Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to be the lead physiotherapist for Teenage and Young [TYA] Adults and those having Proton Beam therapy [PBT].



The Band 7 Physiotherapist will be responsible for the organisation and provision of the highly specialist Physiotherapy service for patients in the Teenage and Young Adult and Proton Beam Therapy services at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust . They will also provide specialist advice, education and training within the Trust, GM Cancer Alliance, regionally and nationally.



The successful candidate will have responsibility for a clinical caseload and use their strong clinical reasoning skills to develop and provide individualised programmes of care. They will also coordinate, supervise and support Band 5 and 6 Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistants, and students working across these areas. The successful candidate will also be expected to lead on service development within these areas improving the patient experience and journey and delivering a high quality of care for the patients



This includes supporting staff development, clinical teaching of staff and undergraduates who are on placement. They will also be involved with service development and improvement therefore it is essential that they are proactive and forward-thinking.

Benefits:

Excellent learning and development opportunities across the 4 pillars



Coaching and mentoring



Access to funding available for CPD and Leadership courses



The post holder will lead, co-ordinate and ensure effective delivery of highly specialised physiotherapy treatment to teenage and young adult (TYA) patients (in and outpatients) and Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) patients within The Christie, using advanced clinical reasoning skills to develop and provide specialist individualised programmes of care.



They will be responsible for service development and service evaluation, including new and innovative ways of working



They will be supported to work as an oncology specialist in physiotherapy and be clinically responsible for a highly complex area of work and independently plan, organise and prioritise patient related and professional demands.



The post holder will act as a resource providing highly specialist and expert advice, teaching and training within and external to the organisation regarding physiotherapy management of TYA and PBT patients.



The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.



We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.



We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.



DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES



CLINICAL



To undertake highly specialised comprehensive Physiotherapy assessments of patients, including those with complex physical, psycho-social and cognitive problems using advanced clinical reasoning skills to develop and provide specialist individualised programmes of care To be the lead Physiotherapy clinician within TYA and PBT providing highly specialist and expert advice, teaching and training within and external to the organisation To act as an expert resource within the organisation and externally, regarding the Physiotherapy management of TYA and PBT oncology patients To provide specialist Physiotherapy advice and input at MDT meetings, clinics and case conferences To assess patients' ability to carry out activities of daily living. To accept clinical responsibility for those patients referred to the Physiotherapy service. To monitor, evaluate and modify Physiotherapy treatment plans in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of interventions. To assess for specialist disability equipment. To carry out home assessment visits if appropriate To liaise between specialist and local rehabilitation teams to ensure that care for people with rehabilitation needs is transferred efficiently across organisational boundaries To carry out risk assessments and provide training and advice on safe moving and handling within the ward environment and within the patients home environment. To liaise effectively with partner services including Social Services, Private and Voluntary agencies to ensure safe and timely discharges from hospital. To make appropriate and timely referrals to external agencies. To communicate complex and sensitive patient related information to ensure effective collaborative working between multi- disciplinary team members. To provide empathetic spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of Physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care To communicate discharge plans and Physiotherapy intervention to the Complex Discharge team, patients and relatives. To be responsible for the safe use of all Physiotherapy equipment within the Trust by staff, patients and relatives. To use expert listening skills to understand the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, emotional and psychological needs of patients and carers and incorporate these into treatment planning. This includes the ability to interpret and respond to patient's unsaid needs, to respond to an opening that the patient may provide and, when required, to refer patients to the appropriate health care professional to address this need. To plan and provide highly specialised individual treatment programmes incorporating patient focused goals and outcome measures and ensure appropriate discharge planning. This will be based on specialist knowledge of techniques and treatment options, a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and a sound knowledge of cancer and its treatment. To evaluate clinical outcomes of interventions and to assist other staff in carrying this out. To use advanced communication skills to work with patients and carers in highly complex/sensitive situations, break bad news and discuss end of life issues where appropriate. To use advanced communication skills and expert clinical reasoning to enable the patient and carers to adapt psychologically to disease, role changes and disability and to set realistic rehabilitation goals. To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills and strategies to communicate effectively with patients. For example patients may be unable to accept their diagnosis, may have a hearing loss, visual impairment, affected speech, cognitive problems or have a learning disability. To communicate highly complex condition-related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions. To advise and support other healthcare staff to develop advanced communication and clinical reasoning skills to work with patients and carers in complex/sensitive situations, enabling them to adapt to the physical, psychological and emotional impact of their disease. To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. To contribute to clinical teams both multi-disciplinary and uni-disciplinary by discussing own and others input around clients' needs ensuring a well-co-ordinated care plan. To motivate and reassure clients and/or carers to engage in the therapeutic process To attend the relevant multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings and case conferences to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary rehabilitation service To contribute to the development of patient information. To assess for and issue relevant appliances and/or equipment in line with the Trust Policy and Medical Devices Agency Regulations as appropriate To use moderate physical effort, manual dexterity and coordination daily to assess and treat patients. With more complex patients this may require the considerable physical effort of more than one therapist To use advanced personal coping strategies to work with a specialist caseload in the oncology setting. AHP's working in this setting have daily exposure to breaking bad news, patients with progressive disease and those who are in the terminal stages of their illness To lead on the development of Physiotherapy specialised care protocols/packages relating to a range of issues to improve patient care e.g. development of care pathways.

PROFESSIONAL



To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients



To be fully aware of and comply with the rules of professional conduct as set by The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the HCPC



To work within guidelines of policies and procedures and standards set by the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.



To ensure the health and safety of staff and patients and to report any areas of potential risk to the Rehabilitation Unit Manager.



To be responsible for Continued Professional Development as directed by the Health Professions Council.



To be flexible around working hours to potentially include 7 day working in the future.



To be professional, legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care



To ensure a high standard of patient care is provided by developing, implementing and reviewing clinical standards relevant to the work area



To demonstrate a robust understanding of clinical governance, clinical risk, and to be able to apply this understanding to clinical practice.



To be responsible for maintaining own capability and competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development in order to maintain HCPC & CSP (or equivalent professional body for physiotherapists qualified overseas) registration.



To ensure that own clinical practice and that of staff and students under professional supervision meet the required professional standards of physiotherapy practice.



To utilise specialist, clinical expertise to train, educate, guide and support registered and non- registered staff.



To maintain and develop current knowledge of clinical practice development and evidence-based practice, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes in clinical practice and policies accordingly where this will result in improved performance / patient care across the service



To work within the guidelines of the policies, procedures and standards of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.



To be an active member of the In-service training programme.



To disseminate knowledge of Physiotherapy in an oncology setting by participating in the organisation of and presenting at courses, study days and conferences locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.



To undertake annual performance development reviews with staff.



To provide line management to qualified and non-qualified staff within the team.



To participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice for the benefit of the service



To provide a physiotherapy contribution into multidisciplinary service delivery and policy projects within the trust (e.g. implementation of NICE guidance documents)



To raise awareness of the role of the physiotherapist in Supportive Oncology.



To communicate potentially difficult clinical or non-clinical information to staff. This may include feedback about individual performance, or dealing with conflicting advice and opinions about clinical situations



SERVICE DEVELOPMENT



1.To utilise clinical expertise for ensuring that quality standards and effectiveness of patient care are continually improved within the clinical section.



2.To ensure that all staff within the clinical team implement policy and service developmental changes.



3. To propose pathway changes concerning the physiotherapy management of patients and to guide the team to provide an efficient and effective service



4.To work with the Rehabilitation Manager and Division in developing the strategic and operational management of the TYA and PBT Service.



ORGANISATIONAL



1.To be responsible for the designated area of work as agreed with the Rehabilitation manager



2.To prioritise workload, balancing patient related and professional demands and ensure these remain in accordance with the department as a whole.



3.To liaise across multi professional groups to ensure that the clinical service delivery is co-ordinated with others who may be involved in patient care.



See attached for full description