Job responsibilities

Professional / Clinical responsibilities:

• To independently run exercise and education sessions for patients participating in weight management programmes across South East London - you will be expected to travel across various boroughs in South East London. 
• To be highly skilled and technically specialised within specific clinical area
• To provide competent treatment to patients within set clinical protocols
• To carry out assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, and to use clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of evidence based practice to formulate appropriate care plan utilising a range of treatment skills and options
• To continually reassess patients in order to progress treatments and management effectively in order to meet patient goals
• To use own clinical judgement and knowledge in regards to progressing and/or modifying treatment programmes within agreed clinical protocols and parameters.
• To work unsupervised by a physiotherapist for majority of the time
• To participate in a five-day service rota with late finishes
• To evaluate patient responses and treatment outcomes to the team, monitoring and recording patients progress
• To complete onward referrals to other appropriate services including exercise on referral scheme, talking therapies other physiotherapy centres including but not limited to outpatients and community physiotherapists.
• To demonstrate an awareness of clinical risk and ability to manage clinical risk within a remote working setting, including observing patients in all situations applicable to physiotherapy, ensuring safety and security at all times
• To comply, at all times, with the requirements of the Health and Safety Regulations and to take responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of others in the working environment
• To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy interventions including leading exercise classes
• To be able to cope with occasional, potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner
• To attend mandatory annual training (e.g. Fire, Manual Handling and Adult Basic Life Support

Communication

• To be able to motivate and encourage patients through effective communication skills, utilising key verbal and non-verbal skills
• Ability to communicate information where there may be barriers to communication and or understanding i.e. patients with cognitive impairment, non-English speaking patients; use of interpreters; excess noise or lack of privacy
• To liaise with the multidisciplinary team as appropriate
• To be responsible to and report regularly to the physiotherapists
• To liaise with other physiotherapists or health professionals as necessary with regard to patient care
• To liaise with managers, other administrative and support staff as necessary to ensure the smooth running of the service
• To attend any meetings and seminars/case conferences as deemed appropriate by physiotherapy staff, including staff meetings and assistant meetings

Management and Leadership

Physical Resources

• To be responsible for competent use and maintenance of all equipment used, to report defects in equipment in a timely manner
• To undertake routine and general light cleaning/tidying tasks within departmental clinical areas
• To undertake some administrative tasks particularly related to record keeping and data inputting
• To prepare and clean equipment used in treatment
• To report all complaints and accidents immediately to a member of physiotherapy staff

Human Resources:

• To be responsible for non-clinical induction of assistants and students as required

• To flexibly plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings and training and to adjust plans as required according to exercise classes, staffing levels and to meet deadlines
• To assist the physiotherapist in the development of the programme
• To ensure smooth organisation of patient individual and group work
• To liaise with and provide cover for other Technical Instructors in the physiotherapy service during annual, sick and study leave

• To follow physiotherapy department and Trust policies
• To comment on changes to departmental policies and procedures as required
• To support and participate in the in-service teaching programme

Person Specification

Qualifications / Education

Essential

• Completed NVQ Level 4 or Part 1 City and Guilds certificate in Physiotherapy (with prior experience in a therapy unit) or assessed satisfactory completion of an equivalent training course in a therapy unit, the course being of no less than 200 hours duration and validated by the Department of Health.
• Established experience in the sports and fitness industry.
• Individual with significant experience in relevant work environment who can demonstrate competence to a standard that would gain the NVQ Level 4 through the Accreditation of Prior Experience and learning may also be considered.

Desirable

• Member of Assistants CIG
• Sports and Fitness Diploma/Degree

Experience

Essential

• Exercise delivery experience in a group setting using relevant clinical skills.
• Experience of education delivery to groups of participants.
• Experience of management of exercise equipment including monitoring use and maintenance.
• Experience of team working.
• Experience of working with patients from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities

Desirable

• Previous experience as a physiotherapy assistant.
• Experience of treating patients within a weight loss environment.
• Previous experience with data inputting.

Skills

Essential

• Demonstrate knowledge of clinical protocols for relevant clinical work and for working in a gym/group environment.
• Knowledge and experience of a using remote platforms to deliver education or exercise classes.
• Knowledge of the health and safety policies.
• Demonstrate good interpersonal skills in order to communicate and work effectively with other clinical staff and patients from a diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds range
• Demonstrate ability to problem-solve
• Knowledge of healthcare delivery and the role of the physiotherapist
• Able to maintain own caseload of patients with complex conditions requiring technical proficiency/ knowledge, as delegated by the physiotherapist and prioritise appropriately in order to meet deadlines
• Ability to treat patients within prescribed clinical protocols/programmes unsupervised for majority of their time and to progress/make adjustments to the prescribed plan.
• Ability to work effectively and contribute as a member of a multi-therapy and multi-disciplinary team.
• Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner and maintain legible and accurate notes in the POMR system
• Demonstrates ability to prioritise own workload in order to meet deadlines
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies of data protection, equal opportunities and Health and Safety to meet the differing needs of the patients
• Ability to communicate clinical, treatment techniques and management or routine information and advice to patients in an understandable and effective manner.
• Evidence of being self-motivated
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural competence and humility

Desirable

• Good awareness of clinical governance issues related to the physiotherapy environment.
• Knowledge of diet and nutrition
• Advanced computer skills.

Skills

Essential

• Able to carry out moderate to vigorous physical effort throughout the working day
• Physically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.