Job overview

The post holder will work as part of the paediatric physiotherapy team, assisting Physiotherapist (PT’s) in providing a service to children who have a range of physical and movement difficulties and Special Educational Needs (SEN). These children will have a Harrow GP and community visits will take place in Harrow mainstream schools, specialists schools and nurseries with support of the Physiotherapist. The post holder will also support therapists in the outpatient settings and in the hydrotherapy pool.

He/she will be expected to work independently with children and young people (CYP) under the guidance of a PT, in addition to carrying out administrative duties to support departmental activities. This will include ordering of equipment and organising the musculoskeletal appointments and specialist clinics. 

 The post will involve travelling between schools and working alongside PT’s and education staff to carry out programmes and blocks of therapy. He/she will also modify and adapt activities to suit the needs of individual children, facilitating access to the curriculum and their environment. He/she will be expected to work collaboratively with CYP, parents/carers and families.

The post holder will contribute to departmental meetings and project work and will assist in the delivery of training to school staff and parents, on all aspects of physiotherapy.

Main duties of the job

1. To provide general administrative support to PT’s including sending letters, filing, inventories and to develop and collate resources and equipment adapting requirements for individual students as required, prioritising tasks to meet deadlines.
2. To communicate factual patient related information to CYP, families and in particular school staff in order to support curriculum access and ensure well co-ordinated support and care plans.
3. To work closely and demonstrate empathy with children and families, reporting back about therapy sessions and ensuring that effective communication is achieved.
4. To implement programmes, including exercise, devised in conjunction with a PT, carrying out both individual and group therapy sessions in schools, for children with physical needs and on the ward.
5.  To be able to work independently without on-site supervision, seeking telephone support as required.
6. To develop confident handling skills when supporting more complex patients and make necessary modifications to programmes/activities, within sessions, discussing longer term adjustments with the PT.
7. To carry out risk assessments on specific children in conjunction with the physiotherapist.
8. To alter/dismantle and assemble equipment including standing frames, walking aid and trikes, at schools, nurseries or client’s home.
9. To write case notes, which will be countersigned by a PT in line with departmental policy.

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London NHS Trust expects all staff to act in a way which shows you understand our core values and are willing to put them into practice with service users, their friends family and carers and also other staff members.

As a Physiotherapy associate practitioner we expect you to show COMPASSION, contribute to a caring and kind environment and recognise that what you do and say helps can make the lives of others better

We expect you to RESPECT everyone and acknowledge and welcome people’s differences rather than ignore them or see them as problematic.

We expect you to EMPOWER others and continually try to provide information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs.

We expect you to work in PARTNERSHIP and behave in a way that shows that you recognise that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and pay for our work