Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional Practice

·         To undertake all aspects of practice as an autonomous practitioner including professional and legal accountability for own work

·         To liaise with various multi professionals, clients and carers, in situations which can involve highly complex, sensitive and occasionally contentious information using well developed communication skills

·         To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practise through CPD activities, maintaining a portfolio which reflects personal development 

·         To be responsible for supporting specific abilities and interests of team members when identified by team reviewers through performance review and personal development plans  

·         To be responsible for the maintenance of professional status in line with HCPC/NMC recommendations

·         To work with other professional leads to support the wider multi-disciplinary team and to ensure that Professional standards are met across the service.

·         To actively participate and promote  Safeguarding Adults, Mental Capacity and ‘Best Interests’ processes, including assessment and participating in meetings as required

·         To actively participate in resource allocation processes, and attending meetings as and when required to attend   

·         To be responsible for the /support the provision of rehabilitation for in patients within the hospital settings as required for patient progression and discharge facilitation

·         Provision of Discharge to Assess visits in order to facilitate safe and timely discharges

Quality

·         To be responsible for safe, efficient, and effective delivery of the therapy provision to the Dawlsih Hospital medical beds promoting team working in order to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive environment

·         To lead in the identification and implementation of specific evidenced-based audit and research projects to further services’ and multi-professional team clinical practice

·         To participate in the development and implementation of policies appropriate to Hospital Discharge within the locality

·         To gather feedback/data in relation to the medical wards and use this to inform service delivery and improvements

·         To be responsible for maintaining up to date relevant risk assessments to reduce/eliminate hazards where practicably possible (e.g. health and safety, lone working) 

·         To ensure compliance with organisational and departmental policies and procedures

·         To promote the use of tools to ensure a process of continuous quality improvement (e.g. Datix)

·         To have knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and support their application within practice

Leadership

·         To provide leadership to the inpatient therapy teams in acute and community hospitals ensuring that targets relating to length of stay and team input are met as well as quality standards and efficient use of resources

·         To be responsible for accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal, departmental, governmental, and professional standards of practice 

·         To be accountable for providing an environment commensurate with life-long learning, and the development of competency frameworks which support the staff development review processes

·         To ensure that mandatory training is carried out in accordance with Trust policy

·         To be responsible for the identification of gaps in the professional training and development needs of staff in line with competency frameworks and HCPC/NMC requirements

·         To be responsible for ensuring that the framework for professional supervision as expressed in the Trust policy is embedded and supported throughout the team

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Operational

·         To be responsible for the operational management of the therapists and support staff on the ward

·         To provide strong professional leadership,

·         To prioritise and manage the dynamics of an unpredictable working environment through the control and management of effective and efficient use of resources, within budgetary constraints, whilst maintaining high quality, safe delivery of care

·         To consider the need for the management of inpatient therapy capacity across the medical bed,  at times of high pressure within the service

·         To participate in the implementation of local IT processes to allow for effective data collection, in line with local and national guidelines

·         To participate in the development and implementation of both clinical and managerial policies and protocols for the locality

·         To follow guidance set by the Trust in relation to decision making about Intermediate Care funded care

·         To actively contribute to development of Trust wide clinical policies and protocols

Professional Practice and Leadership

·         To be aware of and work within national professional standards

·         To provide proactive clinical leadership support to the Inpatient Team

·         To be a reflective practitioner

·         To initiate and influence the development of policies, procedures and guidelines relevant to hospital discharge ensuring they are implemented and monitored

·         To monitor the impact of their service clinically and for cost effectiveness, supported by a range of evaluation techniques including the use of continuous quality improvement tools and clinical audit functions

·         To actively use data to proactively inform the commissioning process

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

·         Effectively utilise budget for acute inpatient therapy to provide optimal services within available funding envelope, including having an  understanding of spend on commissioned placements and packages of care under Intermediate Care

·        Actively contribute to resource allocation processes including Continuing Healthcare Funding and Social Care funding streams

·         Monitor the need for and use of high cost equipment and consumables

·         Assess patients to ensure that they are on the correct discharge pathway with the correct level of support

·         Evaluate project functions within identified portfolio for delivery against financial recovery/savings plans through providing sophisticated, high quality project analysis

Communication and Relationship Skills

·         To be able to effectively communicate at all levels in the organisation to a variety of health and social care professionals, service users and carers in order that the best outcomes for patients and their Carer’s are achieved

·         Maintain a high level of performance and be goal and outcome focussed when faced with opposition or when working under conditions of pressure

·         Be able to keep accurate, contemporaneous documentation and care plans using appropriate available supporting tools and electronic recording programs

·         Understand the Safeguarding Adults’ process and act within the guidance of Trust policy and legal frameworks

·         Act at all times in a manner which illustrates respect for privacy, dignity and confidentiality

·         Provide high quality written reports and any other written documentation when necessary

·         Listen to and empathise with the needs and wishes of clients, patients and their carer’s. Advocating for them appropriately, ensuring issues are followed through with appropriate actions

·         Understand the Mental Capacity Act’s implications and initiate assessment of mental capacity when appropriate

·         To be able to manage complex and challenging communication between multiple professionals/patients and relatives carers, often delivering information that may cause anxiety, fear, and anger

Planning and Organisational Skills

·         Collaborate with key stakeholders to provide appropriate care, referring on to other services or professionals as appropriate

·         Exhibit a sense of responsibility and accountability for the Team caseload

·         Work with multidisciplinary teams to plan and implement high quality care

·         Use effective and efficient management skills to support the Team caseload and the wider locality team

Utilise appropriate assessment tools in collaboration with multi-professional teams across the health community