Palliative Care Therapy Team – OT or Physio

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen in Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for a part time, permanent Physio or OT within the Specialist Palliative Care Therapies Teams. The post will work across the Acute and Community settings.

The Specialist Palliative Care Therapies Teams are located within Walsall Manor Hospital and at the community setting, Walsall Palliative Care Centre. The teams support adults with a palliative diagnosis who are requiring acute intervention to assist in rehabilitation and discharge planning often in a fast paced pressurised environment which requires rapid problem solving skills to facilitate safe discharge and the attainment of patient centric goals. The teams also work with patients experiencing functional difficulties in line with disease progression. The team works in partnership with patients so that they can be as comfortable as possible and live as independently as possible with a sense of control, maximising their functional independence and quality of life. In the Community there is often a need for rapid interventions to prevent unnecessary admission to acute settings. In the community the team also provides all the therapy intervention to Goscote Hospice and the Day Hospice as well as holding a community case load. The roles across both settings are exciting and challenging.

This post will be rotational across Palliative Care Therapy services.

Main duties of the job

To contribute the specialist skills and knowledge of the therapist in enabling the individual with palliative care diagnosis to be cared for and die in their place of choice.

To provide rapid assessment and intervention to prevent admission, facilitate discharge, support carers and families to manage symptoms, improve function and ensure patient safety.

To be a core member of the Palliative and End of Life Care Service Multidisciplinary Team working closely with all members of the multiprofessional teams to provide assessment and treatment programmes across Hospice and community settings.

To support the Therapies Team Lead in the development and improvement of a high quality Palliative Care Therapies service holding responsibility for defined projects.

To participate in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior and student Therapies staffing.

To act as an expert advisor, resource, and supervisor as appropriate, to Therapy Service staff, Health & Social Care professionals, support workers, volunteers, as well as patients & carers on clinical issues including provision of education and support.

About us

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust provides integrated acute and community Healthcare in the West Midlands serving a population of 260,000 residents. Walsall Manor Hospital houses the full range of district general hospital services. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and we are continually upgrading. Construction of the new integrated critical care unit was completed in 2018, extension of a Neonatal Unit and an approved plan to build a brand new, state of the art Emergency Department which commenced in 2021. We provide high quality, friendly and effective community health services from multiple sites covering Walsall. Our MDT services include rapid response and homebased care, so that those with long term conditions and the frail elderly can remain in their own homes. We are recommended by colleagues as a place to work which is supported by the trusts values to work as part of a team, being respectful, compassionate and professional. We are committed to investing in our workforce

We would particularly welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background and from people with a disability; these groups are currently under-represented at senior level, we value diversity within our Trust and are working to achieve equality in our recruitment.

RESPECT - COMPASSION - TEAMWORK - PROFESSIONALISM

Job description

Job responsibilities

To act as an autonomous practitioner with senior practitioner skills. This involves undertaking a comprehensive assessment of clinical needs of individuals with a palliative care diagnosis within a wide range of disease pathologies using advanced investigative and analytical skills to formulate individualised management and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning and reflection and utilising a wide range of highly developed treatment skills to deliver a specialised programme of care and make necessary adjustments as required.

To accept clinical responsibility for a caseload palliative care patients across a variety of settings, effectively and efficiently coordination their assessment, intervention, evaluation and discharge to optimise clinical priorities and use of time.

To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of individuals in your care, providing appropriate written clinical reports and the maintenance of case notes to agreed departmental and professional standards.

To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis, anticipating the effects of disability in a wide range of highly complex physical, emotional, psychological and social circumstances recommending the best course of intervention, and developing comprehensive discharge plans and on-going clinical management.

To co-ordinate and ensure a high standard and effective delivery of service to individuals with palliative care needs under your management, providing specialist advice and support to other Therapy Services Staff and colleagues from other disciplines and within other clinical areas to do likewise.

To supervise and develop the junior members of the Palliative Care Therapies team and act as an advisor and supervisor as appropriate with support workers and volunteers involved in service delivery. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation.

To demonstrate highly developed communication, psychological and observational skills for assessment, treatment of individuals and equipment provision.

To plan and implement client-centred individual and/or group interventions, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.

To apply an advanced level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide expert training, advice and education on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the individuals social and physical environment, including leisure, education and work related activities.

To possess excellent risk assessment skills of community situations, demonstrating the ability to act appropriately to ensure your safety and that of others when functioning as lone practitioners.

To communicate effectively in a specialised way with individuals and carers to maximize realistic rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of condition and prognosis.

To provide expert advice and be responsible for assessment and provision of specialist ADL equipment where appropriate, to maximise quality of life, adhering to departmental policy including competence to use equipment and ensuring the safe use of equipment by others.

Please see attached Job Description for exhaustive list of responsibilities

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Diploma/Degree in Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy HCPC registration

Desirable

Evidence of relevant post reg courses/CPD

Experience

Essential

Demonstrable post graduate experience Understanding of clinical governance

Desirable

Experience of working in the Community Experience at working in MDT team Proven supervisory experience Ability to contribute to service development

Knowledge

Essential

General post graduate experience to include a range of specialisms relevant to this post. Ability to work independently

Desirable

Working knowledge of adult palliative care service needs High level of interpersonal skills. Ability to pass on skills knowledge formally or informally

Personal Skills

Essential

Able to communicate effectively with patients, their carers, line manager and other members of the Service, palliative care team and external agencies. Ability to work effectively as part of team.

Desirable

Able to work effectively to meet the needs of the Service. Willingness to develop clinical skills. Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.

Technical Skills

Essential

Basic IT skills

Other Job Requirements

Essential

Ability to travel frequently throughout the day across the Borough. Car driver essential.

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