Our Acute Paediatric team are looking for a friendly, enthusiastic and innovative physiotherapist to join our sociable and dynamic team. Full time or Part time hours could be available

The Luton and Dunstable Hospital Therapy Department would like to present an exciting opportunity for a Physiotherapist to join an established team in the Acute Paediatric Department

The team provide therapy input in both Inpatient and Outpatients settings Monday - Saturday.

Applications are invited from suitably motivated and innovative individuals to join an energetic and evolving Therapy Team within a reputable Trust. The post holders are required to be enthusiastic and passionate about the field of therapy and must be able to work flexibly across weekends and extended hours.

The department has a strong commitment to CPD and supports staff members with development.

This post will allow you to develop a wide range of clinical, managerial, organisational, teaching and supervision skills. You will play an active role in audits and service development. We offer a well-established supervision and appraisal structure. We encourage individual progression within the Band 6 role and have a firm commitment to in service training and CPD as well as supporting staff to attend external courses and conferences.

Main duties of the job

As a team leader manage, develop and evaluate the physiotherapy service for paediatric patients in close liaison with the Therapy Service Lead.

? Be the lead clinician for paediatric physiotherapy services to the wards and paediatric outpatients. Ensure high quality, efficient care is provided by the Paediatric Physiotherapy team through service and performance monitoring in conjunction with the Therapy Service Lead.

? Perform highly advanced physiotherapeutic assessment of children with diverse presentations and highly complex physical and psychological conditions, determine diagnosis, formulate, and deliver an appropriate, effective individualised treatment programme.

? To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner. Have responsibility for seeking clinical peer support and evaluation of work through appropriate networks.

? Plan, supervise, educate and assess the performance of physiotherapy students on placement within the paediatric section. Work closely with the university and comply with all the standards required for the degree level qualification.

? Design and undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team's clinical practice and improve service delivery within the paediatric section. Identify and implement changes as agreed with the OT/PT Manager for Inpatients.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A& E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.

We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work

Take responsibility for managing paediatric patients on the wards, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric outpatients.

Undertake a comprehensive, holistic assessment of patients. Use highly advanced clinical reasoning skills and advanced manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis.

Formulate and deliver an appropriate individual physiotherapy treatment programme based on highly specialist knowledge.

Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge plans

Take a lead role in the development of specialist programmes of care for groups of patients with particular conditions within the paediatric speciality, working closely with other team members and multidisciplinary team (MDT) colleagues.

Provide regular effective clinical supervision for qualified and non-qualified staff within the paediatric physiotherapy team.

Have an expert working knowledge of the MDT and the follow-up rehabilitation and treatment services. Work as an effective member of the MDT and make appropriate and timely referrals to MDT colleagues.

Use recognised outcome measures, assessment tools and highly advanced clinical skills to evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.

To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.

To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive written patient treatment records including patient assessment and treatment notes, report writing, discharge summaries, referral letters and written communication with other health care professionals and agencies.

To supervise the record keeping system of all staff within the paediatric team according to professional, physiotherapy service and Trust standards.

Organise and plan MDT meetings and case conferences as needed. As lead clinician, represent the physiotherapy service and/or individual patients at such meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated MDT service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the treatment programme.

Have a key role at monthly Cystic Fibrosis (CF) clinics, assessing and treating patients alongside the Consultant. Develop physiotherapy programmes that are patient / family specific, based around recognised standards of good practice and ensure that these are carried out during ward admissions. Attend monthly CF MDT meetings and liaise with specialist centres to maintain the highest possible standards of care. Support parents and guardians of children with CF by attending support group meetings and being available via telephone.

Provide specialist advice regarding paediatric respiratory physiotherapy to on call and weekend staff out of hours.

To manage, assess and treat a complex outpatient caseload, liaising with schools, GPs and other members of the MDT where necessary.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all specialist paediatric equipment, gym equipment and patient appliances and aids used within the role.

Develop and evaluate written information for patients and carers.

Conduct clinical treatment with respect to individual patients dignity, privacy and cultural needs at all times.

Communication

Use a range of highly skilled verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with children and their parent/carer for accurate assessment and to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include children and adults who may have difficulties in understanding or in communicating.

Use the above communication skills with appropriate imaginative play to persuade and motivate patients to co-operate with their exercise programmes both on an individual and group basis.

Use highly developed communication skills to represent the paediatric team within the physiotherapy department such as at senior meetings and staff meetings, to the wider Trust

Provide and receive highly complex and/or sensitive information including information regarding prognosis, limitation to function and/or mobility and changes in social situation. To communicate these forms of information in an appropriate, sensitive and timely manner to other physiotherapy staff, medical staff, MDT members, patients and carers.

Be an active member of the Team leads meetings, contributing to departmental projects, peer support and working co-operatively with the in-patient senior staff to ensure the smooth and effective delivery of in-patient physiotherapy services across the Trust.

To participate fully in collaborative working with other health care professionals and agencies, actively contributing to a team culture across the service.

Organisational and Managerial

Take the lead role for the day-to-day operational management of the paediatric physiotherapy team, supported by the Therapy Service Lead. This will include planning, co-ordination, management and supervision (both clinical and managerial) of the team and authorisation of section staffs leave requests, ensuring adequate and appropriate staffing.

To develop the physiotherapy service within the paediatric speciality in conjunction with Therapy Service lead and the paediatric directorate. Take an active role in caseload management, analysing fluctuations in capacity and demand and identifying service pressures.

Identify, develop and implement policies, procedures or changes to the paediatric physiotherapy service in order to provide the highest standard of physiotherapy based on current evidence based practice and national and local guidelines and policies, as agreed with the Therapy Service Lead,

Take the lead role in caseload and waiting list management for the outpatient paediatric service, analysing fluctuations and service pressures and highlighting any issues.

Use System One to maintain electronic records, book appointments for respiratory out patients, generate appointment letters, clerk patients in to and out of clinic and record and analyse clinic activity.

Demonstrate developed leadership skills for effective intra and inter team communication and foster a culture of co-operation, team working and respect within the paediatric team members.

Ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meet the required professional standards of physiotherapy practice.

Actively support junior staff or less experienced staff within the paediatric team, through strategies such as mentorship, peer review, clinical reasoning sessions and clinical supervision.

Conduct the appraisal of junior, senior, technical instructor and clerical staff within the acute paediatric unit. Give feedback on clinical, organisational and managerial performance.

To be responsible for the analysis, dissemination, implementation and monitoring of national guidelines and standards applicable to physiotherapy for paediatric patients as agreed with the Therapy Service Lead.

Education and Training

Teach student physiotherapists to graduate level. Work with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards required.

Be a source of clinical expertise and advice for less experienced physiotherapists within the department regarding the physiotherapeutic management of paediatric patients.

Take the lead role for planning, facilitating and evaluating in-service training programmes to the paediatric team. Be an active member of the team and departmental training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, staff meetings, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.

Take joint responsibility with the respiratory specialist physiotherapist for the planning, delivery and evaluation of programmes of teaching related to respiratory physiotherapy to staff participating in emergency on call and weekend duties.

Participation in strategies for sharing knowledge and influencing practice.

Attend all Child Protection Training / Updates as well as all mandatory training organised by the trust and ensure that the team does the same within the timeframes mandated by the Trust.

Providing teaching sessions regarding physiotherapy practice for members of the MDT to include nursing staff, medical staff including consultants and occupational therapists when required.

Quality and Effectiveness

Work within Trust wide clinical guidelines, policies and procedures and those agreed locally within the Physiotherapy Department. Adhere to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) professional standards and guidelines.

Measure and evaluate the paediatric teams work and current practices with evidence based practice projects, research, audit and outcome measures.

Demonstrate a working knowledge of clinical governance issues and ensure these principles are applied with the paediatric physiotherapy team.

Professional

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development. Actively encourage CPD activities for all section staff.

Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in the areas relevant to medical paediatric and critical care, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.

Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as both an appraisee and appraiser and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies. Ensure all section staff have a current PDP and appraisal objectives and facilitate the successful completion of these.

Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as CSP Clinical Interest Groups, Peer Review Groups and other professiona
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