Specialist Physiotherapist- Community Palliative Care

at  Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

We are seeking a motivated, dynamic and highly skilled Senior Physiotherapist with an interest in developing leadership skills, to work within our Community Palliative Care Team.
The Community Palliative Care Therapy team is a team of professionals that includes Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants whose aim is to support patients who have an advanced life threatening illness to remain in their preferred place for as long as possible, including as they approach the end of life.
We are looking for a holistic, flexible, confident practitioner to take on this challenging but rewarding role.
As a senior member of the Therapy Team, you will be expected to be a practitioner with a broad range of clinical competencies able to adapt to a variety of clinical circumstances.
You will be part of a community team where your proven ability to make high level clinical decisions will aid in supporting palliative patients in the community.
You will provide complex assessments and make high impact clinical decisions. You will be expected to work autonomously whilst drawing assistance from other colleagues in the MDT and in primary and secondary care.
You will use evidence based principles/current best practice and specialist skills to assess, plan, implement and evaluate clinical interventions and to ensure that all members of your team do so accordingly.
Your exceptional caseload management and communication skills will enable you to prioritise patient care and delegate to junior members of your team. You will work closely with other senior AHPs, community nurses, and other health or social care professionals to establish and maintain a whole systems approach for these patients
You will be expected to be a highly skilled Physiotherapist who is approachable, an excellent communicator, and able to adapt to the needs of both patients and service.
The community palliative care team serving Camden, Islington and North East Westminster is managed by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and provides specialist community based palliative care service to the London boroughs of Camden, Islington and North East Westminster.
This post will give you the opportunity to experience a wealth of learning and development. You will work alongside and show leadership in a responsive dynamic MDT who put high quality, patient centred care at the heart of what they do. You will work closely on a daily basis with palliative care consultants, palliative care nurse consultants, clinical nurse specialists, specialist palliative care social workers, as well as therapy colleagues (OT and TA).
Regular CPD sessions and in-services are held, along with training opportunities identified from yearly appraisal.
You will have the opportunity to develop skills in managing people, and identifying and participating in service development through supervisory roles and QI projects.
There is much scope for development of both clinical and non-clinical duties within this role , we are proud of our high staff retention rate, and have played a significant part in the upskilling and of development of many clinicians within the team.
To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken. To work within the standards and guidelines of the team, the Trust, the CSP Code of Professional Values and Behaviour and the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics
To undertake specialist physiotherapy assessment of clients with diverse needs through subjective questioning, objective assessment and other written material available.
To prioritise factors involved in the clients’ presenting condition through clinical reasoning based on knowledge of current professional opinion, clients prognosis and other physical, social emotional and mental health issues.
To set goals for treatment with clients and/or their carer and ensure that care is client centred and agreed by the client and/or their carer.
To set and maintain a high standard of clinical practice which is evidence based where possible, using standardised assessment and outcome measures, where appropriate.
To independently screen and assess complex multi-disciplinary referrals from a variety of sources. This screening requires individual responsible action when at times no other professional is currently involved. This screening will establish priority, determine needs and initiate a plan of intervention.
To manage a caseload of clients with simple to complex needs with supervision and guidance as necessary from senior staff. To successfully monitor, evaluate and review physiotherapy treatment/interventions within a multi-disciplinary framework and to modify as necessary taking a key worker role as indicated.
To use knowledge of other multi-disciplinary roles and external agencies to ensure effective referral management and achieve best client care
To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for moving and handling people in community environments.
To ensure contemporaneous client and service records are recorded and maintained on IT databases and that client documentation is according to trust and local policies.
To prescribe, delegate and monitor the work of therapy assistants and counter sign documentation if required.
To educate and teach the relevant carers/health workers to participate in on-going rehabilitation/ care programmes for clients, as appropriate.
To actively be involved in the development of new specialist clinical services within the Team.
To manage clinical risk in own caseload and ensure that therapy assistants and students comply e.g. manual handling risk assessment and local policy regarding lone working.
To maintain and update a Continuing Professional Development Portfolio (CPD).
To evaluate your practice through audit and outcome measures.
To maintain and develop specific departmental duties as designated by the therapy lead.
To utilise opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, apply critical appraisal and keep up to date with current practice in the field and attend accredited courses.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings

Please refer the Job description for details