Senior Physiotherapist

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South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

Are you an experienced Physiotherapist with a passion for working in older adults with mental health and those with Dementia?

Do you have the skills and knowledge necessary to manage a complex and varied caseload in a specialist inpatient setting?

Are you able to lead others with strength, kindness, and compassion?

We are looking for a Senior Physiotherapist to work as part of a small physiotherapy team, delivering a high-quality physiotherapy service across the acute Mental Health of Older Adult Inpatient Wards and specialist Dementia assessment and longer-term care units.

The Older Adult Inpatient Wards specialise in caring for older people with severe complex mental health needs as well as adults of all ages who have dementia.

The role will provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to combine their physiotherapy and leadership skills to share their clinical know how and build on the physiotherapy profile within a multi-disciplinary team environment as well as throughout the Trust.

We are committed to supporting our staff in their career aspirations. We offer a range of ongoing training and development within our service. This includes opportunities to attend sessions to develop clinical skills including working with a trauma informed approach and psychologically informed care as well as personal and leadership development.

Main duties of the job

The chosen candidate will work in the older adult physiotherapy team who cover 4 inpatient wards that provide inpatient assessment, treatment and care for people 65 and older with acute mental illness or people under 65 who have dementia. These wards comprise of:

• Aubrey Lewis 1 Ward
• Chelsham House
• Greenvale Specialist Care Unit
• Hayworth Ward

The physiotherapy role across these wards includes:

Working collaboratively with service users to identify physiotherapy goals and create interventions that complement assessment findings and contribute to care plan working within the care plan program approach process.

Running of group interventions such as walking and exercise sessions.

The provision of advice and recommendations for service users and/or family, friends and carers, as well as the staff that work with them.

Being an advocate for the importance of physical activity for the recovery of service user.

The promotion of physical activity during admission and highlighting the links that exist between our mind and body as part of the wider physiotherapy department focus.

Working for our organisation

Benefits:

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website. Other benefits include:
• Counselling services
• Wellbeing events
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working on the older adult physiotherapy team offers a variety on the day to day basis. A normal day will include reviewing and prioritizing the ward caseload, attending multidisciplinary meetings, leading a physical activity group session, completing individual assessment and interventions. There will also be opportunities for both formal and informal supervision with more junior staff members.

The successful candidate needs to have good levels of adaptability and creativity to ensure the engagement of service users and the successful progression of physiotherapy interventions. Given the diversity within the service user population that we serve candidates require an understanding of the importance facilitating inclusive practice.

Person specification

Training, qualifications, and registration

Essential criteria

• HCPC registered Physiotherapist
• Degree or Diploma in Physiotherapy

Desirable criteria

• MSc/MA or MPhil or equivalent
• Member of the CSP and/or CPMH (CSP mental health special interest group) and evidence of engaging in group

Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous experience as a qualified Physiotherapist
• Experience of supervising junior physiotherapy staff and students on placement
• Experience of integrated MDT working

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in mental health services or demonstrable experience of working with older people with a mental health and/or dementia diagnosis
• Experience of working collaboratively with users of mental health services
• Experience of audit or research relevant to physiotherapy practice
• Experience of leading service development and/or quality improvement projects

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• A broad range of physiotherapy skills in musculoskeletal conditions, orthopaedics, neurology, and older adult rehabilitation
• Commitment to ensuring that services meet the needs of service users and their supporters
• Ability and skill to work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Skills to lead and facilitate change effectively under the supervision of the Trust and Directorate Leads
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and to work with the needs of minoritised groups

Desirable criteria

• Able to demonstrate advance physiotherapy skills in a mental health inpatient setting
• Research skills
• An understanding of issues relating to clinical exercise and physical activity within health services
• An understanding of pre and post registration training needs for physiotherapists
• Knowledge and understanding of NHS structures and systems

Other

Essential criteria

• Willingness to develop and advance own learning

Desirable criteria

• Membership of relevant professional specialist interest group
• Lived experience of mental health problems/challenges

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Documents to download

• Senior Physiotherapist JD & Personal Specification (PDF, 576.3KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)