Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 To contribute to the operational management of Wheelchair Service. 
 To deputise for the Band 7 Wheelchair Therapists as required. 
 To be responsible for a given service area and this will alter according to service needs. 
To contribute to the development of procedures and implement these within the service 
To comply with the organisational, service policies and procedures
To have a good working knowledge of existing national policies and guidelines e.g. NSF for 
Older People and work to professional guidelines/standards (College of Occupational 
Therapy / Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), be able to evaluate their impact and 
demand on your practice
To ensure students, assistants and other relevant staff implement policy and service development changes. 
 As a specialist clinician working within the wheelchair service, contribute to the development of clinical guidelines, through participation in audit/research

 To be responsible for the training, supervision and performance management of junior staff, assistant practitioners and students which includes the use of formal appraisal documentation and NVQ assessment. 
 To provide specialised assessment and intervention to service users within the wheelchair service. 
To determine posture and mobility needs and therapy interventions indicated and to maintain records as an autonomous practitioner.

 To work as an autonomous practitioner being professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work. 
Able to  deliver a rapid response service to urgent cases, which 
requires a flexible approach and excellent time management skills.

To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts for service users presenting with complex conditions and cognitive, physical and social care needs. 
To refer on where appropriate to statutory and non-statutory agencies. 
To undertake the comprehensive assessment of service user’s, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills to form individualised treatment plans. This involves clinical reasoning, utilisation of a wide range of treatment 
skills and sound judgement of service user’s social support. 
 To adhere to Trust guidelines regarding manual handling in the transfer of equipment of various loads, and when manoeuvring service users in unsuitable and variable setting

 To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of therapy and to ensure a consistent approach to service user care.  To provide specialist advice to other members of the multidisciplinary team on the management of service users with complex multi-pathological problems to ensure holistic 
care.

 To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework regarding consent to treatment. 
To provide continuity of care for service users with ongoing postural and mobility needs. 
To maintain accurate, comprehensive and contemporaneous documentation, in line with legal and service requirements. 
To be actively involved in the collection and inputting of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the service and for audit purposes. 
To be aware of Health and Safety at Work policies, implementing relevant policies and Medical Devices Alerts/Field Safety Notices. 
To record and report promptly any accidents and incidents using the Trust incident reporting process, and escalating issues to the Clinical Lead and where necessary to Mersey Care’s Health & Safety Team.

Act as  part of a team providing a service throughout Southport and Formby, flexibility and adaptability is necessary within the working day to cater for the needs of the service users and their appointments. 

To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Review as both appraiser and appraise. 
As appropriate attend courses, both external and in-house. 
Participate in reflective practice and clinical supervision.

 To be an active member of the in-service training programme by the attendance at and the delivery of presentations and training sessions at staff meetings and tutorials. 
 To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work situation. 

Provide carers, relatives, assistants, junior staff, students and other health professionals with education, training, monitoring and support as required. 
 To communicate effectively with service users and carers to maximise mobility potential. 
To ensure understanding of conditions, prognosis, consent to treatment and posture/mobility outcomes. 
To take enquiries from health care professionals and others regarding the service user and their condition to ensure the acquisition of appropriate information.

 To appropriately refer on to healthcare professionals and others effectively 
communicating the clinical/postural needs of the service user.

 Sensitively communicate negative news regarding wheelchair management of service users e.g., where modifications for a chair are not possible or chair requested is clinically 
unsuitable.

The post holder is required to overcome barriers to communication using a range of 
verbal, non-verbal and listening skills. This will include patients with dysphasia, hearing difficulties, partially sighted, memory loss and confusion, behaviours that challenge, limited English and patients unable to accept diagnosis. 
To produce timely informative assessments, interventions, reports and letters regarding service users. 
 If required, provide reports for legal or social care reasons in accordance with the Trust policy.