Senior Physiotherapist (Community Rtroke Rehab Team)

JOB SUMMARY:

• As part of the CSRT, providing care to a multi cultural and diverse population, to deliver a high standard of physiotherapy care to stroke patients and their careers in the community.

• To perform comprehensive physiotherapeutic assessment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions following a stroke

• To use this assessment to provide a clinical diagnosis and develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.

• To hold responsibility for own caseload and, working with out direct supervision but together with the other members of the MDT, deliver a comprehensive package of care to stroke patients and their careers. Supervision takes the form of regular formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, peer review, case review and case conferences. Access to advice and support from a more senior physiotherapist is available when required.

• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

• With support and guidance from more senior staff, to undertake evidence-based audit and or research projects to further own and team’s clinical practice. Make recommendations to clinical lead/manager of service for changes to practice by the team. May contribute to the implementation of specific changes to practice or contribute to service protocols.

• To be aware of and to highlight to line manager any clinical governance issues pertaining to your role and practice.

• To contribute to the delivery of health promotion activities within the service and wider Trust initiatives

• To provide cover for other physiotherapists in the service as required

Specific Clinical Duties and Responsibilities

1. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and that work delegated to support staff.

2. To undertake a comprehensive assessment of stroke patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies: using a high level of clinical reasoning and assessment techniques to provide an accurate clinical diagnosis.

3. To utilise an extensive knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options to select and deliver a stroke specialised physiotherapy programme to individual patients and plan their successful discharge.

4. To take responsibility for a delegated caseload, ensuring that the MDT is fully involved as required

5. To ensure that stroke patients and carers are involved in the planning of their care packages, using negotiation skills as appropriate

6. To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

7. Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with stroke patients and carers to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. In this patient group in particular it will regularly include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.

8. When working in the community and domiciliary settings, work as lone practitioner with telephone support from a more senior physiotherapist as required.

9. To be responsible for maintaining accurate comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards of practice and EH/BEHMHT policies and to communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.

10. Represent physiotherapy service and/or individual patients at the CSRT multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the treatment programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning.

11. Provide specialist clinical advice to others regarding the management and care of stroke patients.

12 To offer supervision and support to assistant and TI staff within the service as required and to alert line manager if any significant concerns are identified.

13. To use relevant clinical outcome measures to demonstrate efficacy of intervention.

14. Apply a sound knowledge of clinical governance and risk management both to own caseload and that delegated to support staff.