Advanced Paediatric Neuro

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced children's Physiotherapist with good problem-solving skills and a holistic approach, to join our therapy department within Southampton Children's Hospital. This unique role was initially founded by Robbie's Rally/ Rehab charity and is now fully established within UHS services, to enable support and rehabilitation to children and young people with CNS tumours, across our region.

The successful candidate must have expert communication skills as the role works with multiple teams, including our SCIRT rehabilitation service, neurosurgery, neurology, palliative care, and oncology. The role supports an individual's goal-orientated pathway, accessed at any time point, including pre and post-operatively, acute rehab, discharge planning, acute to community transition, prognosis change, palliative care, or post-resolution of medical treatment. This approach enables the successful applicant to support the child and their family within the relevant setting, including ward areas, OP clinics or undertaking community visits. This is a regional service with shared care and radiotherapy pathways needing a high level of knowledge and understanding of wider services to ensure a cohesive approach.

Children's therapy is part of the wider Therapy services dept of over 290 wte therapy staff including OTs, Physios, and support staff. The successful post holder will become part of our 40 strong Paediatric OT and Physio team.

About us

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to.

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Job description

Job responsibilities

We have a highly experienced cohesive neurology team, integrated within the larger paediatric therapy team, with a robust organisational structure to enable support and clinical supervision within all areas of neurology care. Southampton Childrens Hospital is one of the 10 largest childrens hospitals within the UK- it is a designated major trauma, neurosurgical and cardiac centre, and has received NHS specialist commissioning to provide specialist neurorehabilitation to 4 beds - being one of the few acute paediatric services to submit data to UKROC and to provide rehabilitation over 7 days. Our PICU is a level 3 unit and has one of the lowest mortalities within the UK. We provide a regional oncology service providing specialist care and shared care over a wide geographical area including Dorset, IOW, Wiltshire, the Channel Islands and Hampshire.

The successful applicant will be expected to work within our team philosophy, which is We strongly believe in team working in a happy working environment. Workloads are shared and communication/ support is strongly encouraged. We are mutually responsible for the service and its development and expect everyone to carry out a certain level of responsibility. It is a fast-paced environment where effective communication, prioritisation, and delegation skills are essential.

The successful post holder will be working in conjunction with our established neurology therapists and MDT. The postholder will continue to develop the service, providing a holistic therapy approach within oncology wards, outpatient areas or within the childs locality to meet their rehab needs. They will work across the spectrum of oncological intervention and care in a wide range of specialist regional services, including neurosurgery, oncology wards, outpatients, and individuals own homes. Patients may be seen at any point in their pathway: pre-op, post-op, transition home, during outpatient radiotherapy, and will liaise closely with community therapy services.

Essential skills for role: Experience in neurology and oncology, with an interest in working with children/young people Comprehensive experience working with acutely deteriorating patients, (, B5 rota post) Proven experience working in paediatrics as senior therapist (, B6 or B7) Experience working with children with central neurological deficits. Experience working in challenging and emotive situations, with chronically unwell patients Adaptable communication skills for children/ young people / family/ MDT. Able to independently undertake a thorough neurological assessment, identify key SMART objectives, and devise treatment plans based on findings. Car driver is essential to enable off site working and transportation of relevant equipment. You must be able to work flexibly in both community and acute settings. Able to understand acute and latent effects of oncology treatment Able to recognise a change in symptoms, and identify potential disease progression, and to flag to consultants in a timely way. Able to clinically justify and identify goals for blocks of rehab Be proactive in-service development, audit, and research.

Key duties: Provide a high standard of advanced therapy assessment of children of all ages including adolescents, with neuro-oncology conditions, in a variety of settings. Liaising with relatives/carers/educational establishments/charities. Close liaison with the MDT, within specific pathways, providing a seamless service. Holistic approach to patients management including respiratory, MSK, rehab and developmental sessions To provide and co-ordinate treatment for children within neuro-oncology specialities. Act independently to undertake comprehensive, specialist assessments and treatment of patients, including those with highly diverse or complex presentations Knowledge of evidence-based practice and advanced specialist area expertise to provide accurate diagnosis. Work independently to formulate, deliver, evaluate and adjust individualised treatment plans Assist in the co-ordination and provision of training for all grades of staff to achieve paediatric therapy competencies Collect and collate appropriate data on user involvement, satisfaction, and outcomes. Promote self-management and make maximum use of resources available We cross-cover all speciality areas, to ensure appropriate skill mix and SCH therapy provision

As we run a 7-day therapy service on weekends and bank holidays, on a roster basis, these shifts will be expected as part of your working hours. Participation within the trust wide, on-call acute respiratory rota may be expected.

Please note: Any applications written and generated by AI may not be other therapy opportunities please email

Person Specification

Trust Values

Essential

Patient First Always Improving Working Together

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

Master's degree in Physiotherapy or equivalent level of experience Current HCPC registration Significant relevant clinical experience or with the ability to demonstrate significant experience in physiotherapy practice Evidence of proven leadership and supervisory skills Previous experience within relevant clinical area Previous experience on-call, where relevant to clinical area Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team Evidence of continuing professional development Experience of audit, evaluation, or research Evidence of implementing change in a clinical environment

Desirable

Management qualification, or equivalent experience Attendance at post-graduation courses, or conferences, relevant to clinical area Able to demonstrate sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas Experience working in an acute hospital setting Leadership qualification, or experience

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