Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist - Neonates in Kettering

Serving a population of approximately 350,000 from Kettering and its surrounding area, Kettering General Hospital is a busy district hospital with a level 2 Local Neonatal Unit, that typically admits around 450 babies per year. Our Neonatal service provides intensive, high-dependency and special care for 20 babies (from 27 weeks gestation) as part of the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNON). Admissions to the unit comprise both Kettering-born babies and those born in other hospitals within EMNODN and referred to us for short-term intensive and high-dependency care.

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly specialist Band 7 Physiotherapist to join our expanding Neonatal Allied Health Professional Team. This newly created permanent role offers the chance to play a key part in shaping and developing an innovative service that supports babies and their families during some of the most critical stages of early development. Be part of an expanding Neonatal Physiotherapy service helping to define its future direction. Work within a supportive multidisciplinary neonatal team committed to delivering outstanding family-centred care. Access excellent professional development opportunities through local and regional networks. Benefit from flexible working arrangements, which will be considered for the successful candidate.

Main duties and Responsibilities

• To have a high level of understanding of the effect of prematurity, congenital conditions and difficulties at birth on both the individual and family unit.
• To work as an autonomous practitioner and be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care.
• Using highly specialist knowledge, practical skills, assessment tools and communication skills to assess and determine diagnosis of conditions with which high risk infants may present.
• To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts and work with parents, carers to design and implement an individualised development programme for infants identified with or at higher risk of developmental difficulties, to promote the infants developmental abilities.
• To provide high quality physiotherapy using highly advanced specialist clinical knowledge and skills to carry out effective, safe, and evidence-based treatment.
• To demonstrate the ability to assess family understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid information consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To play an active role in the Neurodevelopmental Review clinic alongside the Medical Neonatologist.
• To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
• To act as a highly specialist source of expertise in the musculoskeletal and neurological management of neonates.
• To represent the trust externally (locally and regionally) regarding physiotherapy services provided to neonatal patients.
• To delegate work to, and provide highly skilled training, supervision and support for less experienced staff to promote skill mix, improve patient care, and facilitate staff and service development.
• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal, trust, department and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy requirements for each patient.
• To communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of informative verbal and written reports and discharge summaries to other agencies, for example Consultants and other AHP's and support more junior staff to do likewise.
• To provide highly skilled training/support and supervision for undergraduate physiotherapy students, facilitating the development of a clinically effective workforce and to promote the trust as a potential employer.
• Identify and implement innovative ways of working within the speciality.
• Promote and develop the use of evidence-based practice to improve the outcomes of patient care.
• To frequently be able to demonstrate the ability to convey sensitive patient information to the parent/carer regarding the patients condition.
• To be able to deal with emotionally upset parents/carers in an empathetic manner.
• To be responsible for maintaining competency to practice through Continuous Professional Development activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal and professional development and evidence of learning beyond registration.
• To facilitate and encourage more junior staff to do the same.
• To reflect and evaluate own work and current practice using evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures.
• Make recommendations for change, according to clinical governance requirements and strive to improve standards and ensure best practice.
• To be responsible for inducting and teaching student Physiotherapists to graduate level on physiotherapeutic skills and knowledge within paediatric neurological care, assessing and evaluating performance against university criteria.
• To provide specialist neurological/neurodevelopmental teaching to higher education institutions as required.
• Provide support, guidance, clinical education and teaching to more junior staff. Assess and evaluate their competence, performance assessment and appraisal.
• Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as CSP Clinical Interest Groups e.g. ACPC - Neonatal Group Peet Review Groups and other professional development activities across the region.
• To participate in the departmental appraisal scheme as an appraiser and appraisee and be responsible for complying with agreed personal development plans to meet the required knowledge and skills.
• To participate in audit and the measurement outcomes, according to Clinical Governance requirements.
• To comply with the Ethical Code of the Physiotherapy Profession.
• Work within the Trust clinical guidelines and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Standards.
• Convey and present specialist, complex information, written or verbal, formally or informally, as appropriate.
• Report appropriate clinical information to senior staff.
• Ensure that written documentation is kept in respect of all investigations and incidents.
• Be a visible point of contact for patients, visitors, relatives and staff, acting as a resource for problems and able to clearly present the patients point of view to others.
• Receive and investigate any complaints received.
• To formulate guidelines, pathways and policies, frameworks and competency documents as needed to formalise practice in line with best evidence based care.
• Lead on the development of team objectives.
• Participate in the interviewing and selection of new staff.
• Participate in objective setting and business planning for the directorate.
• Respond to change initiatives in a positive manner.
• Lead the development of the specialist service and act as a change agent.
• Whilst encouraging others to be innovative and adaptable in their approach to change.
• Manage resources in an efficient and effective way, where necessary influencing budgets held by senior managers using expert knowledge and judgement.
• Promote the health and safety of patients, staff and the public by taking responsibility within their working environment(s) for identifying risks/hazards and implementing control measures.
• Comply with Infection Control policies and ensure that staff patients and visitors are appropriately informed and advised.
• Maintain a clean and safe environment.
• Facilitate the development of individual staff and the physiotherapy team using specialist education and training considering both the needs of the service and the aspirations of individual practitioners, within the Trust and across the wider health care community.
• Make use of all available methods of communication to build and develop effective communication networks and processes both within the trust and across the healthcare community.
• Responsibility for completion of staff rotas to ensure adequate cover for the service.
• Where necessary be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the physiotherapy team within the specialism.
• To comply with Trust, Divisional and Service specific policies and procedures.
• To be responsible for keeping up to date with own Mandatory Training including Basic Life Support, Risk Management, Adult and Paediatric Basic Life Support, Manual Handling, Fire, Infection Control and Safeguarding.

Key Working relationships

• Internal: Neurological Paediatrician, Paediatricians across UHDB Trust, Nurse & Physiotherapy Specialists, Senior management team for division, Patients and carers, Other members of the multi-disciplinary team, Medical secretaries, Psychological services.
• External: Health Visitors, Community based therapy staff, Patients and carers, GP’S, practice managers and staff, Community nurses, Psychological services, Voluntary and statutory agencies.

Person specification

• Education, Training and Qualifications: Current HCPC registration, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy degree, Evidence of relevant postgraduate qualifications or CPD based activities in the field of neurodevelopment including completion of the online HEE Neonatal Physiotherapy Foundation Modules, IT literacy, Member of CSP, Member of specialist interest group i.e APCP or other Paediatric SIG, Experience of using local IT systems - PACS, Clinical Whiteboard, Evidence of continuous professional development to Masters level or equivalent level of education, training or experience.
• Knowledge and Experience: Extensive post qualification clinical experience in Paediatric Physiotherapy, within a range of specialisms, Significant experience at Band 6 level, Experience of working on an acute Paediatric ward, Evidence of clinical experience of responsibility for a caseload of inpatients and outpatients with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, Extensive theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and applied treatment techniques in relation to neurological impairment and physiotherapy, Basic theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology for musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions and their management, Up to date knowledge of national and local guidelines, policies and procedures etc for clinical speciality, Experience of audit and service evaluation/service development projects, Experience of providing advice, training and support in relation to the clinical specialism to other i.e. therapy staff, other health professionals, students etc., Experience of working with Neonates in NICU and SCBU, Completed research or contributed to research based projects.
• Skills: Highly specialised and effective assessment and clinical reasoning skills, prioritising problems, assessing associated risks and taking appropriate action within the specialist area of practice, Highly specialised handling and observation skills for the assessment of neonatal patients, Ability to formulate a specialised individual or specialist programmes/package of care for patients with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions, Ability to analyse information from a range of sources e.g. x rays, CT and MRI, Mentor/preceptor/clinical supervisor to all grades of staff and students, Effective manager of resources and promotes safe use of equipment. Advises on and orders supplies in relation to the clinical specialism, The ability to prioritise effectively and assist others to do likewise, Data collection and interpretation around service demands and presentation of findings as required to Trust and wider health community, Possesses the mental effort required for frequent concentration required in routine and in unpredictable work situations, Possess the physical effort required to be able to perform the full range of physiotherapy duties, Training and experience of operational management of staff, Skills in use of a range of standardised tools relevant to neonatal care (Prechtl, Bayley).
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Passionate and committed to bringing our Dedicated to excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users, Accurately maintains patient/staff records, Communicates highly complex condition related, sensitive information to patients/relatives and carers across the wider healthcare community, Develop relationships between Acute Trust and Community colleagues across the region that aids the strategic development of Neurological services for patients, Skills in negotiation, persuasion, motivation, reassurance, facilitation and influencing, Understands and overcomes barriers to communication and acceptance, Manages own specialist workload within the clinical area, prioritising as necessary, Ability to work to deadlines as required, Provides clinical supervision and support and guidance to other staff in clinical specialism.
• Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes: Incorporates Trust valued and behaviour into professional practice, Works within professional codes of practice, Follows national, Trust policies and procedures and ensure other members of staff do likewise, Appropriately uses empathy and compassion when dealing with distressing and emotional circumstances relating to patients, relatives and staff, Challenges discrimination and promote equality of opportunity for all, Physical skills and ability to ensure accuracy and dexterity required for clinical procedures, Able to work in an environment where there is exposure to unpleasant working conditions and hazards that are unavoidable, To be an independent decision-making practitioner, Ability to undertake intense concentration when undertaking detailed patient assessments.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.