Senior Neuro Physiotherapist

JOB PURPOSE:

• Act as a specialist clinician in a specific clinical area, participating as a member of the team independently managing a specialist clinical caseload.
• Provide high quality physiotherapy assessment and treatment to adults referred to the CNRT.
• Develop and deliver an individualised treatment program to the clients referred.
• Work closely with the multi-agency team in order to meet the needs of the clients / patients and enable them to receive a comprehensive service.
• Be responsible for a defined area of the service or a particular patient type, working without direct supervision.
• Supervision takes the form of regular formal training, clinical reasoning sessions and peer review. Access to advice and support from a senior physiotherapist is available if required, clinical work is not routinely evaluated.
• Assist in the running and development of group exercise and education programs.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Each post holder will have a set of skills and competencies associated with the safe delivery of assessment and therapeutic interventions relating to their specific post which may include but is not confined to:

• Neurorehabilitation (acute and long-term conditions)
• Falls
• Musculo-skeletal
• Respiratory
• Dementia
• Frail elderly
• Therapeutic modalities (for example acupuncture, ultrasound, FES)
• Amputees
• Bariatric
• Pain management
• Palliative Care

• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients who are under own care.
• Competently assess patients, using advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis. Patients will include those with complex/multi-pathologies.
• Be able to formulate a treatment plan, using sound clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment modalities e.g. manual physiotherapy techniques, exercise prescription, patient education, and other therapeutic options.
• Work with patients to identify and agree treatment goals based on assessment outcomes, which demonstrate an appreciation of the complex interaction of risk, safety, patient choice, independence, areas of conflict and eligibility for services.
• Gain appropriate consent for treatment and ensure patient understanding of intention to treat. Where not possible, understand the legal framework for working with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
• Carry out appropriate treatment, re-evaluating throughout the treatment period changing treatment plan if required.
• Develop comprehensive discharge planning in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
• Take delegated responsibility from more senior physiotherapists for managing patients with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions.
• Be responsible for providing timely quality management of the caseload.
• Assess and organise the provision of equipment to maximise a patient’s independence and ensure the patient and relevant carers are sufficiently trained regarding safe use.
• Use communication, reasoning and negotiation skills to establish a working partnership with patients, families and carers identifying barriers to communication e.g. patients with sensory impairments, learning disabilities or patients who may not have English as their first language.
• Address all risk areas associated with individual patient’s ability to function.
• Demonstrate safe and efficient moving and handling skills on the basis of a sound risk assessment.
• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of interventions/treatments using evidence based outcome measures.
• Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
• Progress the client intervention to a satisfactory closure, evaluating outcomes, setting up reviews and/or arranging appropriate transfer of care as appropriate.
• Actively involved within the multi-disciplinary team and participate in relevant areas i.e. clinics and effectively communicate to contribute with other Health Care Professionals in the planning of patient care.
• Work with a band 5 therapist, rehab assistants and technical instructors regarding clinical caseload and provide necessary support on clinical issues.
• Ensure that all documentation around patient care is recorded according to Trust and CSP Standards of Practice.
• Provide accurate and timely data/statistics to the line manager so that the resultant activity reports can be a reliable tool to assist in performance analysis.
• Comply with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Guidelines and Health Professionals Council Code of Professionals Conduct and all other relevant national and local policies and procedures.
• Undertake all aspects of physiotherapy care as an autonomous practitioner.