Solihull Wheelchair Services B7 Ot/Pt

Ross Care; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Ross Care, a leading NHS wheelchair service provider, seeks a senior occupational therapist/physiotherapist to lead a multidisciplinary wheelchair service. You will supervise staff, manage complex caseloads, and deliver safe, person-centred assessments and equipment provision in clinic, home, school, and hospital settings.

Based at Solihull with travel to related sites as needed, the role requires HCPC registration, DBS clearance, and a UK driving license.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication with service users and families.
• Ability to supervise junior staff and manage caseloads.
• Experience in wheelchairs, posture, and posture assessment preferred.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, moving and handling, and clinical governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership to the Wheelchair Service and MDT.
• Supervise team members up to senior levels and ensure service standards.
• Manage complex caseloads with autonomous practice for children and adults.
• Deliver high-quality assessment, prescription, and service delivery of wheelchair equipment.
• Maintain documentation and ensure compliance with record-keeping standards.

Skills

Communication skills

Team leadership

Clinical assessment

Autonomous practitioner

Documentation

Education

BSc or Diploma in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy

Job description

Job summary

We have a fantastic opportunity to join our Solihull Wheelchair Services. You will lead a small, friendly team, based in a wheelchair clinical centre equipped to assess, prescribe and provide wheelchair and seating equipment to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred care. We actively use a multi-disciplinary approach, linking with NHS services, and working in homes, schools and hospitals as well as clinic. This rewarding role provides a unique opportunity to work with service users of all ages. Experience in posture & mobility services, childrens services, neuro, LD and rehab is an advantage. Knowledge of manual and powered wheelchairs is recommended but training is provided. You will supervise other members of the team up to Band 6 level, and will yourself receive line management support from our Clinical Lead. Our management structure provides further clinical support from our Regional Therapist, Clinical Quality and Governance Manager and Head of Clinical Services. The Team have a weekly meeting for information sharing and peer support.

Main duties of the job

Providing clinical leadership and expertise to the wheelchair services, working closely with service users, their families and carers and the multi-disciplinary teams supporting service users.

Supervise other members of the team up to Band 6 level.

Work as an autonomous practitioner, managing a caseload including complex service users.

Demonstrate clinical competence, effectiveness and best practice in all areas of clinical service delivery, including

• Triage.
• Duty activities.
• Clinical interventions, including assessment of mobility, posture and pressure care needs, prescription, review, handover/set up of prescribed equipment, demonstrating evidence of service user involvement and collaboration in care planning.
• Documentation, ensuring compliance with agreed record keeping systems and standards.
• Caseload management.
• Use of outcome measures.
• Medical device management.
• Take responsibility for maintaining safe clinic environments.
• Safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom the service comes into contact.
• Carry out physical/postural assessments and interventions which may involve kneeling, squatting, crouching, bending, twisting and maintaining static or awkward postures for short periods of time.
• Lift, carry or adjust wheelchairs and other equipment, potentially several times a day on a daily basis.

About us

Ross Care provide clinically lead, high-quality wheelchair services on behalf of the NHS. Our friendly teams include OTs, Physiotherapists and Rehabilitation Engineers, providing services for all age ranges. We operate across 40 regions in England and Wales, supporting over 400,000 wheelchair users each year and covering 45% of the population. We take great pride in the role we play in making a real difference in the lives of those who matter most - our patients and their families.

Culture and Values

Ross Care are a values-led organisation where people come first and whilst demand can often be high, our commitment to delivering high-quality care never wavers. We foster an environment where every team member is included, supported and empowered to contribute ideas and shape how we deliver services.

Career Development and Support

We provide a mature career pathway designed to help you grow with us and clinical supervision and CPD opportunities are embedded at all levels. We offer opportunity, structure, encouragement and excellent line management support. We offer a wide range of learning opportunities, including apprenticeships and training programmes. Many of our team members progress into new roles within the organisation, thanks to our strong grow your own culture.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

We take our environmental responsibilities seriously - tracking our carbon footprint, setting measurable targets, and continuously seeking new ways to reduce environmental impact.

Job responsibilities

To manage a highly specialist caseload within the Wheelchair Service working with children and adults who have complex health, mobility, postural and social needs. The post holder will be based at the Wheelchair Service centres but will travel, as necessary, to other locations. This may include schools, hospitals, care homes and/or service users homes. There may be a need for occasional travel to other Ross Care sites. The Wheelchair Service provided by Ross Care, on behalf of the NHS ICB, has a responsibility to ensure that all eligible service users receive the wheelchair equipment they require to meet their clinical mobility needs as assessed by the clinical team.

The post holder will support the delivery of a safe, caring, responsive, effective and well-led Wheelchair Service by

• Providing clinical input to the Wheelchair Service, working closely with service users, their families and carers and the multi-disciplinary teams supporting service users.
• Working under the direction of the Clinical Lead to achieve contractual standards of performance and excellent customer service.
• Provide supervision and leadership to junior staff members.
• Developing and maintaining links with other relevant services and organisations.
• Developing and maintaining links with hard to reach sectors of the local community through close liaison with referrers, particularly local therapists.

Management and Communication

Work positively with colleagues to maintain effective relationships within the team and with services such as the repair and maintenance services, actively promoting collaboration at all levels. Report to and work collaboratively with the Clinical Lead, demonstrating an understanding of demand and capacity and efficient ways of working, to ensure provision of an effective clinical service that meets contractual obligations within the eligibility criteria and available budget.

Cover duties for Clinical Lead when necessary. Under direction of the Clinical Lead to participate in the leadership of the clinical team and service. Under the direction of the Clinical Lead, participate in the monitoring of performance and management of the local clinical service. Conduct clinical supervision of junior team members as directed by the Clinical Lead to meet HCPC registration requirements and provide opportunities for reflecting on clinical practice and professional development. Identify areas for service development, lead projects and participate in implementing developments. Support development/review of policies and standard operating procedures. Arrange, co‑ordinate and attend clinics in community/school settings. Communicate effectively with service user groups and with other stakeholders (e.g. service users and their families, health professionals in community or hospital settings, statutory, voluntary and charitable organisations) to facilitate joint working, where appropriate, attending and leading meetings as requested by the Clinical Lead. Facilitate sensitive discussion of contentious outcomes with service users, carers, relatives, Wheelchair Service staff and other professional colleagues. Facilitate effective communication with service users who have communication difficulties of any kind. At all times, comply with controls assurance standards for wheelchairs. Identify and report any areas of concern to service and senior managers. Contribute to reviews and evaluations of existing and new equipment.

Clinical

Work as a senior autonomous practitioner, managing a caseload of highly complex service users. Demonstrate clinical competence, effectiveness and best practice in all areas of clinical service delivery -

• Triage, Duty activities,
• Clinical interventions including assessment of mobility, posture and pressure care needs, prescription, review, handover and set up of prescribed equipment, demonstrating evidence of service user involvement and collaboration in care planning.
• Documentation, ensuring compliance with agreed record keeping systems and standards.
• Caseload management. Use of outcome measures. Medical device management.
• Ensure that Personal Wheelchair Budgets (PWB) are offered to eligible service users.
• Ensure that Outcome measures are implemented in assessments, working with the service user to achieve their desired outcomes, including MDT collaborative working where appropriate.
• Take responsibility for maintaining safe clinic environments.
• Safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom the service comes into contact, through strict adherence to Ross Care safeguarding procedures and guidelines.
• Understand and demonstrate knowledge of statutory obligations under the Mental Capacity Act in relation to capacity and consent. Following best practice guidelines.

Physical

Carry out physical and postural assessments and interventions which may involve kneeling, squatting, crouching, bending, twisting and maintaining static or awkward postures for short periods of time. Assist service users to transfer from surface to surface by the safest means, using any appropriate equipment. Lift, carry or adjust wheelchairs and other equipment, potentially several times a day on a daily basis, e.g. into and out of storage areas, into and out of vehicles. Attend moving and handling training and comply with Ross Care policies for moving and handling, at all times. Be exposed to unpleasant working conditions, environments or weather conditions, e.g. sweat, bodily fluids, unhygienic surroundings, smoke filled rooms, cramped conditions. May be exposed to verbal, or occasional physical aggression. Spend extended periods at computer or laptop. Drive on a regular basis, coping with busy and adverse driving conditions.

Educational

Provide training, instruction and demonstrations and advice to service users and their carers, supporting the development of written and online resources. Provide training, instruction, demonstrations and advice to other therapists, as appropriate, including opportunities for shadowing and supervised activities. Support the development and delivery of internal and external training programmes. Comply with Ross Care arrangements for continued professional development. Attend appropriate health and safety and other mandatory training in accordance with Ross Care policies. Support the provision of structured training opportunities, including apprenticeships and student placements.

Professional

Adhere to relevant professional standards of practice, conduct and ethics. Work as a senior practitioner and be accountable for own clinical practice and the supervision of others. Maintain and develop own clinical competence and knowledge, including knowledge and management of mobility and postural support equipment, through clinical supervision, reflective practice, training and membership of special interest groups, recording this in line with HCPC requirements. Take responsibility for personal and service development against organisational objectives. Complete necessary risk assessments and risk management for all aspects of practice, including equipment provision, moving and handling, infection control etc.

Quality and Governance

Ensure statutory and mandatory training is up to date. Ensure evidence-based practice at all times to comply with ongoing registration and clinical governance requirements. Participate in audit activities under the direction of the Clinical Lead. Take responsibility for own role in meeting quality expectations, as set out by Ross Care, professional clinical standards, and Darzi (2012). Patient safety e.g. medical devices, risk management, asset management, ensuring safe use of wheelchair. Patient experience, e.g. timely activity, availability of suitable information, managing expectations. Clinical outcomes, e.g. patient reported outcome measures, clinical outcome measures, effectiveness of intervention. Report incidents and complaints and safeguarding incidents in accordance with Ross Care policies. Support with ensuring requirements to maintain ISO registrations are met.

General

Undertake the job in line with Ross Care Values. Perform duties according to all Ross Care policies, procedures and instructions.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc or Diploma in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy
• Post-registration experience working with patients with long-term and deteriorating medical conditions.
• Demonstrate strategies for organising own workload.
• Demonstrate a flexible and adaptable approach to working in order to meet competing priorities.
• Demonstrate skill development and critical analysis of skill gaps.
• Confident in the use of IT with knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal; positive interpersonal skills with an ability to community appropriately with colleagues, other professionals, carers and service users.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information in written and verbal forms to service users, other professionals and in-house staff.
• Knowledge of a range of medical conditions (e.g. respiratory, neuro, orthopaedic), their management and implications for wheelchair prescription or other intervention.
• Effective strategies to cope with a variety of distressing situations, including challenging behaviour from service users.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrate understanding of risk assessment and management within the healthcare environment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding, including how to identify potential safeguarding situations, how to report them internally and ensure action within the MDT.
• Knowledge of legal issues (e.g. data protection, child protection, health and safety, vulnerable adults, human rights etc.).
• Demonstrate an understanding of health and safety responsibilities and compliance.
• Demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance requirements.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of moving and handling techniques and procedures.
• Understanding of information governance and data protection issues.
• Demonstrate an understanding of managing diversity with the local populations and workforce.
• Understanding of multi-cultural issues.
• Demonstrate strategies for involving service users and carers in clinical decisions, ensuring all feedback is acknowledged.
• The post holder will work within all policies, procedures and budgets set by Ross Care
• The post holder will act at all times in the best interest of Ross Care
• The post holder must accept responsibility for ensuring that the policies and procedures relating to Health & Safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times
• The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically or by other means in line with the Data Protection Act
• The post holder will not disclose to an unauthorised person any confidential information acquired through official duties unless they have received official permission to do so.
• HCPC registration.
• Enhanced DBS Clearance.
• Full UK driving licence and a willingness to drive Ross Care vehicles.
• An ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as weather, exposure to unpleasant environments, bodily fluids, pets and other unspecified hazards.
• Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

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