Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dynamic, friendly and supportive Paediatric Physiotherapy team.



The post will involve working within our band 6 paediatric rotational team. This will give the successful candidate the opportunity to work within different paediatric specialities.



The post will cover a diverse paediatric caseload and as such previous paediatric experience is desirable, but not essential. There is a robust training and supervision programme in place within all of our specialities and excellent and nurturing peer support within the band 6 team. In addition, there is a wide variety of highly specialist knowledge and skills within the paediatric physiotherapy team and the post-holder will be encouraged to make use of this fantastic resource and learn from other members of the team. The post-holder will also be encouraged to develop their own skills and experience as a band 6 through participating in audits, service development projects and the supervision of students.



Our rotational post have varying hours depending on the speciality. Our respiratory team work on a 7 day pattern whilst other specialities work on a Monday to Friday pattern with overnight respiratory on calls and orthopaedic weekend working.



To provide a high standard physiotherapy service to patients, both inpatients and outpatients, within the Paediatric Team at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital trust. The post will be working with inpatients to provide assessment, treatment & advice in paediatric neurology, orthopaedics, neonates, 7 day working respiratory service including PICU, cardiology and general paediatrics as well as assessment and treatment in the outpatient setting, which will include musculoskeletal, rheumatology, long-term ventilation, neuro-disability and the community.

How we support you :

The Evelina London is a supportive place to work with opportunities for professional development. The paediatric physiotherapy team is highly supportive, striving to offer a first-class service to patients and their families.

You will benefit from:

A comprehensive induction program and workplace mentoring to ensure a great start and ongoing support to excel.



Individually tailored professional development programs.



Development of specialist knowledge and skills for working with children.



Frequent opportunities for multi-disciplinary learning.



Potential to participate in departmental audits, research, and innovative projects.



Opportunities for developing services and quality improvement projects.



Increased knowledge and skills through participation in team and hospital-wide continuing professional development programs, appraisal, in-service training, and joint working



PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES



Patient Care



To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of the post-holders own work



To carry out assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations, and using clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of evidence based practice, determines appropriate care plan utilising wide range of treatment skills and options



To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses in a wide range of conditions including those with a complex presentation, with occasional guidance from specialist physiotherapists



To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge plans



To continually reassess patients in order to progress treatments effectively



To co-ordinate intervention which may include other disciplines; advises and educates patient/carers/relatives/other health professionals



Responsible for maintenance of accurate written records using POMR system and use of computerised data collection and records and comprehensive progress and discharge reports to medical referrers as required by rotation



To manage clinical risk within own caseload at all times



To participate in on-call and emergency duties as lone practitioner within the Trust



To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual handling techniques and therapeutic handling



To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory sensory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients



To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner, including but not limited to those in PICU, vascular and neurology.



Service Development



To propose and implement policy changes that may impact on all service users, and advise team leader of any service development changes made, to ensure quality standards and effectiveness of patient care.



To ensure that junior staff / students and assistants implement policy and service developmental changes.



Management



To be responsible for competent use and maintenance reporting of all equipment used on each rotation including but not limited to gym equipment, hoists, non-invasive ventilation, cough assist, oxygen saturation monitors and patient appliances, and to ensure that junior staff/students and assistants attain competency prior to use.



Human resources



To be responsible for supervision and co-ordination of junior staff/students and assistants on a daily basis



To be responsible for supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff, students, assistants and other health professionals



To be responsible for undergraduate student physiotherapists as allocated by the team leader and to regularly liaise with the academic institutions



To be responsible for the operational management of the designated team in the absence of the team leader or as required



Information resources



To maintain an accurate and evaluative record keeping system (POMR) for own clinical caseload



To supervise junior and student physiotherapists record keeping system according to departmental standards



Planning and Organisation



To flexibly plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and adjusting plans as required according to staff



To carry an identified bleep as required by rotation and be able to respond to unpredictable work patterns and frequent interruptions.



To assist in the planning of juniors, students and assistants timetables and deputise for the team leader in organisational duties



To ensure smooth organisation of patient group work including lower limb rehabilitation and other gym classes



Communication



To be able to motivate and persuade others through effective communication skills, with the benefit of verbal and non-verbal skills, using written and electronic information where needed



To demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patient, carers and other staff, where there may be barriers to communication i.e. non-English speaking patients; use of interpreters; excess noise or lack of privacy.



To maintain close links, communication and liaison between all staff and people involved in patient care, student education, research or policy development as appropriate



Education



To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.



To be pro-active with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department, and other MDT staff in the Trust.



To be responsible for and actively record own personal professional development and maintain a CPD portfolio which reflects same



To assist in organising and actively participate in the in-service and post-registration education programme within the specialist clinical area and attend other outside courses/ lectures as appropriate



To keep abreast in understanding and knowledge of all new developments which are applicable to specific physiotherapy treatments.



To undertake an evidence based project in each rotation with professional presentation of the project to the department



Research and audit



To participate in the department's ongoing audit and appropriate work related research/ evaluation projects



To undertake an evidence based project in each rotation with professional presentation of the project to the physiotherapy department



To keep abreast of evidenced based practice in the clinical area by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses and database searches



To ensure good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor quality as appropriate



Effort



To carry out assessments and treatments, with moderate to intense physical effort on a daily basis.



To comply with the Trusts Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidelines



To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff



To sensitively deal with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care such as realistic expectations of rehabilitation outcome



To support junior when indicated in the management of challenging patients



To deal with patients suffering from pain states that may lead to anxiety and aggressive behaviour



As part of the physiotherapy department's commitment to meeting patient needs and delivering excellence we provide a 24hours, 7day service. It is therefore essential the post holder be able to work their hours flexibly and contribute fully to both existing and new rota's.