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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities 

Clinical

1.    To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, including professional and legal accountability and managing clinical risk for all aspects of own work. Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as an individual practitioner or as part of a multi-disciplinary team.  In most cases to be the sole health professional with responsibility for that patient’s episode of care. 

2.    To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans as situations change/arise.

3.    To undertake advanced physiotherapeutic assessment of patients with diverse or complex physical, psychological, cognitive and behavioural conditions in order to provide an accurate diagnosis and prognosis.  To formulate and deliver an individualised physiotherapy treatment programme including therapeutic handling, patient education, provision of exercise (individual/group), and other options.  This includes the appropriate selection of referrals for inclusion in a range of treatment programmes, one-to-one sessions using advanced treatment options, advanced communication, questioning and reasoning skills.

4.    Supervision takes the form of regular formal training, clinical reasoning sessions and peer review.  Access to advice and support from senior physiotherapists is available if required.  Clinical work is not routinely evaluated or supervised.

5.    To undertake as directed a collection of data for use in service audit and research projects within the Intermediate Care Team.  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 Rehabilitation Services research initiatives. Make recommendations to clinical lead/manager of rehabilitation services changes to practice by the team. May implement specific changes to practice.

6.    To be responsible for safe and competent assessment, provision and use of physiotherapy equipment, patient appliances and aids by patients ensuring that junior staff/assistants/technical instructor attain competency prior to use.

Communication

1.    Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals; gain valid formal consent and jointly agreed goals.  To have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

2.    Communication will include imparting sensitive and comprehensive information relating to diagnosis, prognosis, physical and functional recovery and potential lifestyle adjustments to patients and their relatives.  This may involve informing patients that they may be unable to return to their previous level of activity/work/leisure or remain at home safely.

3.    Regular use of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to discuss complex information about underlying influences, prognosis, and progression of rehabilitation and treatment programmes with patient or carer.  This will include patients who may have difficulties with regard to complex emotional, psychological as well as physical conditions relating to the presenting complaint.  This client group includes those who have difficulties in understanding or communicating; the patient may by dysphasic, depressed, deaf, and blind or who may be unable to accept their diagnosis.  Communication will involve use of skills in motivating, negotiating, counselling, training, empathising and reassuring.

Communication with Colleagues

1.    To maintain accurate comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with requirements of Single Assessment and CSP standards of practice and to monitor that of less experienced staff.

2.    To be responsible for accurate and timely data input into the Lorenzo data collection system.

3.    To represent physiotherapy service, and/or individual patient to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service presenting a positive impression of rehabilitation services and the Physiotherapy Service.  This will involve advising the multi-disciplinary team (G.Ps, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, and Social Workers) on management of physical recovery and discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement of discharge planning.  Information will be provided in several formats including verbal feedback during multi-disciplinary case conferences, comprehensive written assessment and discharge summaries and via email.

4.    Advice will be shared with Line Manager and rehabilitation services relating to service planning, changes of clinical practice, complaints and plaudits.

5.    To take a shared approach to teamwork, understanding own role in rehabilitation services, MDT, Physiotherapy team and the wider Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

Communication External

1.    External communication may include discussion with employers and related agencies regarding return to work issues.  Discussion with multi-disciplinary team members regarding patient management including GPs, District Nurses, carer services and Social Services.

Documentation

1.    To maintain clinical case notes in line with professional and departmental standards.

2.    To provide specialist Physiotherapy reports that are timely, accurate and user friendly as required. These must reflect the clinical interpretation of the data collected from assessment.

3.    To submit statistical information required by the Trust, the Therapy Lead and Divisional Director

4.    To participate in and lead where directed in the collection of data using outcome measures for departmental audit.

Training

1.    To operate as a practice placement educator for Physiotherapy Students.

2.    To contribute to the induction and training of Physiotherapy Students, Technical Instructors and junior staff 
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3.    To provide support and clinical supervision to junior Physiotherapy staff 

4.    To support work experience placements within service area

Service Development and Delivery

1.    To use local and national initiatives to influence service development and delivery

2.    To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within the team

3.    To lead on delegated projects and specific clinical area.

4.    To participate in the delivery of the Physiotherapy service development plan

Professional Development

1.    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 in the areas of rehabilitation, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.

2.    To use reflective practice as a tool for CPD

3.    To attend and contribute to Physiotherapy Service and Speciality meetings.

4.    To provide in service training and demonstrations to service area staff, students and other disciplines. 

5.    To have good working knowledge of and ensure compliance with National and Local guidelines, policies and procedures. To keep up-do-date with clinical developments by the use of clinical databases and electronic technology.

6.    To take delegated responsibility for the teaching, supervision and co-ordination of junior staff, students (to graduate level), physiotherapy assistants and care workers on a daily basis.

7.    To work as an effective and responsible team member, arriving and leaving promptly, working effectively during agreed hours.

Leadership, Supervision and Appraisal

1.    In line with local guidelines review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of KSF, supervision and PDR. 

2.    To Provide support, supervision and assessment for all learners, students and staff receiving education or training in clinical practice and to technical instructors and junior staff and to participate in peer support with all grades of staff. 

3.    To provide supervision and/or appraisal to students, technical instructors and junior staff and to participate in peer support with all grades of staff.

4.    Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.