Specialist Healthy Living Physiotherapist

Professional / Clinical responsibilities To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of the post-holders own work To carry out assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex obesity presentations, and using clinical reasoning skills and knowledge of evidence-based practice, determines appropriate theory driven treatment plan utilising wide range of treatment skills including behaviour change techniques To provide expert delivery of healthy weight programmes to groups living with obesity ensuring it is underpinned by behaviour change theory To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses in a wide range of conditions including those with a complex presentation, with occasional guidance from specialist physiotherapist To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention To continually reassess patients in order to progress treatments effectively To co-ordinate intervention, engaging and making partnerships with other sectors to ensure patients have long term maintenance support which may include other healthcare professionals, community groups and volunteers To manage clinical risk within own caseload at all times To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner, including but not limited to those in healthy living. To support junior when indicated in the management of challenging patients To provide community-based healthy weight group programmes, at times as a lone practitioner within the Trust guidance Management and Leadership To be responsible for supervision and co-ordination of junior staff/students and assistants on a daily basis To be responsible for the operational management of the designated team in the absence of the team leader or as required To flexibly plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and adjusting plans as required according to staff. To be able to respond to unpredictable work patterns and frequent interruptions. To assist in the planning of juniors, students and assistants timetables and deputise for the team leader in organisational duties. To ensure smooth organisation of patient group work including gym classes. To be responsible for competent use and maintenance reporting of all equipment used on each rotation including but not limited to gym, and to ensure that junior staff/students and assistants attain competency prior to use. Communication To be able to motivate and persuade others through effectivecommunication skills, with the benefit of verbal and non-verbal skills,using written and electronic information where neededTo demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitiveinformation to patient, carers and other staff, where there may bebarriers to communication i.e. non-English speaking patients; use ofinterpreters; excess noise or lack of privacy. To maintain close links, communication and liaison between all staffand people involved in patient care, student education, research orpolicy development as appropriate Information Management To maintain an accurate and evaluative record keeping system (epic) inclusive of Electronic Patient Referrals for own clinical caseload To supervise junior and student physiotherapists record keeping system according to departmental standards Education & Professional Development To be responsible for supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff, students, assistants and other health professionals To be responsible for undergraduate student physiotherapists as allocated by the team leader and to regularly liaise with the academic institutions To keep abreast in understanding and knowledge of all new developments which are applicable to specific physiotherapy treatments and to attend andactively participate in the departments in-service training program and other outside courses/ lectures as appropriate To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate. To be pro-active with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department, and other MDT staff in the Trust. To be responsible for and actively record own personal professionaldevelopment and maintain a CPD portfolio which reflects same To assist in organising and actively participate in the in-service andpost registration education programme within the specialist clinical area and attend other outside courses/ lectures as appropriate To keep abreast in understanding and knowledge of all new developments which are applicable to specific physiotherapy treatments. Research and audit To participate in the departments ongoing audit and appropriate work related research/ evaluation projects To participate in evidence based projects with professional presentation of the project to the obesity team, physiotherapy department and wider multidisciplinary team. To keep abreast of evidenced based practice in the clinical area by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses and database searches To ensure good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor quality as appropriate. The post holder may be required to undertake any other duties after discussion and training if necessary. The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated including: Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of InformationPost holders must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 1998. Post holders must not, without priorpermission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. If any member of staff has communicated any such information to anunauthorised person those staff will be liable to dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information. Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2005, post holders must apply the Trusts FOI procedure if they receive a written request for information. Equal OpportunitiesPost holders must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the Trusts Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws.Health and Safety All post holders have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that the Trusts health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees. Infection ControlAll post holders have a personal obligation to act to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs. Post holders must be familiar with the Trusts Infection Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques and safe disposal of sharps. Risk ManagementAll post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with the Trusts use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to bemandatory. Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable AdultsPost holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role. Smoking PolicyIt is the Trusts policy to promote health. Smoking, therefore, is actively discouraged. It is illegal within Trust buildings and vehicles. Review of this Job DescriptionThis job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder.As part of the physiotherapy departments commitment to meeting patient needs and delivering excellence we provide a 24hours, 7day service. It is therefore essential the post holder be able to work their hours flexibly and contribute fully to both existing and new rotasThe Trust currently operates over two sites, Guys Hospital and St Thomas Hospital, and in the community. It is necessary for staff to be deployed on different sites at different times. Staffs are required to be able and willing to work on both sites. Staff may be required, from time to time, to serve in other units of the Trust at the discretion of the Director of Therapies.