Paediatric Orthopaedic Physiotherapist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Physiotherapist with an interest in Paediatric Orthopaedics to help provide a high standard of physiotherapy to elective orthopaedic inpatients at the Oxford Children's Hospital. The post holder should have a broad range of clinical knowledge and skills within paediatric orthopaedics and MSK, experience of working in teams, evidence of educational delivery and awareness of the evidence base and its implications for current practice.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for specialist assessment, treatment & management of children & young people on elective orthopaedic in-patient pathway. Organise and participate in weekend orthopaedic rota. Develop, coordinate, monitor and audit the paediatric in-patient orthopaedic physiotherapy service. Demonstrate specialist knowledge, skills and clinical reasoning when managing children and young people with a variety of complex orthopaedic/neurological conditions. Liaise with community and DGH physiotherapy teams to support the management of patients pre- and post-operatively. To ensure high standards of physiotherapy care, providing specialist knowledge and advice to colleagues on clinical practice issues within this field. Support the team leader and undertake delegated responsibilities. Sustain an active role in service development. Assist with daily operational management. Supervision, teaching & appraisal of junior physiotherapists, and students. Supervise, initiate and participate in evidence-based projects. Be aware of and operate within specific legal and national frameworks in relation to the care of children. Deputise for Team Leaders in operational management where required.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached full job description and personal specification.

Clinical:

To be professionally and legally responsible, and accountable for all aspects of own professional activities, and the management and implementation of complex patients requiring specialist paediatric physiotherapy intervention. To manage a complex and busy caseload, and to demonstrate the ability to work flexibly to deliver efficient patient services in a range of models. To carry out assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with diverse or complex presentations / multi pathologies; using clinical reasoning skills, and knowledge of evidence-based practice, to determine an appropriate care plan utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options. To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter / progress the treatment programme as required. To act as a point of liaison with community and DGH physiotherapy teams and liaising with local physiotherapists to support the management of children/adolescents pre and post operatively. Participate in joint multidisciplinary assessment and intervention with other disciplines including medical staff to establish best practice, and treatment for complex patients. To assess patients capacity to understand and gain valid, informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent or refuse treatment. To manage clinical risk within own caseload and assist in ensuring clinical risk is effectively managed across the Childrens Elective Orthopaedic service. To attend ward rounds, meetings, and seminars / case conferences as appropriate, and liaise with, and advise other disciplines, as appropriate, to achieve comprehensive, effective, and confidential patient care. To organise and participate in the weekend orthopaedic rota as a lone practitioner within the hospital site, in addition to providing advice to MDT via telephone. To maintain accurate electronic records using POMR system, in line with professional standards for own clinical caseload and assist with ensuring that senior, junior and student physiotherapists are maintaining the professional standards. To provide comprehensive progress and discharge reports to community teams or onward referrals as required. To demonstrate the physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling. To manage clinical risk within own caseload at all times To use specialist theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate, for further treatment or specialist consultant opinions, ensuring appropriate referral systems are used by departmental staff. To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner. To represent physiotherapy and / or individual patients at multi- disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care. This will include discussion of patient care / discharge planning. To motivate and persuade patients and staff, through good communication skills, using verbal and non-verbal skills, and use written and electronic information where needed. To demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to patients, carers and staff where there may be communication barriers. To support other staff when required in the management of challenging patients behaviour. To establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with other team members characterised by open communication, trust, and respect. To demonstrate ward level respiratory skills, including those expected to be associated with the orthopaedic surgical pathway.

Management:

To be responsible for competent use and maintenance reporting of equipment used, including (but not limited to) gym equipment, hoists, respiratory equipment, saturation monitors and patient appliances, and to ensure that junior staff/students and assistants attain competency prior to use. To be responsible for the daily operational management of the childrens orthopaedic team in the absence of the team leader or as required. To flexibly plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and adjusting plans as required according to staffing levels. To be responsible, in conjunction with Childrens Therapy Manager and Consultant, for policy and continued service development and to ensure that quality standards and effectiveness of patient care are continually monitored and improved. To inform any concerns for competent use, repair and maintenance reporting of gym equipment and patient appliances used within this service as indicated, ensuring that designated staff attain competency prior to use. To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants on a daily basis. To plan and manage own time and organise the Childrens Elective Orthopaedic service to include patient care, training, and supervision, as required skilfully and flexibly. To contribute to the recruitment of staff, including short-listing of applicants and being a member of an interview panel, when required. Contribute to strategic planning and development of the Childrens MSK Therapy Service. To be able to respond to unpredictable work patterns and frequent interruptions. Responsible for maintaining and improving all aspects of evidence-based practice and quality assurance in this speciality. Assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of physiotherapists and physiotherapy students, as required. Supervise, initiate, and participate in evidence-based projects for the Childrens MSK Therapy service in conjunction with the wider team Responsible for implementing changes within the designated area and setting and monitoring standards of practice. To be aware of and operate within specific legal and national frameworks in relation to the care of children. , The Children Act, Safeguarding Children etc.

Education:

To be responsible for the provision of specialised teaching, including in-service training to peers, junior staff and students as well as the wider MDT; this may be to large groups. To be responsible for undergraduate student physiotherapists as allocated by the team leader. To be responsible for and actively record own personal professional development and maintain a CPD portfolio in line with HCPC recommendations, keeping abreast of new clinical practices in the area. To be pro-active with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department, and other MDT staff in the Trust. To initiate and maintain contracts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field, and to demonstrate the ability to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working in other care settings. To clearly convey knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff. Play a key role in the data collection

Research and audit:

To develop and participate in ongoing audit and appropriate work-related projects/ research in areas relevant to the clinical field. To provide statistics and data collection for the designated service using agreed methods in an accurate and timely manner. To supervise and/or assist in evidence-based projects for rotational staff, and professional presentation of projects to the physiotherapy department, when required. To keep abreast of evidenced based practice in by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses, and database searches. To develop local service standards based on good working knowledge of National Standards where they exist and on best evidence. To ensure these standards are adhered to and monitored by all members of the team. To participate in appropriate work-related research projects and in clinical trials as required, this may include weekend working

General:

To carry out physiotherapy assessments and treatments, with moderate physical effort involved, daily. To use excellent prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service. To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff. To deal sensitively with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care such as realistic expectations of rehabilitation outcome. To comply with the Trusts Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidelines. To support junior staff when required in the management of challenging patients. To deal with patients suffering from pain states that may lead to anxiety and aggressive behaviour

This job may involve frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions on a regular / daily basis , bodily fluids (including sputum, blood, vomit, urine, faeces), and occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

NHS experience Orthopaedic experience Paediatric Experience two years post grad

Desirable

Evidence of working within paediatric physiotherapy Evidence of management or leadership training Previous experience of supervision and clinical education (clinicians and students) Good knowledge of clinical governance Experience in acute respiratory physio Evidence of experience collecting stats/ data analysis Experience casting

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