Community children's Physiotherapy assistant

Community children's Physiotherapy assistant

This is an exciting opportunity to join a friendly, dynamic team of physiotherapists who will support your learning and development on the job. This post is 30 hours per week and is based in the community in the London Borough of Haringey at Tynemouth Road Health Centre.

The post holder will work closely with the physiotherapists to support in the assessment and treatment of children with a variety of needs and disabilities. The post may involve supporting Physiotherapists to adjust and maintain specialist equipment; provide blocks of therapy, and run the orthotics service. The post will also involve administrative work such as ordering equipment or preparing paperwork for clinical work.

Our service is organised into teams focussing on different areas of care. We have teams working in Special Schools, Mainstream Schools and Early Years and we provide a serial casting and orthotics service. Services are provided from Tynemouth Road Health Centre, in schools or nurseries, and in patient's homes. This post will involve flexible and dynamic working across our teams.

The job will involve supporting the physiotherapists to deliver care to children with disabilities and additional needs in the community. The postholder will be part of the physiotherapy team and the wider multidisciplinary team working to enable young people to improve their function and participation in all areas of their lives. The postholder will work under the supervision of qualified physiotherapists to provide interventions, equipment and orthotics to young people.

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief.

The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

To be a member of the Physiotherapy service and specialist team - sharing information with team members as directed and appropriate, always keeping confidentiality.

Demonstrate ability to use computer systems such as word, excel and electronic patient records.

Demonstrate effective time management, prioritisation and organisational skills.

Ensure that up-to-date written and electronic records are maintained in accordance with Trust standards with guidance from supervisor.

Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of children and their families, and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

Assist team members with liaising within health as well as other agencies involved in the childs care including acute and primary healthcare providers, education, Social Services, Voluntary Services, Orthotic Service.

Form professional relationships with children, families and school staff and communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.

Develop skills in working with children with a variety of needs, requiring a range of therapy input, including exercise, specialist equipment and orthotics.

To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication skills and tools to communicate with children who are nonverbal, of a non-English speaking background, requiring an interpreter, with a hearing impairment, with altered emotional states, with a cognitive/learning/behavioural disability.

Report verbally to therapists on the childs development and performance in therapeutic and functional skills.

Liaise with other agencies involved in the childs care, including relatives and carers, as appropriate to the childs needs, as directed by team members

Report effectively any issues or concerns to supervisor/line manager

Persuade and motivate children and families to participate in therapy activities and reassure if required.

Demonstrate effective communication over the telephone & in person to parents/carers, education staff and other external agencies.

Clinical Responsibility:

Undertake specific individual or group programmes as assessed and directed by trained staff members, observing general behaviour, ability and response of the children, recording the information as requested and reporting to a supervisor. Settings could include clinic, home, nursery or school.

Assist therapy team in assessment and treatment.

Engage children in therapeutic activities and rehabilitation to promote independence, safety, well-being including return to normal levels of function and participation.

To…