Job summary
The post joins our well-established Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Team as Acute Heart Failure Physiotherapist and joint Cardiothoracic Team Lead. The team comprises Cardiothoracic, General ICU and Surgery, and Acute and Respiratory Medicine services. As joint Team Lead, you will share responsibility for leadership and operational management of a physiotherapy team providing input to Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Acute Heart Failure, Thoracic Surgery and CTITU, whilst maintaining a specialist caseload of patients with acute heart failure.

The role will deliver person centred care, comprising comprehensive holistic assessment and treatment of inpatients with acute heart failure, including end of life care.

Main duties of the job
This post will be of interest to physiotherapists with a cardiorespiratory background who are working at Band 6 or 7 level and wish to progress their career within a supportive specialist multidisciplinary team. The post holder will be supported in their professional development within an experienced and expert team.

This Team Lead role works closely with the Principal Physiotherapist in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients with acute heart failure, including those with highly complex presentations, ensuring accurate clinical reasoning and delivery of holistic, patient-centred care as an autonomous practitioner.

The post holder provides highly skilled team leadership and is jointly responsible for operational management, team development, implementation of policy and policy changes within cardiothoracic physiotherapy team.

The role offers the opportunity to supervise, initiate and participate in evidence-based projects, including recommendations for change in practice in the clinical areas of Heart Failure and Cardiology.

You will also support the wider Respiratory Physiotherapy weekend and on-call rota, providing senior clinical support and contributing to the development of staff competence, confidence, and capability in delivering safe and effective on-call services.

About us
We are a large but close-knit team that supports one another to deliver the highest standard of care for our patients. We value compassion, innovation, motivation and teamwork, and actively encourage professional development, collaborative working and service improvement.

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the regional specialist care provider for south west London, Surrey and beyond. The trust provides a high quality, comprehensive range of health services from leading edge tertiary and trauma care to community services.

With national and regional referrals added to our local 3.5m catchment, we serve a population of around 5m.

Co-located with St George's, University of London and with both organisations now in a formal strategic alliance with King's Health Partners, the trust delivers with its partners high quality research and education both of which contribute to the healthcare provision of tomorrow.

Acute and tertiary health services are delivered from over 1,000 beds across two sites, by around 8,000 staff.

St George's Hospital is a major acute hospital that offers very specialist care for complex injuries and illnesses, including trauma, neurology, cardiac care, renal transplantation, cancer care and stroke.

Job responsibilities
Please see the attached supporting job description and person specification document, which contains more information about the role and requirements. Please ensure your application refers to the job description and person specification

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Degree/Diploma in Physiotherapy
• HPC Registration
• Working at Masters level as demonstrated by on-going CPD i.e. Masters level accreditation, lecturing on Masters level courses and research / publications
• Evidence of post registration training in respiratory physiotherapy and management

Desirable

• Recognised post graduate qualification e.g. MSc Respiratory Physiology
• Membership of a special interest group
• Member of relevant appropriate multi professional interest group e.g. BTS
• Leadership Training
• Post-graduate management training

Experience
Essential

• Minimum 4 years post registration experience
• Minimum 2 years experience in specialist cardiorespiratory care including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation
• High level of experience of complex discharge planning
• Broad knowledge & experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of patients across a number of respiratory specialities including critical care settings, demonstrated by advanced clinical reasoning
• High level of knowledge in the application of all respiratory modalities including invasive and non-invasive respiratory support
• High level of knowledge of tracheostomy management including development of weaning strategies
• Previous experience of student supervision and clinical education
• Previous experience of formal presentations to multi professional groups
• Evidence of continued professional development, reviewing current practise and research developments within cardiorespiratory, with application to clinical practise
• Understanding of research methodology
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of physiotherapy within the evolving health environment
• Clear understanding of other disciplines' roles and expectations
• Understanding of all aspects of Clinical Governance including previous experience of quality issues, audit and risk management

Desirable

• Previous experience as a Highly specialist physiotherapist (or equivalent ) in a teaching hospital environment
• Involved in developing research links with other academic institutions
• Involved in teaching to the multi-disciplinary team as well as evaluating and auditing

Skills
Essential

• Remains Updated with professional practice and new research
• Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession
• Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Willingness to lead staff training
• Ability to work with multi-interdisciplinary team and set team goals
• Awareness of skill mix and service needs
• Understanding of Clinical Governance and the implications for physiotherapy services including experience of quality issues and audit
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies of Data Protection, Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety to meet the differing needs of the patients
• Ability to keep legible and accurate notes in English in the POMR system
• Remains updated on professional practice and new research
• Show evidence of being self-motivated
• Able to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and carry out concurrent activities.
• Ability to cope with working in a stressful and unpredictable environment.
• Research skills
• Ability to lead and motivate others

Desirable

• Competent IT skills
• Presentation skills
• Ability to run courses - internal/external
• Committee membership e.g. Health & Safety

Knowledge
Essential

• Experience in service development
• Specialist knowledge of the holistic treatment and management of heart failure
• Broad knowledge and understanding of the impact and management frailty

Desirable

• Specialist knowledge of the holistic treatment and management of acute heart failure

Other
Essential

• Physically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines
• Able to perform emergency duties
• Professional demeanour
• Able to alter their working patterns to include working extended hours (between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday), unsociable hours (8pm to 8am Monday to Friday) and weekend working (8pm Friday to 8am Monday). This may be via additional on-call hours, shift pattern or another system.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).