Highly Specialist Wheelchair Therapist (OT or Physio)NHS

Job summary

Due to maternity leave, we are looking for a registered Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist who already has highly specialist skills in Wheelchairs to join our exceptional multidisciplinary Wheelchair Service team for a fixed period.

In addition to your wheelchair expertise, you must have excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrate strong leadership behaviours and a coaching style approach, and be passionate about delivering the best possible care to wheelchair service users.

This is a part-time post, worked flexibly according to service needsat either of our locations in Wirral or West Cheshire.

It is patient facing position which is clinic based but also requires you to visit service users in their place of residence or other establishment in the community as/ when required. It is essential that you are able can drive and have access to a suitable vehicle for work purposes.

Main duties of the job

You will:

• Undertake multifaceted and highly specialist and evidence-based assessments of adults and children who have complex postural and mobility problems and prescribe/ handover a range of wheelchairs and associated equipment, including specialist seating and powered wheelchairs to meet their personalised needs.
• Work alongside the other Band 7s to provide clinical and professional leadership to the clinical team of wheelchair therapists, assistant practitioners, rehabilitation engineering technicians, therapy assistants and admin staff; this includes line management and development of the team.
• Support the Service Lead and Support Manager with the operational delivery and development of the service ensuring a high quality safe, effective, and responsive service which is personalised.

Job description

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.

About us

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by CQC (Dec 2023) with some outstanding areas.

As an aspiring outstanding Trust we have numerous policies and procedures in place which provide standard organisational ways of working, in line with organisational objectives, relevant legislation and requirements. Policies allow for continuity and consistency within the Trust. Employees must abide by and adhere to all Wirral Community NHS Trust's policies, at all times

We deliver NHS wheelchair services to adults and children living in Wirral and West Cheshire for Cheshire Merseyside Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB); and have nearly 8,000 wheelchair users with equipment on issue from our service.We pride ourselves in delivering excellent customer service and on-going clinical support to all our users, along with a comprehensive maintenance and repair service which is provided by an approved contractor.

We strive to be a great place to work and thrive; and are committed to investing in you to help you fulfil your potential through a range of learning and development opportunities. Our staff are very much valued, and this is why we offer a range of employee benefits including family friendly policies, additional leave purchase scheme, laptops for remote working, staff wellbeing support services including counselling and inclusive staff networks.