Do you want to be part of an exciting and growing service?
We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 5 Physiotherapist to join our Integrated Community Stroke Service in our East Somerset Team, providing inpatient and ongoing community stroke rehabilitation.
The successful applicant will manage a clinical caseload of stroke patients, lead and mentor Band 4 Assistant Practitioners and Rehabilitation Assistants and work alongside a multidisciplinary team, including Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, and the Living Well After Stroke Team.
Some experience in stroke care is desirable, as well as excellent communication skills. You will play a key role in supporting the development of the stroke service, ensuring high-quality care across the county.
The successful applicant will be supported by the Band 6 Physiotherapy Team and Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist and will have access to ongoing development opportunities.
If you are passionate about stroke care and ready to take on a role within a supportive, collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.
The post is for 37.5 hours per week including bank holidays and weekends, with exact working pattern to be established at the time of appointment.
Main duties of the job
*To provide a high standard of Physiotherapy to patients in Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. These include inpatients on wards, outpatients in departments and in the patient's own home.
*The post holder will be responsible for the provision of physiotherapy to stroke patients on a designated caseload.
*To participate in the development of the Integrated Rehabilitation Service within Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
*To work without direct supervision. Supervision takes the form of regular formal training, clinical reasoning sessions and peer review. Access to advice and support is available from Senior Therapists within the team.
*To perform physiotherapy assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients who may have diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions.
*To develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.
*To hold responsibility for own case load and be responsible for a defined area of the service or a particular patient type, working with supervision where required.
*To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
*To provide advice regarding the rehabilitation management of patients.
*To provide a link between inpatient and community care of patients.
*To agree patient centred goals in partnership with patients, carers, and other members of the healthcare team.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Communication and Key Working Relationships
*To represent rehabilitation service and/or individual patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings and case conferences, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the treatment programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning. To provide information and specialist occupational therapy opinion at these meetings and advice to medical nursing staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team should this be required.
*To provide concise written and verbal, informative reports to members of the multidisciplinary team and GPs and solicitors during treatment and at discharge from the service detailing outcomes and levels of disability.
*To participate on home assessment visits with patients prior to their discharge from hospital, where appropriate, with other rehabilitation team/multidisciplinary team members. This is to give expert advice on the management and care of patients in their home environment, advice to relatives and carers about care and handling of the patient. This may include working in unclean surroundings and coming into contact with dirt, fleas, lice etc.
*To play a key role in planning and implementing discharge in conjunction with other professionals and agencies.
*To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing, adult social care and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service. This will include case conferences and discharge planning.
*To help with training for nursing staff in basic mobility techniques, e.g. transfers, walking and positioning.
Planning and Organisation
*To be responsible for the organisation, prioritisation and planning of the Band 6 patient caseload within the hospital where appropriate in the absence of the Band 6 Physiotherapist.
*To undertake any additional duties appropriate to the post as may be delegated by the physiotherapy Lead or other senior staff in the work area.
*To be responsible for organising, prioritising, and planning your own caseload and that of the staff under your supervision to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
*To be flexible in the provision of clinical cover at times of staff shortages. This may require working between Rehabilitation Team locations.
*To ensure that your own practice and that of the staff under your supervision meets the required professional standards of physiotherapy.
Analytics
*To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Plan (PDP) as both an appraiser and appraisee, and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competence objectives.
*To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of Evidence Based Practice projects, clinical audit and outcome measures either individually or within the rehabilitation team.
Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & Therapy
*To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support assistants to do likewise.
*To carry out clinical risk assessments for patients on own caseload and take action to effectively manage identified risks.
*To undertake and carry out comprehensive assessment of stroke patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies.
*Use clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition.
*Formulate and deliver an individual physiotherapy treatment programme in accordance with the goals of the patient, their carers and multidisciplinary team. To do this based on a sound knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and a broad knowledge and understanding.
*To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
*To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of condition. To use communication skills of persuasion, motivation and explanation to encourage patients to undertake their treatment programme.
*To use communication tools (verbal and non-verbal) to gain valid informed consent with patients where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g. loss of hearing, altered perception, cognitive and speech problems, dysphasia, pain, fear. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment e.g. those with dementia, confusion or cognitive problems.
*To be aware of and appropriately manage sensitive and/or complicated information. To deal sensitively with patients who have challenging behaviour, high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia, limited mobility, terminal illness etc.
*To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
*To carry out assessment and treatments of a range of medical conditions which may involve manual physiotherapy techniques with moderate physical effort on a daily basis.
*To be responsible on a daily basis for the allocation of clinical work to the Rehabilitation Assistants.
*To undertake therapeutic moving and handling techniques with patients e.g. normalising tone, functional mobility, requiring moderate/intense physical effort on a daily basis. This will take place in awkward and confined spaces such as hospital wards and will include moving and handling equipment, wheelchairs and specialist therapeutic equipment as part of the treatment programmes.
*To ensure that your own actions, and those of the staff you supervise, support equality, diversity and rights of our patients and their families.
Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility
*To help maintain good communication, liaison and working arrangement with Trust Directorates, Trusts and other agencies.
*To undertake induction programme and to comply thereafter with local terms and conditions.
*To keep up to date with all relevant guidance and NHS targets and ensure the effective dissemination of relevant information as directed.
*Contribute to relevant projects in relation to the development of the Trusts' Corporate Service Plan and organisational objectives as required/appropriate.
*Comply with all relevant Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Community Health Policies & Procedures in exercising the duties of the role.
*Undertake any necessary skills training, Professional Updates and Mandatory Training as appropriate to the post.
*To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporate as necessary into your work and comply with the requirements of the Health Professional Council registration as a physiotherapist.
*To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in allocated areas of work, developing knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.
*To work with the Locality Lead to ensure a high standard of clinical care in line with national and local standards and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) code of professional conduct.
*To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance and delivering presentations and training sessions at team meetings, peer review, in-service training sessions and by attending external courses where appropriate and completing reflective practice.
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other Resources
*To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all physiotherapy equipment and patient appliances. This will include assessment and prescription of equipment from the community equipment service, to take account of patient need, financial resources and instruction in safe use.
Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management
*To provide support, guidance and training to Rehabilitation Assistants and students.
*To supervise and assist in the performance management of rehabilitation assistants. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.
*Be able to accommodate change in a rapidly changing environment and encourage team members to embrace necessary change. Have a positive attitude to challenges and devise ways to make them happen.
*To contribute to the induction and training of students and staff.
Information Resources & Administrative Duties
*To maintain accurate record of patients' attendances and treatments using the relevant IT system.
*To be competent in the use of and actively access the electronic communication systems within the service and the Trust including e-mail.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
Post holder will be required to work their hours over 7 days, including out of hours, weekends and bank holidays, to meet the needs of the service.
Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the Trust, to meet the needs of the service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Degree/diploma level education leading to Registration by the Health Professions Council (UK) as a Physiotherapist.
* Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio.
* Membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Experience
* Experience in an NHS community hospital/community setting at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
* Acquired a specific physiotherapy related experience beyond undergraduate requirements for example in sports massage or caring for adults and/or children with disability.
Additional Criteria
* Able to demonstrate clinical reasoning and decision-making skills.
* Able to develop a therapeutic rapport with adults, children and young people.
* Ability to summarise treatment session (written and oral) Clarity in explaining ideas.
* Good communication skills, both written, verbal and IT.
* Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
* Adaptable to sudden changes in workload with fast turnaround of patients.
* Ability to cope with difficult conversations involving information regarding disability.
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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