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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication 

• To  adapt communication and ensure all members of the team do likewise and advise other members of staff on appropriate basic communication strategies.
• To assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and have the ability to work with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment such as patients who are, have reduced level of consciousness or who are acutely confused or aggressive 
• Provide day to day operational management of the Neurosurgery Physiotherapy team based at The Royal Sussex County Hospital. 
• To  motivate, empathise, reassure, explain and encourage patients in undertaking their treatment programme to maximise rehabilitation potential   
• To be able to diffuse challenging situations with staff, patients, and relatives using negotiation and interpersonal skills 
• To demonstrate  ability to clearly communicate complex and sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. 
• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters 
• To maintain close links and work collaboratively with all staff and people and promote good working relationships at all times 
• Ensure timely and effective communication with all physiotherapy staff on professional matters 
• To resolve verbal complaints and report all formal complaints, incidents and accidents to physiotherapy management as soon as possible, document according to trust policy and carry out preliminary investigation 
• To communicate sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. 
• To determine clinical diagnoses and physiotherapy treatment indicated, and to maintain records 
• To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This may include attending case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings.  
• Ensure timely communication with the team leader on all professional matters. 
• Service Delivery and Improvement 
•  To be responsible for the learning and development of your team, ensuring they are engaging in regular in-service training. To be responsible for your own learning needs 
• To be responsible for the organisation of the caseload management within the team 
• To plan and undertake the measurement and evaluation of practice and performance through clinical audit and studies with guidance from the Team Leader  
• To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to work situation 
• To assist Band 8a Staff in the proposal and implementation of Trust Policy and Service Developments within the physiotherapy department. To write SOP’s, Guidelines and Policies when needed  
• To provide specialist advice to other professionals both within the Trust and outside agencies e.g nursing staff, and other health and social service colleagues 
• To be responsible for teaching, supervision and appraisal of Band 6 and Band 5 staff, and undergraduate students to ensure a high quality of clinical care within the speciality 
• To be responsible for the equipment used in carrying out Physiotherapy duties, and to adhere to departmental equipment policy and Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards. To ensure the safe use of equipment and reporting of faults by self and others including patients, carers and other health professionals  
• To comply with and ensure implementation of all trust policies and procedures and the Health and Safety at Work Act, including adherence to Universal Precautions and Infection Control measures. 
• To identify changes in the heads of the service to plan and implement appropriate changes. 
• To implement policy and service development for the services in liaison with the senior clinical team lead 
• To identify and implement service development within the Neurological specialty and to ensure clinical effectiveness of patient care is continually monitored 
• To identify and implement service development within the Neurological specialty and to ensure clinical effectiveness of patient care is continually monitored and improved 
• To participate or lead in the interviewing and appointment of new Trust Physiotherapy staff 
• People Management and Development 

• To be a clinical lead in the day to day operational management, supervision and co-ordination of the in-patient Neurological Physiotherapy team at RSCH.

• To supervise less experienced staff and formulate Individual Development Plans and undertake regular appraisals with Junior and assistant staff 
• To support the physiotherapy management in matters of grievance and disciplinary action if and when necessary 
• To supervise undergraduate physiotherapy students on clinical placements within the department 
• To lead interdisciplinary projects to develop the service, with assistance and guidance of more senior members of staff 
•  To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service  
• To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required and to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as required.  
•  To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.  
• To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using POMR (Problem Orientated Medical Records)
• To adhere to Trust policies and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Code of Conduct and be guided by National Standards.
•  To record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances in consultation with senior staff. 
• Use databases to provide and analyse accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by Physiotherapy Heads of service and use initiative to collect further data according to the needs of the service 
• To ensure competence, through teaching and appraisal, of all staff within the Neurological Team in the use of equipment used in carrying out Physiotherapy duties 
• To be responsible for developing, planning and delivering induction training and competency assessment for staff working on Neuroscience and neuro surgical or participating in weekend on-call working 
• To provide specialist advice to physiotherapy colleagues working within other clinical areas.
• To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to patients, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team.
•  To train and assess competence of physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants and undergraduate students in therapeutic handling techniques and the risk assessment of these techniques.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable, as an autonomous practitioner, for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care 
• Patient Care Delivery   
• To flexibly plan and prioritise own time and that of the in-patient Neuroscience and neuro surgical Physiotherapy team to ensure patient care, training, supervision and a wide variety of meetings are undertaken (including management, service development and those with other health professionals) 
• To use excellent prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service and assist staff with their time management 
• As an autonomous practitioner to carry a clinical caseload of patients who may have complex and/or chronic presentations and require advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• To be competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology.
• To formulate and develop individual patient management, treatment and discharge plans, using clinical reasoning, current evidence and a wide range of treatment skills.  
• To demonstrate well developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for the assessment, therapeutic handling and manual treatment of patients e.g. specific soft tissue mobilisation, facilitation of movement and massage  
• To continually re-assess patients in order to progress treatments effectively and advise patients and carers on the appropriate time to return to work, sports and other activities  
• To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times and support peoples’ equality, diversity and rights  
• To use theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate, e.g. for assessment or further treatment or specialist consultant opinions  
• To maintain professionalism in public, ward and rehabilitation areas .
• To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, which may be conflicting. 
• To be competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of neurological presentations.
• To be competent in tracheostomy weaning, and care. Working closely with Speech and Language Therapists with Tracheostomy weaning 
• Learning and Development
• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process. 
• Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager 
• Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process.