Job description

Job responsibilities

The main responsibilities include:

• Prioritise, analyse and interpret referrals received to the Wheelchair Service using advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• Ensure cases are allocated to most appropriate clinician, collaborating with service users and other professionals.
• Provide highly specialist wheelchair assessments for adults and children with diverse and/ or progressive conditions, all who will have complex mobility, pressure and related functional needs.
• Interpret assessment findings using advanced clinical reasoning skills and formulate the best course of intervention that will meet the agreed goals of the user/carer and the service, taking into account eligibility criteria and local policies for provision of wheelchairs.
• Prescribe a range of wheelchairs (manual and powered), wheelchair seating systems and accessories to meet the needs of service users that have complex needs.
• Offer personal wheelchair budgets in line with the Wheelchair Service offer.
• Carry out detailed/complex risk assessments, documenting and reporting clinical risks and other risk management issues.
• Undertake specialist pressure care assessments pertaining to wheelchair seating and interpret the information ascertained to ascertain the appropriate prescription.
• Manage clinical risk within own caseload and that of junior staff and wheelchair therapy assistants to ensure the safety of users, carers, colleagues, and self, documenting and escalating any significant risks.
• Consider budget demands on the service when ordering and prescribing equipment and ensure it is the most cost effective to meet the service users clinical needs.
• Keep accurate, comprehensive and timely user records on the bespoke Wheelchair Service clinical and asset management system (BEST) in line with Trust policies and professional standards of practise.
• Provide line management to identified clinicians and be responsible for the clinical supervision of junior staff, wheelchair therapy support workers and students.
• Be aware of responsibilities and implications of the current legislation that affects clinical and professional practice.
• Provide highly specialist advice, and act as a resource, to other colleagues in other clinical areas regarding postural/pressure management and mobility.
• Organise and plan to ensure the smooth running of clinics and effective utilisation of staff skills, and maintain an overview of the service to support the efficient and effective running of it.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Professional Training

Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy
• State registration with HCPC
• Evidence of attending post registration courses that carry credits towards post graduate qualifications in a specialist area and Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy consolidating this knowledge in the working environment
• Evidence of utilising highly developed therapy assessment/ treatment skills with specialist client groups
• Evidence of recent fieldwork educators training or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Evidence of leadership/ management experience/qualification or a commitment to complete

Experience and Knowlegde

Essential

• Significant relevant post registration experience
• Evidence of NHS Wheelchair Service experience/ provision
• In depth knowledge/skills in wheelchair assessment and prescription, including personal wheelchair budgets
• Highly developed knowledge/skills in posture and seating
• Evidence of commitment to Wheelchair Therapy provision and personalisation
• Proven understanding of clinical governance and risk management, its importance and an awareness of how it is carried out.
• Experience of application of evidence-based interventions/ outcome measures relevant to client group

Desirable

• Evidence of effective use of clinical audit/ quality improvement project knowledge/skills
• Highly developed knowledge/skills in quality improvement/ service development
• Experience of staff appraisal/ workforce development

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Effective communication (both written and verbal) and interpersonal skills with both professionals, carers, and users with highly complex disorders/communication problems
• Evidence of ability to manage appraise, develop, and motivate staff
• Ability to promote, participate and facilitate Service Clinical Governance Agenda and Quality Improvement
• To use computer databases competently and be able to access email and intranet

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Car driver and access to a car for work purposes essential
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and innovative
• Ability to prevent and manage with complaints fairly and empathetically
• Ability to work under pressure
• Positive attitude to service development/ improvement and a flexible approach to service changes
• Ability to lead and manage clinical team, demonstrating strong leadership behaviours and skills
• Ability to work both independently and part of a multi-disciplinary team -disciplinary team
• Excellent timekeeper and time management
• Ability and stamina to manoeuvre patients in wheelchairs with transfers, and to undertake home visits
• Physical ability to carry out assessments in various environments and ability to manipulate wheelchairs

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Catherine's Health Centre

Derby Road,

Birkenhead

CH42 0LQ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)