Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical or technical

To undertake comprehensive assessments of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/ multipathologies.

To use investigative and analytical skills to assess complex patients and support other more junior therapists with their patients as required.

To devise individualised physiotherapy management and / or treatment plans, using clinical reasoning skills.

To use ongoing investigative and analytical skills, manual assessment techniques and diagnostic procedures to assess complex patients and formulate a clinical diagnosis.

To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention.

To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.

To keep up to date with developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes to your clinical practice.

Leadership or managerial

To attend all relevant training to maintain competency and confidence.

To be responsible for and actively record your own personal development. This may include active participation in journal clubs, clinical reasoning and problem patient sessions as participant and facilitator.

To participate in the appraisal as appraisee and appraiser.

To disseminate any training received to other staff and health care professionals

To be responsible for the supervision of Band 5 Physiotherapists on rotation, Students and Assistants

To support the band 7 Physiotherapy team leader with the appraisals of Band 5 Physiotherapists on rotation and Assistants

To take a leadership role for the Physiotherapists in the team in the absence of a B7 in order to prioritise the work

To share the responsibility of organising the rota for the weekend working

To support the Physiotherapy staff with organising their annual leave within the team

Information and reporting

To regularly participate in and lead on appropriate work related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to the speciality.

To participate in and initiate clinical audit and the evaluation of clinical effectiveness in line with Trust Policies.

To evaluate your own clinical effectiveness.

To ensure relevant topics are included in annual clinical governance and service plan.

To undertake and present relevant evidence based projects.

To contribute to the Trust’s, Division’s and team’s clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda

Service improvement

To make recommendations when appropriate to changes in practice leading to improvement in the service.

To be involved with implementing policy and service development changes.

To be aware of risks involved as part of delivering clinical care and manage this within own patient case load.

To demonstrate physical ability to carry out assessments and interventions, including moving and handling techniques. This involves frequent light to moderate physical effort.

Communications and Engagement

To be able to communicate highly complex information sensitively to patients in order to gain their cooperation for treatment and valid consent.

To communicate effectively with all disciplines involved in a patient’s care, both those from within the organisation and those outside to ensure efficient multidisciplinary working

To use persuading and influencing skills to encourage patients to self manage their conditions.

To communicate any changes in care plan or treatment approach to other   therapists as necessary.

To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patient in order to progress treatment programmes. This may include patients who will have difficulties in understanding or communicating, e.g. patients who maybe deaf, blind, or be unable to accept the diagnosis, or for whom English is not their first language.

To be able to manage frequently highly stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.

To maintain accurate records in line with professional body (CSP), Trust and service standards and policies. To ensure that records of directly managed staff also comply with these standards

To attend staff meetings and actively participate ensuring understanding of information imparted

To ensure timely and effective communication with the Clinical/Therapy Leads on all professional matters.

General responsibilities

To support the department and organisation by carrying out any other duties that reasonably fit within the broad scope of a job of this grade and type of work.

To have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and others at work. This includes being conversant with relevant trust safety policies and procedures. To report incidents and near misses at work; take part in the risk management process; attend all mandatory training courses in the agreed duration as defined by trust policy and carry out tasks and use equipment only when competent to do so.

To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity. To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection act.

To support the department and organisation by carrying out any other duties as qualified and able.

To comply with the trust’s corporate and local policies and procedures on such subjects and clinical management and human resources.

To ensure that patients, clients and members of the public are consulted and involved in decisions about local health service developments. As a trust employee to be mindful of this and do what is appropriate to the role and level meet this duty of responsibility.

To undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time and are consistent with the responsibilities of the role.

To comply with the trust’s policies on equal opportunities, the consumption of alcohol and smoking.

This job involves regular exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids including urine and faeces and occasional exposure to verbal aggression.