Band 6 Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Specialist Community Stroke Neuro-Rehab team. The team provides high quality assessment and treatment to patients following acute stroke or neurological events. The successful candidate will be an integral member of the MDT which comprises Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Specialist Support Staff & administrators working together to deliver evidence-based rehabilitation.

The candidate will require experience in rehabilitation of patients with complex neurological disability. You will be working as part of a large and supportive therapy team with excellent training and development opportunities as well as a robust supervision and appraisal system. There are well-established team meetings and CPD is well supported. You will be encouraged to take part in service development projects as appropriate. Excellent communication skills and flexibility are essential.

You will provide supervision to more junior staff, students and support staff/assistants. It is essential that you have current HCPC registration and recognised qualifications as a Physiotherapist.

Key Responsibilities:

• To work in accordance with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) ‘Standards of Proficiency’.
• To be responsible for carrying and prioritising own caseload and assisting junior Physiotherapy staff and Therapy Assistants to manage their caseloads ensuring effective handover of caseloads during periods of absence.
• To ensure, where possible, that all interventions are evidence based, utilising appropriate outcome measures when applicable.
• To be professionally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work.
• To assess, reassess and provide appropriate Physiotherapy interventions and treatment programmes based on sound clinical reasoning and tailored to fit regularly reviewed client-centred goals.
• To ensure delivery of these programmes.
• To act autonomously in clinical decision making, seeking advice where necessary.
• To take responsibility for delegation to junior Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants and to supervise these staff appropriately.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and ensure understanding of the condition and its implications.
• To recognise barriers to understanding and employ alternative communication systems or seek advice.
• To communicate complex and sensitive information to the patients, carers, families and staff regarding diagnosis and possible prognosis.

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) has more than 5000 staff working across Birmingham and the West Midlands in a wide range of community nursing and specialist healthcare roles. BCHC delivers over 100 clinical services, in people's homes, health centres, clinics and inpatient facilities. We deliver a wide range of services for children, young people, parents and families as well as adults and community services, two community hospitals, services for people with learning disabilities, the internationally recognised West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre and one of Europe’s leading Dental Hospitals and School of Dentistry.

If you want to ‘Be Part of Our Team’ and work with a Foundation Trust which is continuously striving for better care and healthier communities, we want to hear from you.

The service provides specialist interdisciplinary assessment and intensive rehabilitation for survivors of stroke. The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering a post-acute client centred rehabilitation programme.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing, monitoring & developing the Physiotherapy provision within stroke rehabilitation: helping patients to engage as independently as possible in activities which enhance their health & wellbeing.
• Managing a caseload of patients with complex health & social care needs, using evidence based, client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement & evaluate interventions.
• Providing leadership for more junior staff, through supervision and appraisal.
• Supporting the physiotherapy lead in the planning, development and evaluation of clinical services within the specialist area, taking responsibility for defined projects.
• Working as a key member of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to promote the continuing rehabilitation of patients in the service.
• Advising/sharing specialist skills of assessment and treatment with team members.
• Promoting and maintaining the ethos of Physiotherapy in all clinical and professional activities.
• Supervisory responsibility for Junior Physiotherapists, Physiotherapy students on placement, Therapy Assistant Practitioners and Assistants.

There are no budgetary responsibilities related to this role.