Physiotherapist, Clinical Specialist - Palliative Care - Fisiteiripeoir, Speisialtoir Cliniciuil

Job Purpose

• To provide an expert clinical service to the Palliative Care service
• To provide an expert clinical lead for Palliative Care Service Physiotherapists
• To promote Physiotherapy practice based on reasoned ethical principles
• To be an expert clinical resource for Physiotherapists working in other specialties, who in the course of their work, meet patients with palliative care needs
• To act as a local and national education and quality resource for Physiotherapy in Palliative Care
• To promote and ensure clinical effectiveness of Palliative Care service Physiotherapists through performance management, clinical supervision, education, audit and research.
• The role of the clinical specialist emphasises evaluation and development of the specialist area and research into clinical effectiveness.
• To collect and analyse data to evaluate the effectiveness of their input. He/she will be required to produce and present reports intermittently when requested.
• To advise and lead on service developments for Physiotherapy locally and nationally and to actively seek opportunities to do so.

Organisational Context

The HSE has created six new health regions. Each region is responsible for providing both hospital and community care for the people in that area. Bringing community health services and hospitals together means we can take a more patient-centred approach to healthcare.

HSE Dublin North East provides health and social care to North Dublin, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and most areas of Cavan.

Community Healthcare Services are delivered through the HSE and its funded agencies to people in local communities, as close as possible to people's homes. Community Healthcare Services focus on keeping you well so that you can continue to live at home or close to home through our health promotion, disease screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation programs. You can refer yourself to most Community Healthcare Services or through your GP, public health nurse, community mental health team, etc. Services include - Primary Care, Social Care - Older Persons, Social Care - Disabilities, Mental Health, Health and Wellbeing, Quality, Safety and Service Improvement.

HSE Dublin North East Region includes the following hospitals;

• Beaumont Hospital
• Cavan General Hospital
• Connolly Hospital
• Louth County Hospital
• National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh
• Monaghan General Hospital
• Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
• Our Ladys Hospital Navan
• Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
• Rotunda Hospital

The Louth Specialist Palliative Care Service (SPCS) provides care to patients with life limiting conditions, regardless of diagnosis, who have complex (level 3) palliative care needs. Palliative Care Services are currently provided in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Louth County Hospital, nursing homes and in patients' own homes. The community component of the service provides care to patients in Louth and South Monaghan. There is no Specialist In Patient Unit at present.

Louth Specialist Palliative Care is a consultant led multidisciplinary team which aims to provide care for the Physical, Psychosocial and Spiritual needs of patients. Specialist Palliative Care Services are organised as a Regional Service covering the Counties Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan and are operated by a Senior Management Team

The Louth Physiotherapy Service is responsible for the provision of physiotherapy in Louth Primary and Social Care Services. The service is comprised of staff across all grades with staff grade Physiotherapist's rotating throughout the various service areas as part of the overall provision of physiotherapy in Louth with rotation in Primary Care, Elderly Services, Disability Services and into the Louth Hospital Group, on a 6 monthly basis. The Clinical Specialist in Palliative Care forms a core part of the team and provides education, supervision, mentoring and shadowing opportunities to staff as required. The post holder also provides an element of cross cover to other clinical areas as deemed necessary by the physiotherapy manager.

Essential Criteria

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc

Eligible applicants will be those who must on the closing date for the competition:

• Be registered, or be eligible for registration, on the Physiotherapists Register maintained by the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU:https://coru.ie/health-and-social-care-professionals/education/approved-qualifications/physiotherapists/ (If you are a Section 91 candidate, see note below.)

AND

• Have five years full-time (or an aggregate of five years) post registration qualification experience, of which four years must be clinical experience in the required area of specialism of Palliative Care and/or Adult Primary Care or Adult Disability.

AND

• Demonstrate a proven record of clinical excellence in the specialism.

AND

• Candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the required area of specialism, in the form of post-graduate qualifications or relevant courses.

AND

• Candidates must demonstrate achievement in the areas of clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives, practice development, teaching and research.

AND

• Provide proof of statutory registration on the Physiotherapists Register maintained by the Physiotherapists Registration Board with CORU before a contract of employment can be issued.

AND

• Candidates must have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, management, leadership and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

AND

2. Annual registration

• On appointment practitioners must maintain annual registration on Physiotherapists Register maintained by the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU

And

• Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3. Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

4. Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Please see a copy of the full job description: LM4838 - Physiotherapist Clinical Specialist - Palliative Care - Job Description