Job description: Band 6 Physiotherapist
Position: Senior Physiotherapist (Respiratory)
Division: Cancer and Diagnositics
Responsible to: Physiotherapy Clinical Lead
Responsible for: Supervising students, band 2-5 and more junior band 6’s (where
appropriate)
Reports to: Speciality Team Leader
Salary: AFC Band 6
Band: Band 6
Location: East Surrey Hospital
Hours of work: 37.5
Disclosure required: Yes
Job purpose
• To participate in our 4 nine month rotations, which currently include critical care
(ICU/HDU), surgery, cardiorespiratory (including acute respiratory unit and medical wards)
and the Lane-Fox Remeo unit (on-site) a satellite unit of St Thomas’ hospital for long term,
complex, respiratory patients. There will also be an opportunity to work with amputees.
• To assess and treat own caseload of patients who may have complex presentations, and
maintain own records as an autonomous practitioner.
• To assess and treat patients who present with a variety of acute, chronic and complex
respiratory and surgical conditions. This would include patients with significant levels of
physical dependency, cognitive and perceptual impairments and communication problems.
• To ensure effective communication where this is impaired.
• To assess and treat patients in a variety of clinical settings as needed.
• To be responsible for a defined area of working e.g. a section of a speciality or a particular
type of patient, working without direct supervision. Clinical/professional supervision takes
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the form of direct observation of practice or formal training/clinical reasoning sessions (at
least monthly). Advice and support is always available.
• A high standard of clinical work is required which will also include teaching and supervision
of junior staff, support staff and students.
• Requirement to deputise for the Team Leader for the section.
• To participate in the weekend and on call rota as appropriate.
• To participate in 7 day rostered working and extended hours as required.
Our values
As an employee of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, you have an individual responsibility to
treat everybody with:
Dignity and Respect: we value each person as One Team: we work together and have a ‘can
an individual and will challenge disrespectful do’ approach to all that we do recognising that
and inappropriate behaviour. we all add value with equal worth.
Compassion: we respond with humanity and Safety and Quality: we take responsibility for
kindness and search for things we can do, our actions, decisions and behaviours in
however small; we do not wait to be asked delivering safe, high quality care.
because we care.
Our objectives
1. Safe – Deliver safe, high quality care and improving services which pursue perfection and be
in the top 20% of our peers
2. Effective – As a teaching hospital deliver effective and improving sustainable clinical services
within the local health economy
3. Caring – Work with compassion in partnership with patients, staff, families, carers and
community partners
4. Responsive – To become the secondary care provider of choice for our the people of our
community
5. Well led – To be a high quality employer of choice and deliver financial and clinical
sustainability around a patient centred, clinically led leadership model
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Key working relationships
Internal External
Patients, relatives and carers Social services
Therapy staff Community Services
Ward Managers Voluntary Agencies
Integrated Discharge Team Other Trust’s and their therapy staff
Education and training department Universities and other higher education
SASH@Home organisations
Matrons/Speciality Nurses
Medical Team
Structure chart
Head of
therapies
Occupational
Physiotherapy SLT/Dietetics
Therapy
Clinical Lead Clinical Lead
Clinical Lead
Respiratory
Team Leader
Band 6
Physiotherapist
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Main duties and key responsibilities
Communication / Relationship Skills
To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to
ensure understanding of condition. Communication skills of persuasion, motivation, explanation,
empathy and gaining informed consent will be used with a wide variety of patients. Barriers to
effective communication will regularly be evident e.g. loss of hearing, altered perception, pain, fear,
language barrier.
To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date professional documentation in line with legal,
professional, and departmental requirements
To communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of
reports and letters.
To communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with members of the multi-disciplinary
team.
Analytical / Judgmental Skills
To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex
presentation, using investigative and analytical skills.
To formulate an individualised management and/or treatment plan, using clinical reasoning skills
and utilising a wide range of treatment skills. To evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter
treatment programmes as required.
C2. Responsibilities for human resources including personal and people development
To provide specialist advice to physiotherapy colleagues working within other clinical areas and
educate others to graduate level.
To maintain own professional development through reflective practice, completion of KSF
competencies, attending appropriate postgraduate courses, keeping up to date with new evidence
and effective ways of working, assessing and treating patients, and changing practice in light of this
as appropriate.
To attend and present as requested at in-service training programmes, staff meetings, training
sessions/courses (internal and external).
To identify objectives for personal development through the Trust’s achievement review process.
To undertake appraisals with junior staff, PTAs and TIs.
To participate in clinical supervision following the department’s guidelines for clinical supervision.
To undertake supervision with junior staff, PTAs and TIs. To be responsible for day-to-day
supervision of junior staff.
To act as clinical educator for students on placement and participate in training sessions for PTAs
and TIs.
To explain the role of the physiotherapist to departmental visitors and those on work experience.
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Health, safety and security
To know all emergency procedures and attend mandatory training sessions.
To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, and to adhere to
departmental equipment policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use
of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice.
To be aware of Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies which may be
required to improve the safety of your work area, including the prompt recording and reporting of
accidents to senior staff, and ensuring that equipment used is safe.
Responsibility for Policy and Service Improvement/Development
To comply with Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS policies and procedures.
To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in
reviewing and updating them as appropriate.
Responsibility for Audit/Research & Development
To use evidence based practice, audits and published research to inform practice.
To initiate and participate in audits/research projects and support the wider clinical governance
programme.
To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the
department.
Quality
To provide specialist advice to other health professionals within area of speciality and to work
closely with the multidisciplinary team and other agencies.
To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other
professionals
To promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to
patient care.
Freedom to Act
To follow departmental and Trust guidelines for obtaining consent and to work within a legal
framework at all times.
Equality, diversity and rights
To support, promote and develop a culture which promotes equality & values diversity.
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Planning and organisational tasks/duties
To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients and to organise this efficiently
and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support
junior staff to do likewise.
To plan and organise designated area of work efficiently and effectively with regard to patient
management and use of time. Decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related
and professional demands, and ensure that these remain in accordance with those of the section
as a whole.
To delegate appropriate tasks to junior staff and support staff on a day-to-day basis.
To deputise for the Team Leader as required.
Patient Care Responsibilities
To participate in the rotational scheme within the speciality area, if applicable, and use your
specialist training and experience within that field.
To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, including
the management of patients in your care.
Demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and intervention including
manual therapy techniques, therapeutic handling, and use of manual handling equipment.
To be an active member of the evening and weekend on-call rota.
To be responsible for a designated area of work, as agreed with the Team leader.
Responsibility for financial and other physical resources
Responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatment resources available in the
department.
Responsibilities for information resources
To use computerised record systems (e.g. Cerner) to access patient information and to record data
accurately in line with the data protection act and departmental guidelines.
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Key attitudes and behaviours
• Supportive and approachable
• Forward thinking
• Flexible
• Expects high standards
• Able to motivate more junior staff and promote the physiotherapy profession widely within the
Trust
This is an outline job description designed to give an overview of the responsibilities of
the post. The post holder will be expected to be flexible to respond to change and
organisational need. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to the wider
corporate and organisational needs of the Trust as appropriate.
General
Information Governance
Whilst employed by the Trust you may have access to patient or staff information, this information
must be kept confidential and must not be disclosed to anybody other than when acting in an official
capacity. The unauthorised use or disclosure of patient or other personal information is a dismissible
offence for Gross Misconduct under the Trust’s Disciplinary Policy, and could also result in criminal
prosecution. All staff must work in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
and familiarise themselves with the Trust’s information governance and related policies and
procedures.
If this post involves the collection, entry, change or deletion of any data items either electronic or
manual (e.g. the Trust Patient Administration System) it is your responsibility to ensure that as far as
is reasonably possible, you have ensured that those details are accurate and up-to-date.
If this post manages members of staff, it is your responsibility to ensure that these staff are made
aware of Trust policies and procedures relating to their area of work and to ensure that these are
followed at all times. This post must also ensure that staff receive adequate and relevant training
required by them to enable them to carry out their duties.
All employees must familiarise themselves with and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures
including the following:
Risk Management Policy and Strategy
No Smoking at Work
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Equal Opportunities in Employment, including the Disability Discrimination Act
The Caldicott Principles
Safeguarding vulnerable adults, children and young people
All Trust employees have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable adults,
children and young people. As such, you have a duty to familiarize yourself with the Trust adult and
Child Protection Procedures and Guidelines which are accessible on the intranet.
No Smoking Policy
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is a smoke free Trust covering trust premises, grounds and
any trust owned vehicle. Staff should not smoke during their working hours and will be protected from
passive smoking both in the Trust and whilst making home visits.
Research
The Trust manages all research in accordance with the Research Governance Framework, a copy of
which is available in the medical director’s office. As an employee of the Trust, you are required to
comply with all reporting requirements, systems and duties of action put in place by the Trust to
deliver research governance standards
Intellectual Property
From time to time during the normal course of your employment you may generate Intellectual
Property (IP) which may have value in the delivery of better patient care. Where such Intellectual
Property (IP) is created in the course of your employment or normal duties then under UK law it will
generally belong to the Trust, unless agreed otherwise in writing between you and the Trust.
The Trust management procedures for Intellectual Property (IP) have been approved by the Trust
Board and can be found on the Trust Intranet Site. Trust Procedures are consistent with the
Management Framework for Intellectual Property (IP) of the Department of Health. You are required
to comply with these procedures.
SASH+
As part of our commitment to ensure our culture and ways of working reflect and embed the practices
and methodologies of SASH+, you will be expected, where identified, to attend and complete relevant
training and development opportunities to support this. This may include Lean for Leaders, Advanced
Lean Training, and the Human Factors Programme, amongst others. Full attendance and completion
of identified courses will be considered mandatory for this post.
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Essential Desirable Evidenced by
Qualifications
Degree/diploma equivalent Member of the Chartered Application and interview
HCPC registration Society of Physiotherapy
Evidence of CPD including recent post- (CSP)
graduate events relevant to clinical Member of CSP special
speciality interest group
Experience
18-24 months post-qualification as a Evidence of Application and interview
band 5 rotational physiotherapist, student/physiotherapy CPD folder
covering a broad range of experience in assistant supervision
core rotations and on-call working.
Experience of working as part of a
physiotherapy team and/or MDT.
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
Basic working knowledge of anatomy, Competent IT skills Application and interview
physiology and pathology with particular Basic presentation skills CPD folder
reference to the respiratory system.
Basic knowledge of assessment and
treatment tools for speciality.
Competency and ability to assess and
treat core patient caseload in specialist
field.
Experience in teaching or supporting
development of others
Articulate and good communication skills
Basic IT skills
Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
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Behaviours and Values
Flexibility in shift/working patterns to meet Motivated and Application and Interview
the needs of the service enthusiastic
Committed to personal and team
development
Sensitive, empathetic manner
Positive and innovative attitude
Able to work unsocial hours
Ability to travel between sites
Is able to participate as a team member
Is of good health and good character
Willing to accept additional
responsibilities as delegated by senior
staff
Displays SASH Values
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