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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

To be professionally & legally responsible for all aspects of the post-holders own work.

To provide clinical expertise in assessment, treatment & management of musculoskeletal conditions & trauma/ SCI & plastics patients, as an autonomous practitioner, including patients with diverse or complex presentations / multi pathologies

To interpret & analyse clinical & non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses in a wide range of traumatic & soft tissue conditions including those with complex presentations

To use clinical reasoning skills, & knowledge of specialist evidence-based practice to recommend the best course of intervention, determine appropriate care plan, utilising a wide range of specialist treatment skills & options

To evaluate patient progress, reassess & alter / progress the treatment programme as required.

To assess a patient’s capacity to understand & to gain valid, informed consent for treatment, working within National & Trust legal frameworks with patients who lack the capacity to consent or refuse treatment.

To co-ordinate intervention which may include other disciplines; advise & educate patient/carers/relatives/other health professionals

To maintain accurate written records using the electronic patient records (EPR) system, in line with Professional Standards, including provision of comprehensive progress & discharge reports as required.

To manage clinical risk within own caseload at all times

To regularly participate in trauma weekend duties as a lone practitioner within the hospital site.

To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment & interventions including manual therapy techniques & therapeutic handling

To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination & palpatory sensory skills for assessment & manual treatment of patients

To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.

To represent Physiotherapy and / or individual patients at multidisciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care. This will include discussion of patient care / discharge planning.

Communication

To ensure that trauma physiotherapy accommodates communication difficulties arising through hearing, speech, language or special needs, in the most appropriate way

To ensure that complex clinical & sensitive information is communicated in an understandable form to patients with their consent & co-operation gained prior to intervention

To ensure that communication channels are established & maintained with colleagues & other agencies to ensure excellent service delivery & future development.

To be able to motivate & persuade others through effective communication skills, with the benefit of verbal & non-verbal skills, using written and electronic information where needed

Management

Jointly responsible with other team members to ensure limited resources are used in the most effective & efficient way.

Required to supervise, teach & appraise Band 5 Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistants and/or Physiotherapy and work experience students.

Responsible for competent use and maintenance reporting of all equipment used including, but not limited to, electrotherapy, gym equipment, hoists, and patient appliances, & to ensure that junior staff/students & assistants attain competency prior to use.

Liaises appropriately with colleagues regarding patient specific clinical/management issues

Proactive & forward thinking- leads with service development initiatives & implementation

Assists in service planning of Band 5’s, students & assistants’ timetables & deputises for the team leader in organisational duties.

Responsible for the operational management of the Trauma OP team in the absence of the team leader or as required

Flexibly plans & organises own time, patient caseload, meetings, training & adjusts plans as required according to staffing levels.

Respond to unpredictable work patterns & frequent interruptions.

To contribute to the smooth changeover to electronic patient record keeping & further develop IT skills.

Education

Contributes to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.

Pro-active with regards to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department, & other MDT staff in the Trust.

Responsible for & actively records own personal professional development, maintaining a CPD portfolio which reflects same.

Keeps abreast in understanding & knowledge of all new developments applicable to specific physiotherapy treatments.

Attends and actively participate in the department’s in-service training program and other outside courses/ lectures as appropriate.

Assists in organising & actively participates in the in-service and post-registration education programme within the Trauma service.

Maintains and develops current knowledge of evidence-based practice in trauma, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.

Regularly undertakes evidence-based projects, with professional presentation to the physiotherapy team/department.

Research and audit

Participates in the departmental audits & appropriate work related to evaluation/research projects

Keeps abreast of evidenced based practice in the trauma by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses & database searches

Good working knowledge of national & local standards & monitors quality as appropriate

General

To carry out assessments & treatments, with moderate physical effort for short periods on each shift.

To comply with the Trusts Manual Handling Policy & local therapeutic handling guidelines.

To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students & administrative support staff.

To sensitively deal with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care such as realistic expectations of rehabilitation outcome.

To support junior staff, when indicated, in the management of challenging patients.

To deal with patients suffering from pain states that may lead to anxiety & aggressive behaviour.

This job may involve exposure to unpleasant working conditions from time to time: unpleasant smells/dirt, & occasional exposure to verbal aggression, bodily fluids, sputum, blood.

RISK MANAGEMENT
The management of risk is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.
Staff will be provided with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility. Staff should be familiar with the following policies:
1. Major Incident Policy
2. Fire Policy
Staff should make themselves familiar with the ‘local response’ plan & their role within that response.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HEALTH & SAFETY
The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies & Procedures. This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

INFECTION CONTROL
Infection Control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are required to adhere to the Trusts’ Infection Prevention & Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including MRSA.
All staff employed by the ORH Trust have the following key responsibilities:
1. Staff must decontaminate their hands prior to and after direct patient contact or contact with the patient’s surroundings.
2. Staff members have a duty to attend mandatory infection control training provided for them by the Trust.
3. Staff members who develop an infection (other than common colds and illness) that may be transmittable to patients have a duty to contact Occupational Health.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
The post holder will endeavour at all times to uphold the rights of children and young people in accordance with the UN Convention Rights of the Child.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS
The Trust is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults throughout the organisation. As a member of the trust there is a duty to assist in protecting patients and their families from any from of harm when they are vulnerable.

INFORMATION GOVERNANCE
All staff must complete annual information governance training. If you have a Trust email account this can be completed on-line, otherwise you must attend a classroom session. For further details, go to the Information Governance intranet site.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES
This post is subject to obtaining satisfactory clearance in respect of Disclosure of Criminal Convictions. A Disclosure Application Form will be sent to all new appointees with their appointment letter and the completed form must be submitted for verification on the first day of employment.
All physiotherapists must be registered with the Health Professions Council prior to commencing work, and produce the registration document on their first day of employment. Staff must then ensure their registration is maintained according to Trust Policy. It is expected that the postholder will undertake the Clinical Education of students for a minimum number of weeks per year. See local policy for guidelines. This post is one of continual development. The job description is intended as a guide to the principle duties and responsibilities of the post, and complements individual objectives set in line with the Trust’s and Departmental objectives. Responsibilities will be reviewed periodically in line with service priorities, and may change, or new duties be introduced after consultation with the post holder.