Job Description

Post:Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

Reports to:Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Area Manager/Team Lead

Accountable to: Operational Director

Key working relationships:

Patients and their Carers

Colleagues

Primary Health Care Team

Specialist services colleagues

Colleagues within Health, Social Care Services and the private and voluntary sectors

Colleagues within Acute Hospitals

Colleagues from higher education/local schools

Staff group organisations

General public

Principle Purpose/s:

  • To assess and treat patients with a wide range of conditions, who may have complex and/or chronic presentation, to determine clinical diagnosis and plan, develop, implement and evaluate physiotherapy programmes and management plans.
  • To provide Physiotherapy Assessment and treatment in Clinics, Health Centres, GP surgeries and community hospitals
  • To work and maintain records as an autonomous practitioner
  • To provide specialist Therapeutic input into planning, development and evaluation of clinical services, with responsibility for defined projects.
  • To provide clinical and supervisory leadership to junior staff and students within the team, including case load allocation, appraisal and managerial supervision
  • To coach and develop all members of the team using recognised management and training tools and techniques, including the AHP Learning Knowledge and Skills Framework and Personal Development Reviews, to achieve corporate and team objectives

Core Dimensions

Dimension / Specific responsibilities
1. Communication /
  1. To provide specialist advice, spontaneous and planned, teaching and training to other health and social care members of the wider multidisciplinary team regarding physical management and specialities within musculoskeletal physiotherapy to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care
  2. To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise potential and ensure understanding of condition and rehab processes. Many aspects of communication will be required including persuasion, explanation, motivation, empathy and defusing sensitive and stressful situations. There will also be barriers to effective communication such as hearing loss, cognitive loss, pain, altered perception and anxiety / fear
  3. To establish, maintain and participate in robust multi-disciplinary communication networks, for self and team, with patients, carers and other health workers and agencies involved in patient care.
  4. To promote awareness of the role of Physiotherapy, in relation to all aspects of patient care.
  5. To ensure junior Physiotherapy team members maintain robust communication systems within their own profession and with other professionals.
  6. To contribute to relevant meetings with AHP Suffolk.
  7. To ensure any verbal complaints are dealt with in a sensitive, effective and timely way in accordance with local and Trust complaints procedure.
  8. To ensure that self and junior members of the team maintain up-to-date written and electronic data, where applicable, in accordance with professional and AHP Suffolk standards and in compliance with Confidentiality of Information policy.

2. Personal and People Development /
  1. To appraise junior staff and physiotherapy assistants as agreed with Musculo-skeletal Physiotherapy Team Lead and assist these staff in the development of their own personal development plans
  2. To contribute to a robust induction process for all new staff in the multi-disciplinary services and all students on placement.
  3. To participate and support the supervision, teaching and assessment ofPhysiotherapy Students, and work experience students.
  4. To plan, contribute and participate in a robust in-service training programme by attendance, and presentation at staff meetings, training sessions, external courses and through reflective practice
  5. To demonstrate ongoing personal development of self and junior staff through participation in internal and external training and development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
  6. To maintain own clinical and professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of changes and developments in clinical practice and incorporate them into the workplace
  7. Develop self and others through regular one to ones and supervision.
  8. To provide support and clinical supervision of junior staff and physiotherapy assistants as required

3. Health, Safety and security /
  1. To ensure that self and staff adhere to AHP Suffolk’s organisational and departmental policies and procedures to maintain safe environments and working practices
  2. To be aware of the Health and Safety aspects and responsibilities of the role, to implement and comply with policies that are required to improve the safety of your work area, including the prompt recording and reporting of accidents and incidents to the Musculo-skeletal Physiotherapy Team Lead and completing the appropriate paperwork.
  3. To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, including competence to use equipment. To report any faults of equipment and to arrange for servicing as appropriate. To be responsible for checking and ordering equipment that is required
  4. Comply with AHP Suffolk Community Healthcare Infection Control Policies
  5. To comply with jointly agreed policies and procedures of the Suffolk Area Child Protection Committee/Vulnerable Adults services, including cooperating with the statutory child protection agencies in ensuring the safety and well-being of children and attend case conferences as required.
  6. Promote a blame free culture in reporting incidents.

4. Service Improvement /
  1. To contribute to and participate in the planning and development of Suffolk Community Healthcare Musculoskeletal services
  2. To ensure that self and junior members of the team support the planning and achievement of local and Suffolk Community Healthcareservice objectives
  3. To participate in Trust appraisal programme and develop own personal development plan in collaboration with Musculo-skeletal Physiotherapy Team Lead
  4. To participate in formal supervision with Musculo-skeletal Physiotherapy Team Lead or clinical specialists
  5. To monitor the changing needs of the Service and report these to the team leader.

5. Quality /
  1. To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including management of patients under your care. To ensure high standards of clinical care for your patients and support more junior staff to do likewise
  2. To apply highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in order to demonstrate professional competence and fitness to practice
  3. To comply with professional standards of practice in accordance with professional body
  4. To maintain comprehensive and accurate assessment and treatment records in line with legal and department requirements and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of letters, reports or inserts into medical notes
  5. To be aware of and work within budgetary constraints
  6. To encourage, support and participate in research activity within the services and promote evidence based practice
  7. To be responsible for submitting statistics and monthly returns for audit purposes as required by the organisation
  8. To engage actively in practice development, undertaking the measurement and evaluation of work and current practices through evidence based practice, audit and the use of outcome measures, either individually or with team members.
  9. To ensure that Clinical Governance is implemented within working practice
  10. To be responsible for monitoring and maintaining stock, advising on resources to carry out the service and its security
  11. To cover for colleagues during absence, i.e. annual leave, long term sickness

6. Equality and Diversity /
  1. To ensure self and junior staff comply with all relevant Suffolk Community Healthcare policies, procedures and guidelines relating to Equal Opportunities
  2. To adhere to Rules of Professional Conduct and facilitate compliance of junior staff with local and professional standards of practice.
  3. To participate in the recruitment and appointment of staff as required whilst ensuring that confidentiality is maintained with regard to the processing of personal documentation
  4. To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of the service sensitive to these needs.
  5. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on ethical issues and to provide guidance to junior staff as necessary.

Specific Dimensions

Dimension / Specific responsibilities
Health and wellbeing /
  1. To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with complex and multiple problems, using investigative and analytical skills, and to formulate individualised management plans, mutually agreed goals and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning, and utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to develop a specialised programme of care
  2. To accept clinical responsibility for a caseload of patients and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to prioritising according to risk and use of time
  3. To take a major role in the assessment, treatment and ongoing management of patients within the Spinal Programmes. To liaise with ESPs, spinal surgeons and pain clinic consultants as appropriate for the local pathway
  4. To run advice and exercise groups as appropriate
  5. To be responsible for the effective selection and use of all treatment resources
  6. To ensure own and junior staff’s interventions are evaluated and treatment is modified in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
  7. To work with the appropriate leads and other senior staff to effectively triage all referrals to the team, to ensure the most appropriate use of the services and the appropriate and timely service to the patient.
  8. To ensure all aspects of care offered by the team meet with agreed national, professional and local standards.
  9. To provide specialist advice to clients, carers and colleagues, as necessary on Physiotherapy related matters as appropriate

People Management /
  1. To be jointly responsible with other senior colleagues for the day to day planning and delivery of Physiotherapy services, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective service.
  2. To ensure junior staff in the teams manage their caseloads using evidence based, patient centred principles to assess, plan and implement programmes of care and evaluate their interventions.
  3. To take on delegated responsibilities for the Musculo-skeletal Physiotherapy Team Lead as agreed
  4. To supervise and instruct junior staff and Assistants in the clinical environment including case and work load allocation, monitoring and evaluation

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title: Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

Categories / Essential / Desirable / Method of Assessing
Communication / High level of communication
Skills / Application form and interview
Personal and People Development / Diploma or Degree in Physiotherapy
Health Professions Council Registration
Ability to supervise and instruct junior staff and students
Documented evidence of
Continuing Professional
Development
Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own practice and performance
Standard computer skills including use of Microsoft and e mail.
High level of presentation and training skills.
Effective leadership skills / Membership of an appropriate professional body
Current professional student practice placement educator training and associated skills / Application form
Health & Safety / To demonstrate a knowledge of Health & Safety legislation for self and others
Current knowledge and skills of moving and handling dependent adults and older people
A clear understanding of, and commitment to clinical governance , health and safety and risk assessment / Interview
Service Improvement / A knowledge of primary and community services
A knowledge and understanding of the NHS Plan and NSF’s relating to own and associated services and the implications for service provision.
Knowledge and understanding of professional and ethical issues.
To be flexible, innovative and creative in the pursuit of efficient and effective patient-centred services.
Able to work under pressure and set priorities to achieve service objectives.
Able to work autonomously / Membership of a special interest group relevant to the role. / Application form and Interview
Quality / A minimum of 18 months post graduate experience as a physiotherapist demonstrating a high level of clinical experience
Specialist physiotherapy knowledge of musculoskeletal, neurology, orthopaedics and elderly care specialities with skills in linked modalities
Experience of participating in research and audit
A clear understanding of and a high level of commitment to clinical governance.
Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary service / Ability to direct others towards evidence based practice
Leadership experience in a Health/Social care setting / Application form and Interview
Equality & Diversity / To demonstrate a knowledge of Equality & Diversity.
To have commitment to the delivery of an equitable client-centred service. / Interview

Other

/ Able to travel to rural locations. / Application form

General Information

This is a description of the job as it is at present constituted. It is the practice of AHP Suffolk to regularly examine employees’ job descriptions and to update them to ensure that they relate to the job as then being performed, or to incorporate whatever changes are being proposed. This procedure is jointly conducted by each manager and those working directly to him or her. You will therefore be expected to participate fully in such discussions and in connection with them to rewrite your job description to bring it up to date if this is considered necessary or desirable. It is AHP Suffolk’s aim to reach agreement on reasonable changes, but if agreement is not possible AHP reserves the right to insist on changes to your job description after consultation with you.

Furthermore as a term of your employment with AHP Suffolk you can be required to undertake such other duties commensurate with your grade and/or hours of work at your initial place of work or at any other AHP establishment, as may reasonably be required of you.

  • All employees must comply with the AHP Suffolk’s Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy and must not discriminate on the grounds of sex, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief.
  • Employees have a responsibility to themselves and others in relation to managing risk, health and safety and will be required to work within the policies and procedures laid down by AHP Suffolk. All staff have a responsibility to access occupational health, other staff support services and/or any relevant others in times of need and advice.
  • All employees are subject to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts and must maintain strict confidentiality of information in accordance with AHP Suffolk policy and, where applicable, with the relevant policy of their professional body. The post holder may access information only on a need to know basis in the direct discharge of duties and divulge information only in the proper course of duties.
  • AHP Suffolk seeks to establish a safe and healthy working environment for its employees and operates a non-smoking policy.

All the above activities are governed by the operational policies, standing financial instructions, policies and procedures and standards of AHP Suffolk, as well as legislation and professional standards and guidelines.