Specialist Physiotherapist | Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

The @home service is one of the leading and largest Urgent Community Responses services in London and we are looking for a Specialist Physiotherapist to join the team. This role is suited to an experienced Band 5 Physiotherapist ready for growth into a Band 6 role; or current Band 6 Physiotherapist seeking a new and rewarding challenge. This person will be innovative, enthusiastic, and thrive working in a multidisciplinary service.

The service aligns with the NHS England’s Long-Term Plan to support England’s ageing population and those with complex needs. The @home service are expanding our pathways and successful candidates will have a passion for working under an admission avoidance model and in facilitating early discharge from hospitals.

The service operates seven days per week between the hours of 08.00hrs to 23.00hrs however therapists will work until 20.00. This is a shift work pattern rota of 13 shifts over a four-week period, inclusive of weekends.

This role requires the use of public transport for home visits. Alternatively having a valid and current UK driver’s license and/or vehicle that can be used for home visiting is desirable.

As a Specialist Physiotherapist you will demonstrate high level of assessment skills and specialist interventions; patient-centred goals setting abilities; and collaborative multidisciplinary discharge planning abilities in a fast-paced working setting. Previous community experience and a passion for urgent therapy assessment, intervention and rehabilitation in supporting patients to remain in their own home is desirable. This post will involve working in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark which occupy some of the most diverse populations, cultures and languages in London.

You will have supervisory, teaching and training responsibilities for the Nursing Rehab Support Workers, Allied Health Students, and the wider multidisciplinary team. Furthermore, you will be an active participant in evidence-based projects, departmental research and audits including recommendations for changes in practice as required and in line with current NHS directives.

Excellent communication skills are essential, and you must be enthusiastic, flexible and able to work autonomously using strong clinical assessment and clinical reasoning skills. You will have opportunities for career progression and development an extended scope of practice role within the service; supported through regular supervision and performance development reviews.

The @home service is a community based, multidisciplinary team consisting of GP’s, Consultant Geriatricians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Social Workers, and NRSW. Referrals come primarily from primary and secondary centres; consultants, GPs, health providers, social care services, and the London Ambulance Service.

With the team's extensive clinical and leadership expertise, this role offers exciting and diverse development opportunities, including access to CPD funding, in-service training, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Patient conditions range from acute medical episodes to more acute on chronic longer-term or complex health or social conditions, including the frail elderly, who benefit from short-term acute interventions that our service provides. We work closely with other teams through the patients care pathway, inclusive of acute to longer-term support teams, as indicated.

Have responsibility for specialist therapy assessment, specialist intervention, care planning and review of individual patients on their @home caseload. To delegate therapy, rehabilitation and care tasks to Nursing and Rehabilitation Support Workers (NRSW). Have to be able to adapt to the needs of the patients and the service. Provide case management for patients through intensive short-term therapy programmes. Goal setting with patients in order to maximise their independence in the community, facilitate early discharge from hospital and reduce admissions.

Work as an integral part of the @home multidisciplinary team and across traditional professional boundaries; liaising with health and social care professionals and voluntary agencies to deliver individualized and expert patient-centred care to a high standard. Work frequently as a lone practitioner and at times in conjunction with other teams and colleagues, across a variety of locations within the community including patient’s homes and residential care settings, to meet the individual needs of the multi-cultural population.

Support the development of, and participate in, an efficient and effective service; working in close collaboration with other community teams as required. Support the department’s commitment to meeting patient’s needs and delivering excellence, it is essential the post holder be able to work their hours flexibly over a 7 day week, including weekday and weekend shifts and have shared team caseload.

Responsible for practice, education, assessment, supervision and development of students and new/junior members of staff. To work towards organizational priorities and achieving service aims. Complying with the standards set by the regulatory body (Health Professions Council), government, Trust and department; thereby being professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work and to meet the requirements for professional registration.

Take part in the triage and duty tasks. This will involve screening referrals and be responsible for co-ordination of the day. This will involve allocation of new referrals to the therapists and supporting therapist with clinical reasoning and escalation.