Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Paediatric FND

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK healthcare provider seeks a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist to support a National Specialist FND service for children. The role involves building networks with physiotherapists, providing expert support, and developing training for staff. Applicants should have a degree in Physiotherapy, an MSc in a relevant field, and substantial pediatric experience.

Qualifications

• Diploma in Physiotherapy is mandatory.
• MSc (or equivalent specialist training) in FND is preferred.
• HCPC registration is required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct scoping projects on Physiotherapy roles in FND services.
• Provide expert physiotherapy advice within a multidisciplinary team.
• Develop training materials for pediatric physiotherapists.

Skills

Expert knowledge of young people management with FND

Assessment and management skills in pediatric complex conditions

Research involvement and service development

Education

Diploma / Degree in Physiotherapy

MSc in relevant subject (FND)

Job description

Go back Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Paediatric FND

The closing date is 30 June 2025

This is a one year fixed term post funded by the Evelina Charity to support the service development of a National Specialist Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) service for children and young people.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate would have three main areas of responsibility. Firstly to build a network of local and national paediatric physiotherapists who are interested or experienced in FND. The candidate would seek to link with adult physiotherapists working with FND and transfer best clinical practice to a paediatric environment. Secondly the post holder would work with the caseload of the National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Psychiatry service to offer physiotherapeutic input to patients and liaise with the community physiotherapists working with those patients. Thirdly the post holder would develop training courses and materials for paediatric physiotherapists and run a series of events to upskill colleagues in the area of FND.

About us

This post will sit within the Evelina London Children's Hospital Paediatric Physiotherapy department. Led by the Clinical and Deputy Clinical Leads for Paediatric Physiotherapy this post will have a role in supporting departmental management of a large staff group from band 3 to 8a covering inpatients and outpatient services. The role itself will work with the National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service based within St Thomas' Hospital site.

The National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service is based at St Thomas' Hospital and accepts patients from a number of sources up to the age of 18. The service provides cover to St Thomas' Hospital Accident and Emergency Department and will assess around 200 acute psychiatric crises each year. The service also receives complex paediatric cases from inpatient wards at St Thomas' Hospital and the Evelina Children's Hospital as well as specialist outpatient referrals from across the UK (around 100-150 each year).

The clinical work includes patients with complex neuropsychiatric presentations, comorbid mental illness in the context of long-term physical health problems and functional illness. The liaison service is formed of a multidisciplinary team including. Operationally the team sits with National and Specialist CAMHS services in SLaM. The team have close working relationships with both Lambeth and Southwark borough CAMHS services as up to 65% of crisis patients are from these boroughs.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

1. To conduct a scoping project on the role of Physiotherapy in specialist Paediatric FND services, building networks and professional relationships with other centres for FND.

2. To work as part of the MDT in the National & Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service providing expert physiotherapy advice to patients, carers and to therapists both inside and outside the organisation.

3. To use expert clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist support and advice to the physiotherapists within and outside the organisation and other medical staff, whilst maintaining a clinical caseload of highly complex patients.

4. To provide specialist advice and education to the paediatric physiotherapy department at Evelina Childrens Hospital at Guys and St Thomas and our wider regional network.

5. To contribute to the departmental management within Paediatric Physiotherapy, and Psychiatric Liaison Services in strategic planning and development of the service.

6. Responsible for maintaining and improving all aspects of clinical governance, evidence based practice and quality assurance in designated area.

Key Relationships

• Clinical Lead & Deputy Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist
• South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) Consultants and MDT
• Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology, Chronic Pain, and Neurodisability
• Physiotherapists within the trust

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma / Degree in Physiotherapy
• MSc in relevant subject (FND) or equivalent level of post-graduate M-level specialist training courses

Professional / Statutory Registration

• HCPC registration
• Membership and engagement with appropriate professional special interest group e.g. APCP
• Membership of relevant multi-professional group

Experience

• Evidence of experience of working functional neurological disease or other complex presentations
• Evidence of a broad range of paediatric experience at Band 6/7 level (neurology, musculoskeletal, orthopaedics, developmental care, respiratory, Chronic Pain)
• Evidence of experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team including interdisciplinary goal setting and planning.
• Experience of using outcome measures relevant to FND.
• Evidence of critical engagement in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money.
• Previous leadership experience
• Experience working in a clinical specialist role
• Experience in leading service development or transformation
• Evidence of published data in recognised journals
• Experience of working with an extended scope of practice

Skills / Knowledge / Ability

• Evidence of expert knowledge and understanding of the key elements of management of young people with FND
• Evidence of assessment/management skills in a range of paediatric complex conditions (e.g MSK, neuro, Pain)
• Evidence of involvement in research, service development and Quality Improvement Projects
• Evidence of experience of contributing to teaching to the wider MDT and professional networks
• Able to carry out in depth physiotherapy assessments with complex presentations and formulate treatment goals and plans with patient and family.
• Skills in motivational Interviewing
• Ability to write articles for peer reviewed journals
• Ability to create and/or format databases and/or spreadsheets using computerized systems

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Details

Date posted

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

£61,927 to £68,676 a yearper annum inc. H.C.A (pro rata)