Job summary
Hospice of the Valleys provides specialist palliative care for people across Blaenau Gwent. Our multidisciplinary team works closely with patients and families to provide expert care, helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible. We are committed to supporting patients in their own homes, care homes, community settings, hospitals and within our Living Well Service.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Physiotherapist to join our Clinical Team. You will provide high-quality assessment, rehabilitation and symptom management for patients with complex and often progressive conditions, enabling them to maximise function, independence and quality of life.

Working as part of our specialist multidisciplinary team, you will manage your own caseload, contribute to holistic patient care, and provide expert advice and support to patients, families, carers and healthcare professionals.

Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities

• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate physiotherapy interventions for patients with palliative care needs
• Manage a varied caseload across community, hospice, care home and hospital settings
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to deliver holistic patient centred care
• Support patients to achieve individual goals and maintain independence wherever possible
• Provide education, advice and support to patients, carers, families and healthcare professionals
• Maintain accurate clinical records and contribute to service evaluation and development
• Participate in training, professional development and quality improvement activities

Key Requirements

• Degree in Physiotherapy and current HCPC registration
• Membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (or eligible to join)
• Post registration experience across a range of physiotherapy specialities
• Excellent communication, assessment and clinical reasoning skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Commitment to continuing professional development and high-quality patient care

About us
Hospice of the Valleys provides specialist palliative care for people across Blaenau Gwent. Our multidisciplinary team works closely with patients and families to provide expert care, helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible. We are committed to supporting patients in their own homes, care homes, community settings, hospitals and within our Living Well Service.

Job responsibilities
To provide a high quality and efficient Physiotherapy service to patients with a wide range of physical and medical conditions referred to the Specialist Palliative Care Service.

To work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team at Hospice of the Valleys, assisting in the provision of support and rehabilitation to adults, in all End of Care Life settings including the community, Living Well Service, local hospital and care homes.

To provide clinical expertise in the prioritisation, assessment, and treatment of patients within the scope of the conditions referred to the Specialist Palliative Care service.

To ensure that service provision supports the objectives of End-of-Life Care provision across the Hospice of the Valleys

Clinical Duties

• 1. To be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Physiotherapy service to the Specialist Palliative Care Team
• 2. To work as an autonomous practitioner managing your own caseload including advanced assessment, implementation and evaluating evidence-based treatment and applying specialist skills to support palliative care patients with varied and often complex conditions.
• 3. To be responsible for prioritising, organising, and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
• 4. Make clinical decisions within the home and in liaison with the multidisciplinary team and other clinicians including GPs and external agencies in preventing some hospital admissions
• 5. Actively contributing to the multidisciplinary team within the Specialist Palliative Care Service
• 6. To undertake PT assessment, addressing the patients physical, psychological and functional skills
• 7. To help patients define their goals and engage them in a treatment/support programme to work towards mutually agreed goals.

Communication

• 1. To communicate directly with other healthcare professionals within the Specialist Palliative Care Team to ensure a holistic approach to patient care, attending regular meetings as required.
• 2. To be able to communicate to an advanced level in clinical situations and within the community with the wider professional team.
• 3. To demonstrate compassion, empathy and sensitivity to patients who may have complex emotional and physical conditions such as pain, anxiety, fear of falling, dealing with diagnosis carrying prognosis.
• 4. To use effective communication skills to ensure patients needs are fully addressed in emotive, complicated, and difficult situations.
• 5. To maintain excellent communication links with the Multidisciplinary Team, outside agencies, other Trusts, and healthcare professionals ensuring seamless and coordinated provision of care.

Professional

• 1. To promote high professional standards across the multidisciplinary Specialist Palliative Care team.
• 2. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date treatment records in accordance with the guidelines
• 3. To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the service.
• 4. Practice within a legal and ethical framework that adheres to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Code of Professional Conduct and local Trust policies and procedures.
• 5.Maintain confidentiality of information consistent with legislation and policies.

Training and Education

• 1. To provide advice and education within the Specialist Palliative Care Multidisciplinary Team, other agencies and other health care professionals, acting as an expert and specialist in the professional field.
• 2. To provide necessary on-the-spot and prepared advice, teaching and instruction to individuals, families and carers consistent with a high-quality approach to patient care.
• 3. To work closely with the different professionals within the team to provide an integrated approach to patient assessment, treatment, and support.
• 4. To attend relevant courses, seminars, and workshops in order to maintain a current professional knowledge base and to take responsibility for maintain a Continuing Professional Development CPD portfolio.
• 5. To attend mandatory training when required.
• 6. To contribute to internal and external training programmes

Physical Working conditions & Environment

• 1. To have the ability to adapt assessment and treatments within the home, ensuring quality as well as the safety of patients and self.
• 2. To apply lone working principles within the Specialist Palliative Care Service setting.
• 3. Have a UK driving licence to carry out home visits. To have the ability to travel between sites in a timely and efficient manner and the ability to respond to visit requirements in area of work.
• 4. To comply with local risk procedures when dealing with challenging behavioural needs and high-risk extreme environments.
• 5. To have highly developed physical skills which involves dexterity, co-ordination and sensory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Honours degree level or equivalent in physiotherapy
• Current Healthcare Professions Council registration (HCPC)
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development and relevant postgraduate training
• Evidence of CPD in the form of a structured portfolio
• To comply with the CSP & NHS code of conduct
• Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Desirable

• Communication skills training
• Accredited Clinical Educators course
• Accredited palliative care education

Experience
Essential

• Post graduate experience of working with variety of patients in different physiotherapy specialities of cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurology, oncology, elderly care.
• Previous experience and ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Supervision of assistants and students.
• To work as an autonomous practitioner within scope of practice.
• Critical appraisal skills in assessing therapeutic evidence.
• Excellent verbal, written and personal communication skills.
• Computer literate
• Good organisational skills and personal effectiveness.
• Ability to recognise and complete incident reports.

Desirable

• An understanding of providing services to a diverse population in the community.
• Previous postgraduate experience in a range of in and outpatient specialties
• Experience of working with palliative care patients with a malignant or non-malignant diagnosis including nurses, doctors, or other healthcare professionals.

Skills / Abilities
Essential

• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Good problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team in all settings of the service.
• Car driver/access to own transport
• High degree of self-motivation and ability to work using own initiative.
• Able to work under pressure and prioritise tasks to ensure urgent work is completed in a time appropriate manner.
• Flexible and resourceful, responding positively and effectively to solve any unexpected situations and problems.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.