Location
CYP Physiotherapy, Kaleidoscope Centre for Children and Young People, Rushey Green, Catford, Lewisham

Hours
Full time (hours not specified)

Salary
£39,959 per annum

About the Role
As a Specialist Community Children's Physiotherapist, you will be accountable to the Manager for Children's Therapy and integration via the children's physiotherapy team leads. You will provide a high standard of neurological and neurodevelopmental physiotherapy assessment, treatment, and advice to children, young people, and their carers within the community setting across Lewisham healthcare. Your role involves liaising with other professionals to maximise benefits and contributing to service development including clinical governance, audit, junior staff supervision, and multidisciplinary and multiagency working.

You will manage a caseload of children aged 0-19 with a wide range of neurological difficulties and/or disabilities, many with complex or multiple pathologies. Your work will take place across various community locations including Kaleidoscope, patients' homes, community leisure facilities, nurseries, and schools.

Responsibilities include supervising junior staff and students, acting as a source of clinical knowledge and advice for parents, carers, health professionals, and external agencies, and maintaining accurate statistics as directed by team leads.

You will use advanced assessment and clinical reasoning skills to establish accurate diagnoses, problem lists, and prognoses to formulate individual care and treatment plans. You will reassess patient care regularly and adapt treatment programmes as needed. Techniques used include aquatic therapy, neurodevelopmental therapy, casting and orthotic management, moving and handling techniques and equipment, postural management equipment, and goniometry.

You will provide moving and handling risk assessments related to physiotherapy programmes, communicate and negotiate effectively with children and families who may have physical disabilities and associated barriers such as learning difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, and language challenges. You will manage potentially difficult situations with well-developed interpersonal skills and motivate children, parents, and staff to engage in physiotherapy programmes.

Utilising support from clinical supervisors and senior staff, you will maintain up-to-date knowledge of specialist postural equipment, aids, adaptations, and resources to enable children with disabilities to function as independently as possible. You will assess children for specialist equipment, recommend purchases from health, education, and social services, set up and adjust equipment, and train parents, carers, and other agencies in its use.

Accurate and up-to-date patient records and timely, clear written reports for parents, carers, health professionals, education and social services, voluntary sector workers, and solicitors are essential. You will also organise, delegate, and supervise established services such as specialist clinics, postural assessment clinics, cerebral palsy integrated pathway patient groups, aquatic therapy, orthotics, gym groups, developmental coordination clinics/groups, PE, and individual treatment.

Experience
Experience in neurological and neurodevelopmental physiotherapy with children and young people is essential. Experience managing complex caseloads and working within multidisciplinary teams is highly desirable. Previous involvement in clinical governance, audit, and supervision of junior staff or students is advantageous.

About you
You will be a skilled communicator, able to negotiate and motivate children of all ages and abilities, their families, and professionals. You must demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to manage challenging situations calmly and effectively. You should be proactive in service development and committed to maintaining high standards of clinical practice. A compassionate and patient-centred approach is essential.

Qualifications
You must hold a recognised physiotherapy qualification and be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Additional training or qualifications in paediatric physiotherapy, neurodevelopmental therapy, aquatic therapy, or related specialist areas will be advantageous.