Principal Practitioner/ACP (Podiatry)

As an Advanced Clinical Practitioner/Principal Practitioner for the Podiatry Service, the successful candidate would have responsibility for advancing evidence-based clinical practice within this speciality, particularly across the multi-disciplinary team within the community. The successful candidate would exercise advanced clinical expertise, levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care in the area of wound care which would be demonstrated through the advanced competency framework. Working under the four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice: Clinical skills, Leadership & Management, Research, and Education will be an expectation of the role and would be completed in collaboration with our Head of Therapies & AHP Professional Lead Community Division, medical and nursing colleagues. This post requires the MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice as well as NHS experience. This permanent post is full time (37.5 hours) to be worked across Monday to Friday with inclusion in an on‑call rota.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide specialist clinical expertise both within own professional clinical discipline and across the podiatry services and lead the Multidisciplinary Foot Clinic, making evidence-based decisions with the patient about their assessment.
• Practitioners will use their clinical‑reasoning skills to undertake an assessment of the presenting problem, interpret findings, develop working and differential diagnoses, and formulate, communicate and implement management plans that take account of individuals’ needs, goals and wishes, local service availability and relevant local, ICS and national guidelines and policies.
• Deliver programmes of supported patient self‑management, in ways that facilitate behavioural change, optimise individuals' rehabilitation and fulfilment of personal goals and independence relevant to their condition.
• Provide clinical and strategic leadership within the multidisciplinary team, with responsibility for quality, training and clinical governance and research agendas.
• Lead and monitor improvements to standards of care through supervision of practice, clinical audit, teaching and supporting professional colleagues and the provision of skilled professional leadership.
• Lead on the development and delivery of an education programme for Podiatrists in the service and with relevant partners across primary and secondary care staff and partner organisations.

Key results from the job holder:

• Work as an autonomous practitioner in line with the code of conduct and standards of practice having regard to the HCPC Code of Professional Conduct and their professional contribution to clinical governance.
• Comply with all relevant Trust and primary care policies & procedures.
• To be a clinical leader in the multidisciplinary delivery of Podiatry, demonstrating advanced, expert knowledge and skills in interventions with patients and carers.
• Takes professional responsibility demonstrating high‑level decision‑making and clinical‑reasoning skills.
• Manages a complex (Podiatry) caseload and the Multidisciplinary Foot Clinic with supervision/mentoring as required, developing and implementing rehabilitation and treatment plans based on best evidence, review and discharge planning.
• Request appropriate investigations based on their level of competence and interpret the findings to facilitate diagnosis and management plans of patients.
• To receive referrals from and make referrals to healthcare professionals review the patient and act accordingly.
• According to current legislation, if relevant to profession, to undertake independent prescribing and also make appropriate use of the administration of medication using Patient Group Directions.
• Use interactions as an opportunity to educate and encourage changes in behaviour that can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations applying the principles of MECC.
• Record the information gathered through taking individuals' history concisely and accurately for clinical management, and in compliance with local protocols, legal and professional requirements.
• Be accountable for their own decisions and actions and the outcomes of their interventions via appropriate professional body.

Communications and Key Working Relationships:

• Maintain good communication, liaison and working arrangement with colleagues in the Trust, other trusts and other agencies.
• Demonstrate effective person‑centred communication skills, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes, using a person‑centred approach.
• Adapt how they engage with others through using different verbal and non‑verbal communication styles, and in ways that are responsive to individuals’ communication and language needs and preferences.
• Ability to communicate complex clinical information both written and verbal, in an easily understood form, to patients, carers, and all members of the multi‑disciplinary team.
• Ability to deal with difficult or distressed patients and carers, conveying difficult and sometimes unwelcome information relating to clinical issues.
• Demonstrate team leadership, providing clinical and emotional support for staff working in high flow and demanding environments.
• Work collaboratively with an appropriate range of multi‑agency and inter‑professional resources, developing, maintaining and evaluating links to manage risk and issues across organisations and settings.
• Advise on local non‑clinical services that individuals and their carers may benefit from accessing to help manage conditions and their impact, including those relating to employment, voluntary activities, counselling services and leisure facilities.
• Make appropriate referrals to other health and care professionals and agencies when this is in individuals’ best interests.
• Respect and draw on colleagues’ knowledge and expertise within the multi‑disciplinary team and across the clinical pathways.
• Communicating with colleagues in ways that build and sustain relationships, seeking, gathering and sharing information appropriately, efficiently and effectively to expedite and integrate individuals’ care.
• Participate as an effective team member and understand the importance of effective team dynamics.
• Contributing effectively to multi‑disciplinary team activity (including service delivery processes and learning and development).
• Facilitate collaboration and close working relationships with all services engaged in delivery of associated clinical pathways.

Leadership and Management:

• Be able to lead change and encourage team members to embrace necessary change.
• Have a positive attitude to challenges and devise ways to make them happen.
• Develop and implement robust governance systems based on an understanding of the level of practice required to deliver the service and assure safe quality standards of practice for service users.
• Ensure that practice is carried out in accordance with professional rules of conduct, professional standards, departmental and Trust policies, national policies and guidelines and statute.
• Lead new practice and service redesign solutions in response to feedback, evaluation and need.
• Act as a clinical role model, educator, coach and mentor seeking to instil and develop the confidence of the workforce.
• Develop and initiate systems to collect feedback and involvement from individuals, families, carers, communities and colleagues to assure and improve the quality of care and service delivery.
• Demonstrate receptiveness to challenge and preparedness to constructively challenge others, dealing with concerns that affect individual patients, colleagues and overall service safety and quality.
• To lead the development of relevant clinical policies and clinical protocols in Podiatry and be responsible for policy implementation and service development.
• Demonstrates an awareness of their own limitations and through this, recognise the parameters of their scope of practice.
• Represent the Podiatry service on relevant committees and meetings, as a lead clinician, provide input in relation to specialist issues and clinical matters as required at a local and regional level.
• Provide annual individual performance review for staff to critically assess and address learning needs, negotiating a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development necessary for the role.
• Act as an advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning to inspire and develop future and existing staff.

Education, learning and development:

• Lead on the development and delivery of an education programme for the workforce, including external partners to improve the podiatry offer and understanding of conditions.
• Develop a strategy for training of the podiatry workforce to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for succession planning, creating a sustainable workforce within the organisation.
• Provide professional clinical leadership through actively engaging in peer review to inform own and other’s practice, formulating and implementing strategies to act on learning and make improvements.
• To maintain own continuing professional development (CPD) by engaging in self‑directed learning, using a process of critical reflection to identify learning needs to maximise clinical skills and knowledge.
• Maintain a portfolio of evidence or work‑based learning showing how you meet all the required capabilities for working in this role e.g. completion of NHSE e learning modules.
• Take a lead role in implementing a competency and capability framework, inspiring the wider team to develop competencies and capabilities through provision of work‑based and inter‑professional learning opportunities.
• As a clinical leader and educator, designs, develops and delivers programmes of specialised learning in line with evidence‑based practice to peers, junior staff and the wider team.
• Undertake any necessary skills training, professional updates and mandatory training as appropriate to the post.

Research, Audit and Service Evaluation:

• To evaluate the quality of service provided by leading an annual programme of clinical audit, service evaluation and research activities, selecting and applying valid, reliable methods, then acting on the findings.
• Critically appraise and synthesise the outcome of relevant research, evaluation and audit, using the results to underpin own practice and to inform that of others.
• To analyse and interpret referral and clinical data related to the service in order to inform and advise managers on future developments.
• To evaluate the local service against national and/or local standards and benchmarks.
• Demonstrates ability to generate evidence suitable for presentation at local level.
• To establish education and research partnerships with higher education institutes as appropriate in relation to identifying gaps in the evidence base and potential research opportunities.

Person specification:

• HCPC registered MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice
• Additional postgraduate qualifications/courses in relevant areas
• Prescribing or willingness to train

Experience:

• Significant post registration experience in the speciality area including having worked as a clinical specialist (Band 7) in area of speciality
• Experience of collaborative working with a range of multi‑agency and inter professional resources
• Experience of influencing and enhancing patient care in highly complex circumstances and where information on life changing or limiting conditions/impacts are involved
• Evidence of developing and implementing care pathways and protocols, policies and procedures
• Experience of evaluation, audit and improvement of own and others’ clinical practice
• Experience of sharing best practice research findings and quality improvement projects through appropriate media and forums
• Experience of clinical team leadership
• Evidence of having influenced and implemented change
• Evidence of leading quality improvements
• Experience of supervision/mentoring of students
• Experience of involvement with appropriate clinical interest groups
• Evidence of leading individual staff/teams and managing performance, including undertaking appraisals
• Evidence of publication
• Evidence of teaching at an advanced level

Additional:

• Treat service users and colleagues with respect
• Goal orientated – evidence of completion of tasks
• Innovative - demonstrates a creative/lateral-thinking approach
• Means of getting around the locality in a timely manner (including home visiting)
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

Skills:

• Expert clinician with advanced clinical reasoning and therapy skills
• Clinical leadership skills including influencing and achieving change and professional development of others
• Effective communication skills at all levels with a variety of audiences
• Excellent verbal and written advanced communication skills
• Manage a complex, diverse and demanding workload
• Able to provide a customer focused service
• Manage change and contain conflict, ensuring resolution with positive outcomes
• Lead within the team and across organisational boundaries
• Present information in a variety of formats
• Able to access expert advice and resources within organisations (network)
• Able to secure the co‑operation of colleagues at all levels
• Ability to engage and foster collaborative working with stakeholders and partners within and across organisations

Knowledge:

• Extensive specialist knowledge of the care and management of patients in area of specialty
• Knowledge & awareness of diversity and human rights and the competencies appropriate to your role to support patients' diverse needs and human rights.
• Have a good understanding of their communication, physical & emotional needs; can identify their individual needs and preferences, their changing needs and recognise and promote their independence.
• An understanding of the Trust vision, values and strategic objectives
• Understanding of the relevant NHS policies and their implications for local services
• Understand and relate research/study findings to the clinical situation
• A clear understanding of the NHS Constitution