Physiotherapist - Older Persons Therapy Outpatients

Job summary
Are you a Physiotherapist with an interest in falls and frailty? Are you looking for the next step in your career? Or maybe you're looking for a change as a senior Physiotherapist?

Would you like to come and join our Specialist out-patient team in South Bristol Community Hospital, a small and friendly team that is part of the Adult Therapies Team at City and Weston Hospital Operating Unit.

Our team offer:

• Supportive, integrated team working
• IST/journal clubs/ research opportunities
• Protected and regular Clinical supervision from a Team Lead PT
• Service development and QI projects

We encourage you to get in touch with Pathway Lead - Claire, for an informal chat on View phone number on meeveem.com or email View email address on meeveem.com. Fancy meeting in person? Please get in touch and we can meet up and show you around South Bristol Community Hospital.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will contribute to the provision of a comprehensive, integrated and efficient therapeutic service for patients referred for Physiotherapy out-patients service at South Bristol Community Hospital
• The post holder will be responsible for a separate and designated caseload.
• The post holder will take an active part in their own development and will seek help and advice accordingly.
• Band 6 staff will work alongside non-registered staff and may delegate some activities.
• The post holder will be supported by a Band 7 Team lead

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

• To provide a comprehensive assessment of patients within the falls & frailty outpatient service. This will include those with diverse / complex or chronic presentations and multiple pathologies.
• To lead and facilitate the strength and balance groups for patients. This requires risk assessment skills, good leadership, as well as compassion and a sense of humour!
• To use advanced clinical reasoning skills to plan and deliver individual treatment programmes based on evidence-based practice (EBP). These will be face to face or virtual, and will include manual therapy techniques, patient education, exercise etc.
• To routinely use clinical outcome measures.
• To assess capacity for consent with all patients and whenever possible ensure that valid informed consent is agreed with the patient working within the legal framework. This will involve fully explaining the outcome of assessment and assessing patients understanding of the options for treatment.
• To collaborate with patients and set individualised, patient-centred goals.
• There will not always be a B7 physio working in the Outpatient therapy team at SBCH, so you will need to plan and prioritise your own workload and know who to escalate to in case of difficulties.
• As well as being responsible for your own patient caseload, you will have the ability to supervise Band 4 Therapy Technicians and students.
• To maintain good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others clinical practice as appropriate.
• To communicate effectively with, and work alongside, therapy colleagues and other health and social care staff
• To participate in clinics, patient review meetings and multi-disciplinary case conferences where appropriate. To represent the service and/or individual patients to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise a patients rehabilitation potential. This will include the teaching of patients, relatives, carers and other healthcare workers when required.
• To be responsible for ensuring accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records are kept in line with the UHBW standards, Health & Care Professions Council standards (HCPC) and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards
• To monitor the caseloads and record keeping of more junior staff (including students) and in addition ensure that their practice meets the standards required.
• To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment, patient appliances and aids and ensure through teaching, training and supervision of practice that junior staff and assistants attain and retain competency prior to use.
• To undertake regular measurements and evaluation of current practices through the use of evidence-based practice projects, service evaluation and audit.
• To provide specialist advice to other members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) regarding the management of patients within falls &/or frailty conditions.

Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential

• Degree in Physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Involvement in relevant special interest groups

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Evidence of previous experience and participation in audit
• Excellent organisational skills
• Demonstrate assessment, analytical and reflective skills across a diverse patient group
• Ability to effectively perform patient assessments and interventions, including manual therapy and therapeutic handling
• Knowledge of clinical governance & its application to Physiotherapy
• Presentation skills
• Competent Information Technology skills

Desirable

• Ability to effect and manage change

Experience
Essential

• Experience working as a registered Physiotherapist within a Multi-disciplinary Team.
• Contributing to clinical education of less experienced staff, students or assistants

Desirable

• Previous experience at Band 6
• Clinical supervision of students and therapy technicians
• Experience or knowledge of working in a community setting

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Effective communication skills, verbal & written
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Ability to plan, prioritise and delegate
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Leadership skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.