Highly Specialist Physiotherapist

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Clinical To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of caseload including management, treatment and care delivered to children and young people. Manage the therapeutic treatment of children with a range of conditions, including children with profound and multiple difficulties. To assess, diagnose, review and develop individual care and treatment plans for children with a wide range of paediatric conditions. To provide specialist advice and recommendations and advice staff where required. Analyse and understand impact on child and therapy treatment of various care plans/diagnosis. Be responsible for maintaining a high standard of clinical practice both for self and members of the team. Motivate and persuade children of all ages, with a range of complex conditions/disabilities to work with treatment programmes and work towards treatment goals. To be actively involved in planning, monitoring and implementing clinical service policies and
care pathways. To be an active member of the multi-disciplinary team and Participate in specific projects as directed and agreed and supported by the operational lead. To work with the Operational lead physiotherapist for childrens services to develop strategic and operational management of the physiotherapy service as required. To understand and apply National Guidelines and Legislation relating to Health, Education and Social Care in Physiotherapy practice. To assess children for specialist equipment in the home and school, and recommend its purchase to relevant agencies. To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment, appliances and aids used by children, and ensure that rotational staff/assistants are competent in their use. To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance, including ability to audit own practice. Proposes changes in own working and clinical practices. Ensure that where this impacts on the work of other health professionals or services
they are informed and assisted with managing the changes. Maintain comprehensive contemporaneous clinical and statistical records in line with professional and service standards. Provide formal reports for Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs and ongoing EHCP requirements for children with Statement of Special Educational Needs. Professional To work to standards set by professional bodies and national standards eg. N.S.F. for Children. To be responsible for maintaining own continuous professional development, evidence by attendance at relevant specialist level courses, maintaining a professional portfolio including reflective practice and achievement of appraisal objectives. To advise the dept. on best practice for the specialty area and to support clinical pathways in line with most up to date Evidence based practice and NICE guidance. To develop new initiatives in partnership with service users and networks on a needs led basis and within financial and
resources available. To facilitate a continuous programme of quality assurance and improvement audits outcome measures to ensure quality standards. To cascade knowledge and skills within the therapy team and the wider therapy/ multi-disciplinary team using a range of formal and informal teaching and presentation techniques. To keep updated on new treatments in children's physiotherapy in response to changes in clinical practice and teach staff through in service training and provide peer and clinical supervision. To be actively involved in the education and appraisal of other staff, students up to graduate level, band 5/6 run through training and post graduate training for therapy staff. To be actively involved in professional clinical groups ie paediatric special interest groups, peer review groups and other professional development activities. Organisational To triage referrals appropriately. To balance clinical and non clinical duties to meet service demands
and professional development needs and provide leadership and organisational structure to the staff. To collect and collate accurate and timely information relating to service activity and audit. Deputise for the operational Lead in their absence, taking responsibility for the daily operational management of the team, allocating and organising the work of team to meet service priorities. Managerial To attend relevant meetings and provide leadership for childrens physiotherapy To be involved in Physiotherapy audit and service improvement and staff appraisal and competencies. To lead the education and training of students and staff.