Job Description:
Job Title Senior Physiotherapist
Line Manager Rehabilitation Team Leader
Responsibility within Clinical Services – all departments
Job Purpose
* To provide specialist physiotherapy/hydrotherapy to patients, including those with
complex needs, referred to Nightingale House Hospice; working within the multi-
disciplinary team as an autonomous practitioner, ensuring high standards of patient care
are maintained in accordance with all Nightingale House Hospice aims, policies, procedures
and guidelines.
* To provide assessment and evaluation of individual patients' needs and implement plans in
collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team.
* To act as a resource and support for hospice staff and other health professionals by
offering specialist knowledge and skills.
* To deputise for the Rehabilitation Team Leader in operational management of the
department.
* To assist in the development, co-ordination and delivery of a comprehensive physiotherapy
service in close co-operation with the Rehabilitation Team Leader.
* To supervise and mentor the Technical Instructor, Physiotherapy Assistant, Volunteers and
Students.
* To act at all times within own limitations of knowledge, expertise and competence.
* Participate in department and hospice research and audit.
* Lead, with a core hospice team, the manual handling training and updates for clinical staff
at NHH.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical
* To receive referrals for physiotherapy and hydrotherapy services from within the
hospice departments and for patients with specialist palliative care needs from the
community and to prioritise case load appropriately.
* To undertake specialist physiotherapy assessments of patients with complex care needs
referred for physiotherapy services and identify and document appropriate
interventions and care plans based on assessed need.
* To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment
records in line with professional and local guidelines.
* To ensure informed/written consent is obtained and documented for treatments as
appropriate.
* To maintain a clinical caseload for physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and related specialist
treatments.
* To ensure holistic needs of patients are assessed to an appropriate level within the
requirements of the role and responsibilities
Reviewed September 2025 Rehabilitation Lead
* To act as a role model for clinical teams, demonstrating evidence based practice within
daily clinical activity and promoting discussion regarding the benefits and/or limitations
of clinical interventions.
* To participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as appropriate and necessary to
maintain continuity of patient care across all departments of the hospice.
* To provide advice to members of the multi-disciplinary team on suitable
interventions/care of patients in relation to complexity of patient needs.
* To maintain and develop a broad knowledge of treatment modalities.
* To maintain knowledge and skills in communication/breaking bad news appropriate to
the role and responsibilities being aware of personal and organisational limitations of
data protection and safety of patient information
* To maintain appropriate knowledge and skills of the safe use of all specialist equipment
used in the provision of patient care and to disseminate that knowledge as required to
other staff or patients and families if necessary.
* In the process of clinical care to assess patient and family and their appropriateness to
participate in clinical audit initiatives and obtain necessary consent if required.
* To act as a specialist resource and provide specialist advice on patient care to other
health, social, educational and voluntary services.
* To provide moving and handling assessments for patients with complex
mobility/immobility needs and advise carers accordingly, assisting in developing care
plans appropriate to patient's and carers needs for safe moving and handling.
* Access support and supervision from Rehabilitation Team Leader or other relevant
health professional as required.
* To maintain and record own Continuing Professional Development as required by the
regulating body.
Management
* To ensure the safe operation and management of the hydrotherapy pool in line with the
hydrotherapy policy.
* To prioritise and allocate daily workload within the department, working in conjunction
with or deputising for the team leader.
* To delegate appropriate patients to technical instructor, assistant and volunteers and
supervise their clinical work and management of that patient.
* To deputise for the team leader in managing levels of sickness/absence within the
department in accordance with hospice policy, reporting any areas of concern to senior
managers/human resources department.
* To facilitate effective communication between the physiotherapy team and other staff
groups within the hospice and the wider specialist palliative care team.
* To ensure collaborative working with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues; patients,
families and carers for optimal patient care and promotion of the physiotherapy service.
* To initiate and maintain contact with local and national clinical special interest groups
relevant to clinical field.
* To participate in the development and review of clinical guidelines, policies and
procedures applicable to the provision of physiotherapy.
* To collect appropriate data and statistics relating to patient care to comply with regional
and national statistical requirements.
Reviewed September 2025 Rehabilitation Lead
Clinical Governance
* Risk Management – To manage clinical risk within the workplace, undertake risk
assessments regarding patient condition and environment to ensure safety of self
and others.
* Ensure the equality, diversity and rights of patients are promoted and maintained in
all areas of clinical governance and clinical care.
* To work within Nightingale House and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
clinical and professional guidelines.
* Service User Participation – To ensure service user views are fed back through the
appropriate channels to team leaders or senior management team.
* Audit & Research – To support the work of colleagues in undertaking audit and
research in the department.
* To suggest suitable topics for departmental audit to team leader.
* To support management team and clinical team leaders to continually monitor
standards of care, using appropriate quality assurance tools.
* To ensure clinical risk is managed to as low a level as is reasonable practicable.
Education and Development
* Actively participate in developing and delivering education and training to all
disciplines and grades of staff, internally and externally, regarding the role of
physiotherapy in specialist palliative care.
* Ensure own compliance and assist in ensuring other staff members comply with the
requirements of mandatory training and continuing professional development.
* To provide mentorship, supervision and support to physiotherapy students as
necessary and at a level appropriate to their needs.
* Promote use of evidence based practise.
Audit and Research Activity
* To undertake surveys or audits as necessary to own work
* To participate in hospice clinical audit or research work.
* To present findings of research and audit to a variety of professional groups as
appropriate to maintain the profile of the service within the wider health
community.
General Requirements
This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of employment of the Hospice as specified
in the staff handbook
Registered Health Professional
You must be registered with the Health professions Council and adhere to their code of
conduct.It is a requirement of the post that you maintain up to date knowledge and skills
and an awareness of professional issues relative to your role and responsibilities. You are
advised to maintain a professional portfolio for the purpose of demonstrating your ongoing
professional knowledge and skills development
Reviewed September 2025 Rehabilitation Lead
Competence You are responsible for limiting your actions to those that you feel competent
to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your
duties you should immediately speak to your line manager / supervisor.
Risk Management
It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Hospice that they
fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the
risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all
incidents, near misses and hazards. It is a requirement that you adhere to Nightingale House
Hospice Policies, Procedures, Protocols and guidelines at all times.
Health and Safety Requirements of the Hospice
All employees of the Hospice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and
that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to
co-operate with management to enable the Hospice to meet its own legal duties and to
report any hazardous situations or defective equipment.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
The post holder must treat all information, whether corporate, staff or patient information,
in a discreet, secure and confidential manner in accordance with the provisions of the
current data protection legislation and organisational policy. Any breach of such
confidentiality is considered a serious disciplinary offence, which is liable to dismissal and /
or prosecution under statutory legislation and the hospice's disciplinary policy. This duty of
confidence continues after the post holder leaves the organisation.
Records Management
As an employee of the hospice, the post holder is legally responsible for all records that they
gather, create or use as part of their work within the organisation (including patient health,
staff health or injury, financial, personal and administrative), whether paper based or on
computer. The post holder should consult the IG Lead if they have any doubt as to the
correct management of records with which they work.
Flexibility
This job description is an outline of the role and function. It is not intended to describe all
specific tasks and therefore is subject to change following consultation with the post-holder.