The regional neuromuscular service is a comprehensive specialist service for neuromuscular disorders for the population of Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, West Sussex, Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and beyond. It has a well-established MDT, including OT, physiotherapy, speech and language, psychology, specialist nursing and medical input. The team are keen to support patients in meeting the standards of care and accessing emerging treatments options.
About the Therapy services department:
This post is part of the wider Therapy services department. You will have many opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 260 wte Therapy staff including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff.
ABOUT THE POST
We are looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking physiotherapist, who can adapt and change practices alongside the evolving treatment options available. The candidate should have proven experience working within neuromuscular populations, and substantial experience of working with children.
This post provides therapeutic interventions and advice for children primarily within the regional neuromuscular service. This includes children of all ages and ensuring holistic care with regards to consideration of their neurology, orthopaedic, respiratory systems, and social, educational, and emotional needs.
This could be as inpatients, outpatients, clinics settings or community. Clinics include direct therapy-led clinics, transition clinics, and MDT clinics. You will be involved in pre-op planning and supporting discharge admission, teaching, and upskilling teams involved in their care pathway.
You will be responsible for the physiotherapy oversight, compliance with national standards of care, assessments, and provision, in a rapidly changing field with advancements in gene therapy and medical management. You would be expected to be part of National data collection, including SMA Reach, North Star, and research associated with CYP with neuromuscular conditions.
You will work closely with the Neuromuscular MDT, the neurology MDT, the spinal, respiratory, and orthopaedic teams, orthotics, and paediatric therapists, both on and off site. You will also undertake supervision of specialist rotational B6 physiotherapists, as well as therapy technicians and students.
To enable you to meet the above duties you would be expected to:
• Have previous quantitative experience of both care and management of working with young people with neuromuscular disorders and contemporary practice.
• Be able to drive and transport heavy equipment.
• Be able to work in a variety of settings including schools, and patient homes.
• Have the ability to work with children with complex needs within different equip-ment and positions including on the floor, hydrotherapy and be able to manual handle accordingly.
• Be an autonomous practitioner with ability to maintain and update clinical skills and keep up to date with emerging therapeutics and interventions via EBP.
• Understand the wider needs of services supporting other job roles, providing cross cover, and undertaking departmental responsibility to support whole service pro-vision being an integral part of the NM team, the paeds therapy and the wider therapy services department.
• Be able to manage working with bodily fluids and helping with personal care and chest clearance techniques. To be clinically competent in management of the child’s holistic needs including respiratory management working alongside special-ist teams in assessment, education and provision of cough augmentation, chest clearance and ventilation including adjuncts.
• Be able to identify deteriorating needs and to be able to act and escalate appropriately.
• Be experienced in working in challenging and emotive situations with active coping strategies and resilience.
• Participate in our 7-day therapy service, using a rota system, including bank holiday cover, weekend working, and acute respiratory On-call duties overnight.
• Participate actively in both NorthStar and SMA Reach meetings.
• Be knowledgeable and have skills with spreadsheets and data bases to enable
participation in research and National data base collection.
• Able to understand and use services cross the community, social services and education settings that complement the patient pathway and NHS services.
•Be able to work cohesively within the MDT, having a sound understanding of different disciplines roles and responsibilities.
• Be able to assess and advise on relevant equipment/orthotic needs for 24-hour management at home and school.
• Work alongside existing B7 PT and OT roles.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
The successful applicant will be expected to work within our team philosophy:
“We strongly believe in team working in a happy working environment. Workloads are shared and communication/ support is strongly encouraged. We are mutually responsible for the service and its development and expect everyone to carry a certain level of responsibility for this.”
The successful post holder should have comprehensive B6 experience, including specific experience with children with neuromuscular conditions. Due to the need to ensure holistic management of the children they must also have respiratory experience including NIV/LTV and chest clearance techniques and be currently on call competent or demonstrate knowledge and understanding of training needs to upskill to meet the on-call requirement within a timely manner.
The applicant must be keen, enthusiastic, and have a definite desire to work within the speciality, to drive forward service improvements meeting the changing needs, secondary to emerging treatment options. They should have excellent communication skills to work closely within the MDT, with community services, national networks and with the child and their family.
Due the unique nature of this post we welcome informal enquires or visits – please contact Shelley Geary or Jenni Palmer on 02381204560.
We look forward to hearing from you.
If you are interested in other Therapy opportunities, please email **************@uhs.nhs.uk
Company : University Hospital Southampton.
Apply for B6-7 Progressive Neuromuscular Paediatric Physiotherapist – University Hospital Southampton.
Job vacancy B6-7 Progressive Neuromuscular Paediatric Physiotherapist – University Hospital Southampton and B6-7 Progressive Neuromuscular Paediatric Physiotherapist – University Hospital Southampton Salary.