Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist

at  Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Job Purpose Work in close partnership with other teams within Bedfordshire Community Health Services to ensure seamless services for patients. Represent the NRT / ESD team at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated high-quality service for patients identified as high risk. Actively promote timely, safe, appropriate and individualised client / patient care; ensuring resources are utilised efficiently and effectively. On a day-to-day basis ensure that waiting times are kept as low as possible and optimal discharge dates for patients are facilitated.
To lead and co-ordinate the service with other senior colleagues to ensure the provision of a prioritised service during pressure times, due to workload, staffing difficulties or resource issues. Ensure the team is promoting health education and self-care, where appropriate, and Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is embedded within the teams practice. Support the Service lead in identifying local health needs and implementing actions to improve patients wellbeing and preventing hospital admissions. Promote a flexible workforce within NRT/ESD to meet the fluctuating demands of the service.
Be proactive in seeking opportunities to progress the team and support a multi skilled workforce. Deputise for the Service Lead or Clinical Manager at operational meetings, as required. Actively deliver the service in line with current initiatives including Integrated community stroke service specification and NICE Stroke rehab guidelines, under the direction of the Service lead & Clinical Manager. Maintain an advanced level physiotherapy skill base.
Actively supervise team members to ensure a high quality service is being provided to all service users. To work a variety of shift patterns which include weekends and bank holidays as required on a rota basis. Main Duties and Responsibilities Nature of work The post holder is a member of the Neurological Rehabilitation / Early Supported Discharge Team and will be responsible for the assessments, planning, implementation, and evaluation of individualised Physiotherapy intervention to Stroke and/ or Neurological patients living in the community. The post holder will monitor the need for provision of intensive therapy input based on the new Integrated Community Stroke Service Specification.
The post holder will work with different localities to ensure adequate therapy provision for the ESD & Extended ESD clients to demonstrate positive outcomes. To take a lead role in advanced physiotherapy assessment and holistic treatment of patients with highly complex perceptual, physical and cognitive presentations. To deliver specialist, individualised treatment programmes underpinned by sound knowledge of the latest evidence based practice and prioritising effectively to reduce risk and manage the patients disability or rehabilitation needs. To manage and hold accountability for a defined caseload involving specialist and complex assessments using evidence-based client centred principles.
To assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. Management / treatment of the neurologically impaired patients including managing tone, spasticity, upper limb, posture, balance, mobility & transfers. To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, coordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients. To involve patients and carers in the planning of their care programmes and encourage self-management where appropriate.
Communicate effectively and work together with all other teams within the provider services to ensure optimum patient centred care. Using various methods of communication, this will include face to face and remote methods To establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with other staff, clients and their carers. Positive relationships are characterised by open communication, trust and respect. Where barriers to understanding exist, staff will need to use tact, motivational negotiating and reassurance skills.
Information received and given may be sensitive and will need to be handled in a empathic and professional manner To recognise potential communication barriers and implement effective strategies to facilitate communication. To have an excellent knowledge of supporting services available to clients from health, social care and voluntary agencies. To provide effective leadership through active supervision and appropriate training other members of the multi-disciplinary team To continually strive to improve efficiency in all areas of your work. To work flexibly across bases within Bedfordshire, including rehabilitation bedded units, as service needs require.
To involve patients and carers in the planning of rehabilitation programmes and encourage self-management where appropriate To communicate effectively with all members of the Neuro rehab team and acquired brain injury service. To support and promote team working generally. Communicate and work together with other teams within the provider services, and other providers to ensure optimum patient centred care. Using various methods of communication, this will include oral, written, electronic or other verbal or non-verbal methods To have a good level of knowledge of support services within the community.
To facilitate the delivery of Physiotherapy Student Education within the clinical setting Planning Plan and implement daily work within the team and wider geographical area in the knowledge that this can be unpredictable and may change to meet the demands of the service and the changing priorities of clinical/health needs. Organise, triage and plan new referrals within locality and for the Extended ESD Service as to who needs to be assessed within an agreed service time frame, and on-going work allocations, to enable the team to work effectively and efficiently. Contribute, and chair as required, weekly multidisciplinary team meetings. Support other members of the multidisciplinary team in planning and managing their own caseload particularly in the event of absence.
Be responsible for prioritising and managing own workload, expecting some conflicting demands on your time. Patient contact To promote the team philosophy that embraces a holistic approach to patients, carers and relatives. To form professional relationships with clients and communicate condition related information to them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture. To carry out a full Physiotherapy assessment of allocated clients referred into the team, ensuring that appropriate care/rehabilitation pathways and communication are adhered to Actively promote good health and development and participate in Public Health Initiatives To review and re-assess own clinical interventions and those of junior staff so that an action plan can be initiated in a timely manner.
To administer standardised neurological assessments and outcome measures as appropriate to clients needs and to meet audit needs of the service. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients, including with complex presentations/multi-pathologies and use advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition. To be responsible for fitting and demonstrating equipment to clients and their carers. To order equipment using the PIN number provided responsibly.
To be an advocate for patients i.e. making team members aware of any concerns if it is in the patients best interest. To safely travel between patients homes, bedded units and other venues on a daily basis adhering to relevant policy and guidelines e.g. mobile phone policy, and Highway Code To use specialist equipment as a means of treatment e.g.
foot drop splints, functional/therapeutic electrical muscle stimulator Use manual physiotherapy techniques requiring a high degree of dexterity as treatment when appropriate. Regularly undertake the moving and positioning of patients and equipment adhering to the Trust Moving and Handling Policy. Undertake clinical procedures within own scope of competencies utilising a variety of clinical interventions and equipment safely and precisely. To ensure all patients and their relatives cultural wishes are respected and any mental and physical needs are met Policy development Attend regularly and participate actively in Clinical Supervision in line with Trust Policy.
Ensure the Policies and Procedures of the Trust are implemented and adhered to at all times Participate in multi-agency working in relation to patient care. Attend staff meetings, case conferences and other professional meetings as required. Communication Providing reports, proposals to Senior Management Team, presentations, meetings To have adequate keyboard skills and knowledge of IT systems provided by the Trust Complete and maintain all documentation in a contemporaneous style, legibly, accurately and in a concise manner. This will include care plans, referral documentation, consultations, reviews, and letters to GPs.
To document complete and accurate data on SystmOne in relation to all contacts with clients within the Trusts current timescales of 24 hours. To provide reports and verbal feedback to the team regarding clients performance/progress in areas of self-maintenance, productivity and leisure. Budgetary Responsibility Be aware of Health and Safety at all times, ensuring that equipment is well maintained in a safe and hygienic way Ensure equipment is prescribed appropriately Please see JD & PS for full detail

Please refer the Job description for details