Specialist Physiotherapist - NICU

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic physiotherapist to join our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS foundation trust. You will provide specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment for neonates within a busy NICU service, supporting respiratory care, developmental care, early intervention, and family-centred practice. You will work closely within the multidisciplinary neonatal team and contribute to service development, teaching, and clinical supervision. The post holder will manage a full caseload within NICU and neonatal follow up until 2 years old, ensuring each child receives the highest standard of care possible within resource limitations., The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of specialist neonatal physiotherapy support within the model of Family Integrated Care to infants and families on the neonatal units at Bedfordshire Hospitals Neonatal Services on both Luton and Bedford site The role will use highly specialist skills to manage their own complex caseload, working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team. They will be responsible for providing advanced neonatal physiotherapy assessment, advice and interventions with babies who are most at risk of developmental issues in the future and to support the neonatal unit with promoting and delivering family integrated developmental care. The post holder will work as an integral member of the neonatal multidisciplinary team, working closely alongside families, Neonatal Consultants and Nursing Teams, Infant Feeding team, AHP and Psychology Team (local and ODN) to provide evidence based care. The post holder will manage a full caseload within NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and neonatal follow up until 2 years old, ensuring each child receives the highest standard of care possible within resource limitations., To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills. To interpret clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions. These include children with neurological, orthopaedic and respiratory problems. To have highly developed skills in the observation, handling and assessment skills for an extremely fragile patient population and to interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, including perinatal and maternal history to assist in the formulation of accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of highly complex conditions. To formulate individualised management and treatment plans recommending the best course of intervention. To formulate a specialised programme of care using clinical reasoning and to utilise a wide range of treatment skills. This usually involves liaison with a wide range of professionals across the health and social services. Due to the complexity and nature of the patients conditions, care management is often longer term and thus requires frequent re-assessment. To assist with reviewing, organising and participate in the neurodevelopmental follow up clinic with Neonatal consultants to assess children at 9 months and 2 years. To assist with reviewing, organising and participate in the physiotherapy follow up outpatient clinics,

• oExperience of video assessments and Microsoft teams meetings.
  
  Significant post-registration experience in paediatric and neonatal physiotherapy
• Experience in acute paediatric and neonatal settings
• Excellent communication and MDT working skills
• Evidence of continuing professional development
In return, we offer excellent professional development opportunities and the chance to work within a supportive specialist neonatal team.,
• oDiploma/Degree in Physiotherapy
• oHCPC registration
• oEvidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses/in-service trainings relevant to the clinical field.
• oPost graduate qualifications/evidence of post graduate learning relevant to the clinical field, oAPCP membership
• oBayley scales of infant and toddler development assessment.
• oNeonatal Assessment course eg Prechtl assessment of general movements, Lacey assessment of preterm infant (LAPI)
• oClinical educators training
Communication Skills,
• oRelevant IT skills
• oGood interpersonal skills
• oExcellent verbal and non-verbal communication
• oAbility to disseminate complex information to others
• oAbility to pass on skills/ knowledge to others within formal and informal environments
• oBe able to communicate where there may be barriers to understanding, oSubstantive post graduate experience including work at Specialist level and paediatrics
• oExperience of multidisciplinary working
• oExperience of follow up of preterm and high risk babies and/or working on a neonatal unit
• oExperience working within NHS
• oExperience at Band 6 level within an acute trust
• oDemonstrable ability to manage highly complex patients independently
• oExperience of performance management and staff appraisal
• oExperience of clinical audit and service evaluation
• oExperience of initiating, managing and evaluating change, oSpecialist knowledge of physiotherapy related to working within the neonatal intensive care environment and neonatal neurodevelopmental follow up.
• oAbility to relate theory to practice
• oAbility to pass on skills/ knowledge to others within formal and informal environments
• oSpecialist knowledge of broad range of illnesses, injuries and conditions relevant to the speciality
• oSpecialist knowledge of a broad range of physiotherapy assessment and treatment techniques relating to the speciality.
• oUp to date knowledge of relevant national clinical guidelines, recommendations, protocols or publications relevant to the speciality, oAwareness of the wider local and national agenda around neonatal physiotherapy and NHS developments
• oKnowledge of service improvement techniques e.g. Lean techniques, change management, oHighly specialised observation and treatment skills relevant to the assessment of neonates and infants developmental needs
• oExcellent time management, delegation and prioritisation skills
• oAbility to work to deadlines and under pressure
• oAbility to adapt to change
• oAbility to travel across site
• oAbility to work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team
• oCommitted to personal and team development
• oAbility to demonstrate personal and professional integrity and present a profession image of the team/profession, oData collection & analysis skills
• oService improvement skills
  
  Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.