Apprentice Physiotherapist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Apprentice Physiotherapist to join Whittington Health NHS Trust. This is development role over four years where you will work towards successful completion of a BSc (Hons) degree in Physiotherapy and recognition by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Physiotherapist.
You will develop and maintain knowledge, skills and competencies related to the role of a Physiotherapist through the degree apprenticeship training programme and within the service. This includes working within acute and community settings, and delivery of direct person-centred care. For the duration of the apprenticeship, you will work as a fully integrated member of one of the Trust’s Physiotherapy teams.
The Physiotherapy Apprenticeship Degree combines and integrates academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. As an Apprentice Physiotherapist you can expect to spend a minimum of 20 per cent of your time doing ‘off the job’ training and the rest of the time working for one of the Physiotherapy Teams. Attendance of training at university is essential and annual leave must be arranged outside these sessions.
To meet the needs of the service, you may be required to work in other areas as appropriate and as directed by the line manager. It may be necessary to attend other Departments or Organisation to gain sufficient experience in some modalities.
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
General Clinical Duties
To learn and undertake, under supervision, all required Physiotherapy techniques outlined in the apprenticeship program.
To support and assist the Registered Professionals in required day-to-day service.
To comply with Trust policies for Infection Control, ensuring safe treatment of all patients and to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infection.
To adhere to the current legislation and working safely within the Health and Safety, COSHH, Fire, Infection Control and Manual Handling Regulations.
To ensure the safe handling of equipment.
To adhere to all departmental policies, be able to comment and reflect on their relevance to current working practice.
To be flexible in respect to working arrangements, to ensure both the needs of the service and to fulfil the university apprenticeship requirements.
Education & Training
Full commitment to the four-year BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Apprenticeship Programme.
Your clinical placements will provide a variety of learning environments within Whittington Health NHS Trust and external organisations to gain experience in the different areas healthcare service.
Expectation of extensive workplace learning and practice.
To attend external tutorials and lectures as outlined in the University program, inclusive of occasional University attendance as required.
Attendance on online video conferencing tutorials and lectures.
Attendance to Trust located tutorials as directed.
Weekly catch-up meetings with your allocated mentor/ Practice Educator.
Ability to undertake self-directed learning with a pro-active approach.
An expectation of additional course related studies out of allocated scheduled employment hours.
Submission of assignments within the allocated time period as directed.
To undertake clinically based assessments as outlined in the University program, meeting the required competency.
Communication and Working Relationship Skills
Communicate effectively across a wide range of channels and with a wide range of individuals, the public, health, and social care professionals, maintaining the focus of communication on delivering and improving health and care services.
Demonstrate inter-personal skills that promote clarity, compassion, empathy, respect, and trust.
Demonstrate a variety of communication skills where there are barriers to understanding, e.g. learning disabilities or language.
Work within clearly defined accountability frameworks and boundaries of limitation to provide the best possible care in collaboration with colleagues, patients, and their Carers.
Actively participate in meetings related to own clinical area and relevant patients.
Role model the Trainee/Apprentice Physiotherapy role.
Communicate effectively with colleagues providing clear verbal, digital or written information and instructions when sharing information, delegating, or handing over responsibility for care.
Keep accurate, legible, and contemporaneous records of patient care.
Communication Analytical and Judgemental Skills
Develop and improve practical and theoretical knowledge, competence and skills throughout the duration of the Physiotherapy Apprenticeship programme and maintain all evidence required. Work in accordance with the outlined standards from the University.
Assesses patient’s health, safety and wellbeing while undertaking therapeutic activities deciding whether to refer to other staff as appropriate.
Ensure compliance.
Ensure that only those activities for which competence has been achieved are undertaken without supervision and that recognition is given to the impact and consequences of practising outside capability.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Demonstrate effective time management skills to efficiently manage workload, recognising and responding to changing priorities throughout the working day or duty.
Demonstrate a flexible approach to working and offer support to other colleagues who are experiencing difficulties in managing workload as appropriate.
Ability to organise and prioritise own workload against clinical need.
Level 4 - Job Plan and clinical competencies
To be able to develop a clear understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts informing practice
Clinical management and administration – record keeping in line with HCPC, CSP governance standards, managing appointments and waiting lists and maintaining safe clinical environments.
To manage time effectively
Routine patient assessments including history taking,
Range of motion (ROM)
Muscle strength / power assessment,
vital sign checks like blood pressure, saturation pulse, temperature, respiratory rate alongside qualified Physiotherapist
To apply safe and accurate assessment procedures in order to identify and prioritise the needs of the patient and negotiate with patient to develop a management programme that is appropriate for their physical, psychological and sociological need.
To perform safe application of
Therapeutic exercises,
Manual therapy
Electrotherapeutic modalities alongside qualified Physiotherapist
Support Physiotherapists in home visits and clinics and wards
Offer holistic person-centred education with a Multi-disciplinary approach (MDT).
Level 5 - Job Plan and clinical competencies, in addition to level 4 develop assessment and treatment skills.
To provide Physiotherapy in the management of acute to subacute and early phases of rehabilitation in Cardio, Neuro and Musculoskeletal practice setting.
New patient assessments for moderate risk patients developing assessment skills including care of the elderly with long term conditions e.g. COPD
Respiratory assessments alongside Physiotherapist including:
1. General Observation and reasoning
2. Auscultation,
3. Palpation,
4. Breathing pattern,
5. Spirometry,
6. Assessments of exercise tolerance
7. Evidence based rehabilitation of long term conditions including COPD, heart failure and knowledge around use of some of interventions like Oxygen therapy, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) etc.
8. Using MRC, Visual analogue scales, Pulmonary Rehabilitation assessment and Interventions including breathing exercises, Active Cycle of Breathing, Pursed lip breathing alongside qualified physiotherapist and measuring outcomes using patient related evaluation and outcomes
New patient assessments for orthopaedic input including ERAS (Enhanced recovery after surgery) patients alongside Physiotherapist including post-operative hip replacement, total knee replacement, hemiarthroplasty including:
1. History taking
2. Joint range of movement
3. Muscle strength
4. Muscle tightness
5. Altered sensation
6. Current mobility with or without walking aids
7. Review of activities of daily living.
8. Also measurement and provision of walking aids like rollator frame, Zimmer frames, elbow crutches and other specialised equipment based on needs, use of sliding sheets, manual handling equipment like standing, ceiling hoists etc. alongside Physiotherapists
New patient assessments with neurology conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke including:
1. History taking
2. Muscle power
3. Range of Motion
4. Voluntary and Involuntary movement
5. Posture and Balance
6. Tone
7. Reflexes
8. Sensory and motor input
9. Functional activities
10. Gait alongside Physiotherapists.
New patient assessments with Musculoskeletal conditions e.g. joint pains (Neck, back, shoulder, ankle, knee and hip) (acute and chronic), Rheumatological conditions, injuries post trauma including fractures, strain, sprain, sports injuries etc.
1. Clinical reasoning: Being able to demonstrate reasoning including gathering information from patients, i.e. medical history, conducting physical examinations, understanding of pathology
2. Peripheral Assessment and Mobilisation Techniques
3. Basic biomechanics assessment and treatment planning
4. To be able to produce an initial hypothesis of the patient’s clinical condition based on the available information i.e. clinical records, observations and assessments.
Level 6 - Job Plan and clinical competencies, in addition to level 4 & 5
More complex including very high risk and high risk patient assessments with co-morbidities needing complex Physiotherapeutic needs and seeking senior Physiotherapist advice.
To structure treatment plan based on evidence.
To assess the impact of a particular condition that has on movement and functioning capabilities and provide probable diagnosis and devise a treatment plan as appropriate.
To be able to evaluate the impact of interventions and make the required adjustments to the treatment based on the response to relevant clinical variations.
To apply a range of learned physiotherapeutic skills of assessment, clinical reasoning treatment management and rehabilitation to service users that have a range of health problems in different practice settings (community, wards, clinics) alongside physiotherapists.
To provide Rehabilitation including:
1. Advice and Education
2. Range of movement exercises
3. Soft tissue techniques
4. Manual therapy
5. Electrotherapy
6. Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes
7. Exercise prescriptions and structured classes (Shoulder, upper limb/lower limb etc.)
8. Transfer practice
9. Mobility practice (with an appropriate walking aid if required)
10. Progression of mobility (if using a walking aid and weight bearing status if any) including gait re-education