Paediatric Special School Physiotherapist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical 

Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care. 

Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition, using validated outcomes measures as appropriate. 

Formulate and deliver an individual physiotherapy treatment programme, with SMART goals, based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills e.g. manual physiotherapy techniques, patient education, exercise classes, and other alternative options. 

Take delegated responsibility from the Band 7 physiotherapist for managing patients with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions. 

Formulate accurate prognosis and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge / preparing for adulthood plans. 

Asses patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. 

Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes.  This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.  For example, patients may have learning difficulties, communication disorders, dysphasic, deaf, blind or who may be unable to accept diagnosis. 

Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required. 

Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload. 

Work within Trust clinical guidelines and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy guidelines and have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate. 

When working in the community and domiciliary settings, work as a lone practitioner with telephone support from a more senior physiotherapist if required. 

Be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards of practice. 

Supervise junior physiotherapists and assistants’ record keeping system according to professional and the physiotherapy service standards. 

Represent physiotherapy service and/or individual patients at any multi-disciplinary team meetings, child in need / child protection meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the treatment programme.  This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning. 

Be responsible for the safe and competent use of all electrotherapy equipment, gym equipment and patient appliances and aids by patients and ensure that junior staff/assistants attain competency prior to use. 

All physiotherapists working within this Trust are appointed on a District wide basis and may be asked, should circumstances so dictate, to work in any Physiotherapy unit within the district at any time. 

Professional 

 Be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development. 

Be responsible for teaching student physiotherapists to graduate level on physiotherapeutic skills and knowledge within core clinical areas as required. 

Be responsible for teaching, assessment and contributing to the performance assessment and appraisal of newly qualified physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistant staff, as required. 

Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence based practice in the relevant clinical areas, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types. 

Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with colleagues. 

Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and delivery of, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review. 

Undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects.  To manage and undertake research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of multi-disciplinary team audit an departmental research initiatives. 

Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as the Trust Journal Club, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Clinical Interest Groups, Peer Review Groups and other professional development activities. 

Provide support, guidance and training to junior physiotherapists and assistants, assessing and evaluating competence. 

 Organisational 

Responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff and assistants on a daily basis. 

Ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meet the required professional standards of physiotherapy practice. 

Be responsible for the safe and competent use of specialist equipment, exercise/gym  and hydrotherapy equipment by patients and by junior and student physiotherapists, through teaching, training and supervision of practice. 

Deputise for the Band 7 in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the team, allocating and organising the work of junior and assistant staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis. 

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

Undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by the Physiotherapy Managers. 

Comply with the Trust Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidance at all times. 

Deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia or limited mobility. 

 Ensure that personal actions and conduct comply with all relevant Trust Policies and Procedures e.g. Health and Safety, Tobacco Control Policy, equal opportunities, confidentiality, the Data Protection Act (1998), Moving and Handling Regulations. 

 HEALTH AND SAFETY 

To observe the Health and Safety at Work regulations by: - 

Comply with safety instructions/policies laid down by the Trust. 

Use in a proper and safe manner, the equipment and facilities provided. 

Refrain from the wilful misuse or interference with anything provided in the interests of Health and Safety and any action, which might endanger yourself and others. 

Ensure compliance with the Trust’s Health and Safety policy