Detailed job description and main responsibilities

CLINICAL PRACTICE
Analyse clinical and non-clinical information providing highly specialised triage, diagnosis where possible, determine need for medical and/or physiotherapy intervention. This includes patients with highly complex and emotive presentations e.g. potentially volatile/aggressive patients who
are under the influence of pain, alcohol, drugs and/or suffer from mental health problems.
Competent in diagnostic and clinical skills pertinent to Urgent care minor injuries such as requesting and interpretation of investigations.
Assess patients’ understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
Formulate goals in partnership with the patient, clearly communicating clinical reasoning, in order to justify recommendations, and utilising most appropriate treatment/intervention for the patients’ needs.
Implement a variety of evidence based physiotherapy interventions to a highly specialist level according to the needs of the individual patient.
As autonomous practitioners physiotherapists remain legally accountable for the interventions provided and their outcome.
Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.
Demonstrate skills in consoling and counselling the highly distressed and sensitised patient in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere facilitating referrals to mental health teams, alcohol liaison team and/or the police accordingly.
Act as a source of Urgent Care Physiotherapy expertise and demonstrate highly specialist knowledge, skills and experience in the management of complex conditions; educating other health care professionals, multi-agency professionals, therapy junior staff and students in the
management of these conditions.
Work as an integral member the Urgent Care Team to prevent unnecessary admissions.
Play an active role in the multidisciplinary team in Urgent Care ensuring integrated, seamless and timely discharge with the patients and carers being well supported throughout the process.
Work within Trust clinical guidelines and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy guidelines and to have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate.
Be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards of practice.
Participate and contribute to the training and education agenda within Urgent Care and to share expertise and knowledge to enhance the clinical skill base according to evidence based practice.
Undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice within Urgent Care. Make recommendations to Advanced Practice Physiotherapist /Manager of service for changes to practice by the team. May lead the implementation of
specific changes to practice and contribute to service improvement.
Undertake project and development work as appropriate.
Deputise for the Urgent Care Physiotherapy Clinical Team Leader in the planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluation of the Urgent Care Physiotherapy service provided.
Responsible for providing management and supervision to junior members of the Therapy service, support staff and students.
Be an active member of the weekend working for Urgent Care, and demonstrate flexibility in working hours to meet the service needs. 

COMMUNICATION
Communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a manner consistent with their level of understanding, culture and background and preferred ways of understanding. Communication
skills of persuasion, motivation, explanation and gaining informed consent will be used with a wide variety of patients. Barriers of effective communication will regularly be evident e.g. altered conscious level, sensory loss, altered perception, pain, fear, and severe psychosocial problems.
Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with therapy, medical, nursing and others to ensure the delivery of coordinated multi-disciplinary and a multi-agency approach and facilitate and maintain good working relationships.
Communicate highly complex or sensitive information, in an empathetic and reassuring manner to patients and carers in a language understandable to them. This may include imparting unwelcome news relating to a diagnosis.
Use a range of techniques to overcome barriers to communication.
Assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment 
Adapt your own communication style and utilise advanced communication skills appropriate to the patient in order to foster an effective therapeutic relationship.
Deal with challenging situations including verbal aggression/distress from patients, carer and relatives.
Advise, instruct and educate patients, carers and other professionals regarding Physiotherapy in a manner that promotes understanding and participation in the therapy process.
Responsible for generating patient referrals to a number of differing services.
Provide comprehensive Physiotherapy reports clearly outlining clinical reasoning and recommendations.
Provide clear information (verbal and written) regarding Physiotherapy intervention.
Ensure that up to date written records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional standards and organisational guidance.
Adhere to trust policies, procedures and current legislation which relate to own workplace and contribute to service development
Have basic IT skills including use of the Internet, E-mail and any special programmes used in the service.

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

As necessary, initiate, plan, organise and chair meetings which have clear purpose and outcomes such as clinical meetings and multi-disciplinary meetings.
Represent the Physiotherapy/Acute Therapy Service in a professional manner.
Attend and participate in team meetings, taking the lead when required.
Assist the Acute Pathway Service in involving service users, their carers and family in service improvements where indicated.
Act as an advocate on behalf of patients. 

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT 

Continue to develop and demonstrate skills related to physiotherapy in urgent care, to a highly specialist level, ensuring that those skills are underpinned by physiotherapy philosophy, theory
and professional standards.
Keep up to date with evidence based practice.
Complete all required mandatory training.
Responsible for your own continuing professional development including maintaining your own development portfolio and assisting others in the development of theirs.
Participate in your own annual development review and supervision, undertaking post registration training related to area of work as required.
Undertake as necessary development reviews of physiotherapists and support staff in accordance with organisational guidance.
Undertake the management and supervision of physiotherapists, support staff and students as required, assessing and evaluating competence as required, and as outlined in service guidance, acting in the initial stage in the disciplinary process if required.
Participate and contribute to the training and education agenda within Urgent Care to share expertise and knowledge to enhance the clinical skill base according to evidence based practice.
Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.
Involvement/leading in research activity e.g. journal clubs, evidence based practice and clinical audit as required.
 Provide training to colleagues, the wider multi-disciplinary team and other agencies as requested including specialist training to members of the therapy service and Urgent Care MDT in advanced clinical skills.
Keep up to date with relevant legislation and current issues relating to physiotherapy in your area of work in areas such as Health, NICE etc.