with the Trust is kept confidential according to Trust record keeping policy and Caldicott guidelines.

Give service presentations and training to GPs, other healthcare professionals and outside agencies using appropriate aids (power point etc.).

Fully conversant with Microsoft and other computer application.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Essential

• Physiotherapy degree or recognised equivalent qualification
• Registered member of HCPC
• Evidence of successful completion of specialist short courses at a postgraduate equivalent level with an accompanying portfolio of evidence/experience.

Desirable

• Registered member of CSP

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Minimum of 5 years qualified with relevant specialist experience
• Can manage own caseload of complex problems independently
• Knowledge of current trends in the management of clinical specialist area
• Experience of supervising / mentoring junior staff / students
• Experience of training others in specialist area

Desirable

• Experience of project management

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Can use a variety of assessment techniques
• Can demonstrate continuing professional development
• Demonstrates specialist clinical skills
• Competent computer skills and ability to utilise Information Technology
• Demonstrate analytical and reflection skills
• Understands and can use the principals of prioritisation
• Knowledge and experience of clinical governance/audit
• Able to demonstrate good leadership and the abilities to motivate others.
• Physical ability to undertake on a repetitive basis sit to stand and mobility rehabilitation for patients with markedly reduced balance.
• Experience in supporting staff and their development
• Access to transport for work purposes.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Essential

• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills, including observation, listening and empathy
• Can convey ideas and information in a confident and easily understood manner, both written and verbal
• Adaptable to a varied and frequently changing work environment
• Able to work in difficult, distracting environments, with challenging clients and where intense levels of concentration are required
• Demonstrate ability to be a good team member.
• Developed skills in negotiation and problem solving.
• Able to relate the values of the organisation to everyday practice.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to motivate and inspire others.

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.

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

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wirral Hospice St John's, 2nd Floor

Mount Road

Higher Bebington

CH63 6JE

Employer's website

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