Detailed job description and main responsibilities

PATIENT/CLIENT CARE :  

To safeguard and promote the welfare of children and work to agreed safeguarding children policies  

To work alongside Early Years Practitioners to develop evidence-based interventions for individuals and groups experiencing difficulties with their child’s development and or difficulties in the carer/infant relationship  

To provide expert advice to parents and carers regarding children’s development, and to promote healthy lifestyles to individuals and groups within the community  

To develop innovative ways of working to deliver early intervention to vulnerable and hard to reach families and to modify these as appropriate using evaluation/outcome measurement tools  

To work innovatively with other professionals, organisations and volunteer colleagues sharing knowledge and skills to enhance service delivery and client care  

To adapt practice to meet individual client/carer’s circumstances, taking into account cultural and linguistic backgrounds and disabilities  

To provide highly specialist support and short term intervention to families who have a child identified as being ‘in need’ involving them in their care planning, advocating on their behalf and signposting them to other services as appropriate 

To work effectively with clients, carers, colleagues and education staff around individual case management, providing advice, guidance and support as necessary and involving them in the planning and prioritisation of care wherever possible  

To produce accurate and detailed reports, therapy programmes, advice and information as necessary in a timely manner, reflecting clinical expertise.  To refer children to other health, education or social services professionals as necessary 

To undertake home visits as required.  

 COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP SKILLS:  

 To be able to gather information that may be highly sensitive or highly complex and to analyse it making a full assessment of a client’s strengths and difficulties.  

To work closely with clients, carers, education staff and other professionals using empathy, tact, reassurance and active listening to complete assessments, discuss results, and agree treatment options 

To discuss diagnosis and potential outcomes with parents/carers, Health and Local Authority colleagues, voluntary organisations, and work collaboratively in decision making regarding referral on and intervention  

To provide training to a variety of audiences on aspects of motor co-ordination development.  

To demonstrate highly developed skills in motivating clients/carers to follow health improving advice and to engage in therapeutic interventions as appropriate  

To be responsible for communicating effectively with other Early Years professionals to provide an effective service  

 To negotiate and manage conflict effectively in a range of settings, with support and supervision from line manager in highly complex cases  

To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible  To form effective therapeutic relationships with clients and/or carers who may be under stress and/or having challenging behaviour  

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING & EXPERIENCE:  

 To demonstrate highly specialist knowledge of developmental skills in children under 5 underpinned by current evidenced based practice and maintained through specialist courses and self-study  

To demonstrate a particular interest in and willingness to undertake training in working with complex families with very young children  

To identify own training needs as part of the Professional Development Review and Professional Portfolio  

To attend further training as necessary to maintain and further develop the skill and knowledge required of a highly specialist physiotherapist. 

To keep up to date with current clinical developments through reading, attendance at courses, meetings

To develop and deliver specialist training (informal and formal) to parents/carers education staff, and other professionals 

 To provide specialist advice to colleagues and junior members of the team  

To maintain up to date professional registration with HCPC and RCPT at all times.  

To participate in Peer/Clinical Support Group

To have a working knowledge of the Child Health Promotion Programme and the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum  

 ANALYTICAL & JUDGEMENTAL SKILLS:  

 To analyse complex information on all aspects of adult and child interaction and communication skills and identify the best treatment programme for each individual family  

To understand the strengths and abilities of the child’s family when discussing and planning home-based intervention  

To adapt intervention as necessary according to individual need, progress and ability  

To seek second opinions from colleagues in highly complex cases and to provide second opinions for others including more junior members of the team  

To refer children to other professionals as appropriate  

To demonstrate the ability to reflect on clinical practice and decide on the most appropriate interventions  

To develop, record and adapt individual care plans, based on assessment results and response to treatment.

To plan, adapt and target training to all levels of participants. 

To make joint decisions with other Early Years professionals analysing information provided by them  

 PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS:  

 To plan and deliver training to parents/cares and health visiting staff as necessary.  

 POLICY/SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION:  

 To contribute to the development of team objectives or projects as required  

To take a delegated lead in developing specific projects as required  

To develop care policies and protocols for specific clinical areas  

To advise line manager of issues of service delivery including staffing issues, service pressures etc.  

 To use highly specialist knowledge to contribute to service/policy development.  

To be aware of and adhere to all Trust and Service policies  To participate and contribute to innovations and developments in areas of risk management, Quality Standard Setting and Clinical Effectiveness  

 INFORMATION RESOURCES:  

 To keep up to date and accurate client case notes, which comply with quality guidelines/policies  

To share information with others, observing data protection/information sharing guidelines  

To keep and send in accurate statistics within the required time limits  

 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:  

 To participate in and contribute to the development of innovations in the area of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness  

To participate in research/clinical audits as required.  

 FREEDOM TO ACT:  

 To be accountable for own professional actions and recognise own professional boundaries, seeking advice as necessary  

To provide second opinions related to communication needs on cases as necessary  

To work within defined departmental, professional and organisational protocols, policies and codes of conduct.  

To plan, implement and evaluate own work, seeking advice as necessary from other specialist colleagues.  

To participate in monthly supervision and annual performance review in accordance with Trust procedures.  

To seek advice and second opinions as necessary.