Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication Skills

1.    To communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of condition and implication of management where there may be barriers to understanding.

2.    To communicate with children of all ages who have a range of physical and psychological barriers to understanding. Verbal and non-verbal communication skills of persuasion, motivation, explanation, and gaining informed consent are used with a variety of patients, parents and carers.

3.    To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with Allied Health Professionals (AHP’s), social services, education colleagues and voluntary organisations to ensure delivery of a timely and co-ordinated multi-agency service.  This will include the identification of issues and attendance of patient reviews, TAC’s in variety of settings and the planning of ongoing care.

Analytical Skills

4.    To use theoretical knowledge and practical experience to interpret and analyse clinical diagnoses and presentations in a wide variety of complex conditions, where there may be conflicting evidence or where some information is unavailable.

5.    Analyse and understand the impact on the child and family of various treatment plans/diagnosis from other disciplines.

Planning and Organising Skills

6.    To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and time management.

7.    To be responsible for own workload, designated by a more senior team member, and to plan and organise efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and time management.

8.    To contribute to accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive management plans, guided by clearly defined principles or physiotherapy guidelines.

9.    To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other health care professionals and agencies, to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care

10.    To demonstrate the ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and specialised interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling and demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory sensory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients.

11.    To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of caseload. To ensure a high standard of clinical care (for the patients under your management).

12.    To carry out assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations, using clinical reasoning skills, knowledge of evidence-based practice and expertise to determine appropriate care plans utilising specialist paediatric techniques and a wide range of treatment options.

13.    To refer to other healthcare professionals and agencies in line with departmental policy, as part of the overall management of the child to ensure holistic care.

14.    To continually reassess patients and adjust treatment plans accordingly in order to progress treatments effectively.

15.    To provide advice, teaching and training to other members of the multiagency team regarding the physiotherapy management of patients.

16.    To gain valid informed consent in accordance with trust policy and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

17.    To provide specialist paediatric advice to physiotherapy colleagues working in other trusts.

18.    To manage clinical risk within own caseload and to contribute to that of designated team at all times.

19.    To be responsible for maintenance of accurate written records and supervision of team record keeping, in accordance with CSP standards of practice.  To compile progress and discharge reports and to assist senior members of staff with legal and disability reports to multi-agencies and carers as appropriate.

20.    Participate in the respiratory on-call rota, working as an autonomous practitioner, undertaking the assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients with respiratory problems, who may have highly complex presentations.  Be expected to participate in on-call update training and clinical competence

21.    To be an active member of the in-service training programme available via staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions, external courses and reflective practice by regular attendance and participation in the former including the delivery of presentations.

22.    To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and personal development plan (PDP).

23.    To attend Mandatory Training and incorporate these within working practices.

24.    To attend Child Protection training and work in accordance within the national guidelines.

25.    To be aware of Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of your work area, including your prompt recording and reporting of accidents and incidents (in line with policy), and ensuring that equipment use is safe.

26.    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 parents/carers, internal and external agencies in the form of reports and letters in accordance with Trust Data Protection Policy.

27.    To have knowledge of and comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate.

28.    To undertake any duties that might be considered appropriate by the Senior Physiotherapist.

29.    To cover the responsibilities of the senior physiotherapist as required in their absence.

30.    Participate in in-service staff training, meetings, and internal/external courses. Liaise with educational staff, Social Services, and voluntary carers to assist in the delivery of treatment programmes, attending and contributing to clinics/multi-agency meetings.

Responsibility for Policy/Service Development

31.    To maintain own continuing professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any trends and developments and incorporate them as necessary into your work. Being responsible for maintaining written evidence within CPD portfolio.

32.    To act in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct and Standards of practice set by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and Health Professionals Council (HCPC).

33.    To demonstrate a sound understanding of Trust values, Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to the work situation.

34.    All individuals will have some risk management responsibilities with which you are required to comply, for details of your responsibilities please refer to the current Risk management strategy which is available on the intranet and in the local strategies folder.

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

35.    To assess children for specialist equipment and recommend its purchase and to be responsible for the safe use and maintenance in a ward setting, homes and schools and in accordance with department protocol. 

36.    To be responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatment resources available in the community & acute hospital environment.

37.    To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure its safe use by others through, teaching, training and supervision of practice.

Responsibility for Human Resources

38.    Supervise and educate less experienced members of physiotherapy staff, technical instructors, physiotherapy assistants and students, and provide support to peers.

Responsibility for Information Resources

39.    To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department and other specialist groups within the trust, and for national reporting.

Responsibility for Research and Development

40.    Participates in evidence-based projects/audits and contributes to the implementation of these changes within designated team/area.

Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust is committed to supporting all staff to balance work and other life needs. This is the responsibility of all employees and will be achieved by consultation, open communication and involvement of all team members