Advanced Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Practitioner Hand Therapy

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide specialist clinical expertise (both within own professional clinical discipline and across the multidisciplinary therapy team), making evidence-based decisions with the patient about their injury or surgery. Practitioners will use their clinical-reasoning skills to undertake an assessment of the presenting problem, interpret findings, develop working and differential diagnoses, and formulate, communicate, and implement management plans that take account of individuals’ needs, goals and wishes, local service availability and relevant local, ICS and national guidelines and policies.    

• Enable individuals to make decisions about their care using the principles of shared decision making:   

• helping them to identify the priorities and outcomes that are important to them.   

• explaining in non-technical language all available options (including doing nothing)  o exploring with them the risks, benefits, and consequences of each available option  o supporting them to decide on their preferred way forward.   

• Deliver and promote programmes of supported patient self-management, in ways that facilitate behavioural change, optimise individuals' rehabilitation and fulfilment of personal goals and independence relevant to their injury or surgery  

• Provide clinical and strategic leadership within the multidisciplinary team, working with the leadership team, with responsibility for quality, training and clinical governance and research agendas.   

• Monitor and lead improvements to standards of care through, supervision of practice, clinical audit, evidence-based practice, teaching and supporting professional colleagues and the provision of skilled professional leadership.  

• Lead on the development and delivery of an education programme for AHP, nursing and medical colleagues across primary and secondary care staff and partner organisations focusing on the assessment and management of the hand post injury or elective surgery from a Hand Therapy perspective.   

    EXPERT CLINICAL PRACTICE:   

•   To be a clinical leader in the multidisciplinary delivery of hand therapy management, demonstrating advanced, expert knowledge and skills in interventions with patients and carers.   

• Takes professional responsibility demonstrating high-level decision-making and clinical reasoning skills in the assessment and rehabilitation of patients within relevant clinical speciality – both within own professional scope of practice and the holistic MDT.   

• Manages a complex caseload with supervision/mentoring as required. This includes the gathering and synthesise of information on the nature of the individual’s presenting symptoms taking account of how these relate to relevant past medical history and investigations, developing and implementing rehabilitation and treatment plans based on best evidence, review and discharge planning.   

• Request appropriate investigations based on their level of competence and interpret the findings to facilitate diagnosis and management plans of patients.   

• To receive referrals from and make referrals to healthcare professionals review the patient and act, accordingly, thereby reducing length of time patients wait for intervention.   

• According to current legislation to undertake independent prescribing and make appropriate use of the administration of medication using Patient Group Directions.    

• Advise, initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions, which may include self management and lifestyle advice, specialist therapies, social and independent prescribing.   

• Record the information gathered through taking individuals’ history concisely and accurately for clinical management, and in compliance with local protocols, legal and professional requirements.   

• Be accountable for their own decisions and actions and the outcomes of their interventions via appropriate professional body, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review, reflective practice, and engagement in evidence-based practice.   

  COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:   

•   Demonstrate effective person-centred communication skills, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes, using a person-centred approach.   

• Adapt how they engage with others (including those with communication, cognitive and sensory impairments) through using different verbal and non-verbal communication styles, and in ways that are responsive to individuals’ communication and language needs and preferences. Conveying information and discussing issues in ways that avoid jargon, negative descriptors, and assumptions.  

• Ability to communicate complex clinical information both written and verbal, in an easily understood form, to patients, carers, and all members of the multi-disciplinary team.  

• Ability to deal with difficult or distressed patients and carers, conveying difficult and sometimes unwelcome information relating to clinical issues.  

• Demonstrate leadership, providing clinical and emotional support for staff working in high flow and demanding environments, including Fracture Clinic and Elective Consultant Clinics. 

• Work collaboratively with an appropriate range of multi-agency and inter-professional resources, developing, maintaining, and evaluating links to manage risk and issues across organisations and settings.  

• Advise on local non-clinical services that individuals and their carers may benefit from accessing to help manage their injuries, including those relating to employment, voluntary activities, counselling services and leisure facilities.  

• Make appropriate referrals using appropriate documentation to other health and care professionals and agencies when this is in individuals’ best interests.  

• Respect and draw on colleagues’ knowledge and expertise within the multi-disciplinary team and across pathways. Communicating with colleagues in ways that build and sustain relationships, seeking, gathering, and sharing information appropriately, efficiently, and effectively to expedite and integrate individuals’ care.  

• Participate as an effective team member and understand the importance of effective team dynamics. Contributing effectively to multi-disciplinary team activity (including service delivery processes and learning and development).  

• Facilitate collaboration and close working relationships with all services engaged in delivery of relevant hand elective and trauma management. 

  LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT:   

• Develop and implement robust governance systems based on an understanding of the level of practice required to deliver the service and assure safe quality standards of practice for service users.   

• Ensure that practice is carried out in accordance with professional rules of conduct, professional standards, departmental and Trust policies, national policies and guidelines and statute.   

• Lead new practice and service redesign solutions in response to feedback, evaluation and need.   

• Act as a clinical role model, educator, coach, and mentor seeking to instill and develop the confidence of the workforce.   

• Develop and initiate systems to collect feedback and involvement from individuals, families, carers, communities, and colleagues to assure and improve the quality of care and service delivery.   

• Work with the Therapy Leads on the monitoring of complaints, incidents, and patient/service user outcomes and feedback.   

• Demonstrate receptiveness to challenge and preparedness to constructively challenge others, dealing with concerns that affect individual patients, colleagues and overall service safety and quality.   

• To lead the development of relevant policies and clinical protocols in hand therapy and be responsible for policy implementation and service development.   

• Negotiate a personal and individual scope of practice for staff to operate within legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies, governance and procedures, with a focus on managing risk and upholding safety.   

• Demonstrates an awareness of their own limitations and through this, recognise the parameters of their scope of practice.  

• Represent ELHT on relevant committees and meetings, as a lead clinician, provide input in relation to specialist issues and clinical matters as required at a local, regional and national  level.  

• Act as an advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning to inspire and develop future and existing staff.  

 See job description for further details of Education, Learning and Development, Research, Audit and Service Evaluation and Professional Responsibilities sections