An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Hospice Therapy Department for a Bank Physiotherapist to support our work within our therapy team at St. Michaels Hospice.
Main duties of the job
Palliative care experience is not essential; however, the ability to work autonomously and previous experience in managing people with complex conditions and at end of life would be advantageous. We offer excellent support and training opportunities as well as the potential to develop specialist skills, and the opportunity to contribute to evolving clinical services.
A career in hospice care enables you to be part of a multi-professional team and provide holistic care to patients who have life-limiting illnesses. It is our aim to ensure that our patients achieve the best quality of life.
The successful candidate will be expected to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team with in-patients, out-patients, community services, specialist clinics, and Living Well Services.
St. Michaels Hospice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults, children, and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be required to undergo relevant background checks, including a DBS check and provide satisfactory references before starting the role.
About us
St. Michaels Hospice is a registered charity providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care services since 1992 for the people of North Hampshire. We are dedicated to providing care to people throughout North Hampshire who are affected by life-limiting illness to attain the highest possible quality of life by providing a choice of specialist care and support.
As a charity, we depend on the kindness and support of our local community to continue offering our services free of charge. This care is made possible by supporters donating, taking part in fundraising events and activities, playing our lottery, shopping in our retail outlets, leaving gifts in their Wills, or giving freely of their time to volunteer.
Job responsibilities
To work as part of the St. Michaels Hospice therapy team to deliver a high-quality physiotherapy service to patients requiring Specialist Palliative Care, diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. To assess patients holistically to manage their symptoms better, optimise their independence, and quality of life.
You will extend this service to patients, families, and carers within the environments of the In-Patient Unit, Outpatient Clinics, Living Well services, and as part of the Hospice Community Palliative Care Team.
Clinical
With the support of senior members of the therapies team, the postholder will:
1. Liaise with other key people in the multi-professional team, as well as other agencies, such as Hampshire Equipment Service, the Wheelchair service, other charities, community therapy teams, and acute trusts.
2. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients who may be an in-patient, out-patient, attending living well services, or require a home visit in the community setting.
3. Therapy assessments and treatment should be with attention to individual patient needs and their preferences.
4. Therapy provision will involve implementing plans and setting goals that have been agreed with the patient and their main carer.
5. Participate in patient case conferences and Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings, as required.
6. Produce documentation to support and record the Physiotherapy intervention according to professional standards and codes of practice, local policies, and procedures.
7. Outcomes of any assessment must be agreed with the patient and their main carer and documented clearly.
8. Review and evaluate outcomes of interventions and adapt as needed.
9. Demonstrate patient advocacy through all aspects of care.
10. Completion of access visits to assess home environment, prior to discharge planning from the inpatient unit.
11. Therapeutic handling of patients for assessment of functional activities, such as personal care, toileting, dealing with incontinence, and handling of body fluids, wound fluids, hand hygiene.
12. Accept responsibility for the patient within their own home and when lone working.
13. Prescription of mobility equipment: give advice, instruction, and visual documentation on its safe use; explain the use of and teach moving and handling techniques with equipment.
14. To undertake any other duties as may be reasonably required by the line manager or any other senior colleague.
15. Be a source of physiotherapy expertise across the interdisciplinary team, providing advice on managing patients' functional ability and guiding discharge planning as relevant.
Communication
1. Demonstrate competence when communicating sensitive information within the clinical setting.
2. Participate in all relevant discussions regarding patient care across the Multidisciplinary Team.
3. Liaise with clinical team members regarding discharge planning from the Hospice inpatient unit.
4. Work in partnership with health and social care professionals in the wider health community to provide advice and education as required.
5. Communicate respectfully in an open, accurate, straightforward, and confidential way with colleagues across the organisation.
6. Communicate any urgent or sensitive matters to the therapy team lead.
7. Proactively share information to identify and reduce risk to patients and staff.
8. Keep timely and accurate clinical records and identify any risks or problems that have arisen with details on responses taken.
9. Display a good level of competency in using computer software for record keeping, report writing, and communicating.
Management and Leadership
1. To be a role model in your practice.
2. Identify risk and escalate accordingly.
3. Effective time and workload management, prioritising patient caseload.
4. Delegate tasks effectively and appropriately to Therapy Assistants and Clinical Admin.
Administrative
1. Work positively with colleagues to maintain effective relationships within St. Michaels Hospice and the wider palliative care service.
2. Provide advice, support, and guidance to members of the therapy team, ensuring professional standards and good working practices are met in compliance with local policy.
3. Actively participate in audits within the hospice services, which review practice against outcome measures.
Learning and Development
1. Participate in training and mentoring staff, students, and other learners, and in line with hospice policy to maintain standards and good working practice.
2. Promote the role of the Physiotherapy service to all colleagues, students from other professional backgrounds, and those interested in physiotherapy as a career.
3. Ensure compliance with SMH mandatory training.
4. Maintain and develop own specialist skills and knowledge, ensuring you remain up to date with relevant professional training and development.
Resource Management
1. Awareness of the budgetary limitations.
2. To use the clinical resources in a timely and effective manner.
3. As appropriate, ensure accurate collection of activity data.
4. To ensure safe and effective use of equipment.
5. Able to order equipment from a range of sources in line with patient need.
Clinical Governance
1. Contribute to and participate in audit and clinical governance to ensure continuous service and care quality improvement.
2. Research and practice development.
3. Promote current evidence-based practice.
Professional
1. Maintain membership of HCPC and adhere to their code of professional conduct.
2. Comply with all SMH policies, procedures, protocols, guidance, Health and Safety, and other mandatory requirements.
3. Be responsible for developing own self-awareness through reflective practice.
4. Contribute to a climate where team members openly discuss and challenge standards of individual practice.
5. Take responsibility for day-to-day prevention, reporting, and monitoring of risks, incidents, accidents, and near misses.
6. Practice and always promote patient confidentiality.
7. Demonstrate efficient time management and a flexible attitude to working patterns.
8. Work within the limits of your own competency and responsibility and refer areas that are outside of your competency to your line manager.
9. Work to maintain the values, vision, and aims of St. Michaels Hospice.
Additional Duties
In discussion with the line manager to undertake work, as and when required, in support of St. Michaels Hospice as an organisation.
Public Relations
To represent St. Michaels Hospice in the community and public domain, including social media, appropriately.
Undertake all statutory and mandatory training, as required.
To be conversant with and adhere to all St. Michaels Hospice Policies and Procedures.
Be responsible for upholding and promoting St. Michaels Hospice safeguarding policies, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals, and promptly reporting any concerns or incidents in accordance with established procedures.
This is an outline job description and may be subject to change, according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder.
Take responsibility for own personal safety and of others whilst at work. You will take appropriate action or report any concerns to address any health and safety issues that you or members of your team may be aware of.
This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time, due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation, and absence cover.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Degree or Diploma in Physiotherapy.
* HCPC registration.
* Evidence of continued professional development, including reflective practice, in-service training courses attended, participation in clinical governance.
* Post-graduate courses relevant to the specialty.
* Member of a special interest group.
Experience
* Experience of working with people who have life-limiting illnesses.
* Working with people who have complex physical and psychological needs.
* Working in a multi-professional team.
* Working autonomously in the community.
* Experience of staff/student supervision.
* Experience of working with patients/families in the community.
* Experience of working with a range of conditions seen in palliative care, such as motor neurone disease, types of cancer, respiratory, cardiac disease, etc.
* Experience of individual or group outpatient work.
* Ability to deal with complex patient needs and in difficult situations.
* Flexible and adaptable.
* Able to recognise own limitations & competencies.
Skills, Knowledge, Abilities
* Evidence of excellent verbal and written communication skills.
* IT literate.
* Accessing Hampshire Equipment Services and other providers.
* Experience of using NIV, cough assist.
* Familiar with fitting a range of adaptive equipment, standard and specialist.
Other requirements
* Full clean UK driving licence.
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.
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