Chief Physiotherapist

Job Description:

Come and work with a dynamic team and lead the Physiotherapy Department at St Vincents Hospital. This is a Permanent Full-Tme Allied Health Manager (G5) position.

• Excellent benefits including salary packaging

• Challenging and rewarding work environment

• Flexible working arrangements

• Work for one of Australias leading hospital groups

About the Role
The Physiotherapy Manager is the operational manager of the Physiotherapy Department and the Physiotherapy Head of Profession - responsible for clinical and professional governance of Physiotherapy practice across all SVHM clinical programs.

The Physiotherapy Manager:

• is responsible for operational management of 100 staff (58 FTE) and a $7.3M operating budget

• is accountable for the overall development co-ordination and delivery of all acute subacute palliative outpatient based and residential aged care Physiotherapy services across SVHM

The classification for this position will be Grade 5 Physiotherapist VB28.

Your Contribution
You will be a role model for others and demonstrate high-level leadership and management skills. You will lead and develop the Physiotherapy Department as well as the individuals within and you will collaborate with the other managers to design and implement evidence-informed contemporary models of care that optimise Allied Health resources and deliver measurable impact to patients.

Essential requirements

You will be a qualified Physiotherapist with current AHPRA registration. You will have a relevant post-graduate qualification and a proven track record in clinical excellence in public hospital physiotherapy practice. You will have a deep understanding of the healthcare environment including key quality safety and financial drivers and experience in the leadership and operational management of Physiotherapists.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake satisfactory National Police and NDIS Worker Screening Checks prior to appointment.

What we Offer

• A healthy work/life balance encouraged - full time employment comes with a monthly Accrued Day Off

• In the heart of Fitzroy CBD at our doorstep close to some of Melbournes best cafes public transport and lots of carparks

• Flexible working arrangements and salary packaging

• Confidential solutions-focused employee counselling

About the Physiotherapy Department
The Physiotherapy Department delivers clinical services to a range of clinical programs including inpatient outpatient residential aged care and palliative care settings. There are additional Allied Health and Pharmacy clinicians working across SVHM who report operationally to other clinical programs (Virtual & At Home Services Health Independence Programs and Mental Health).

Operating across multiple sites within St Vincents Hospital Melbourne network including but not limited to Fitzroy St Georges Hospital Caritas Christi Kew and St Vincents Hospital on the Park the Physiotherapy Department has approximately 100 staff providing direct clinical services as well as clinical teaching for undergraduate and post graduate students and clinical and health system research.

Working at St Vincents
St Vincents Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) is a leading teaching research and tertiary health service. SVHM provides a diverse range of adult clinical services and is driven by values of Compassion Justice Integrity and Excellence.

Application
Contact person: Mel Gregory (Director of Allied Health)

Please attach your resume and cover letter to your application there is no need to specifically address each selection criteria individually. Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. Inclusion is essential to our mission and diversity reflects the community we serve. Please visit our website for further information regarding our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment at SVHM.

Position Description

The Physiotherapy Manager is the operational manager of the Physiotherapy Department which is part of the Allied Health and Pharmacy Program (AH&P).

The Physiotherapy Manager is also the Physiotherapy Head of Profession and is responsible for clinical and professional governance of Physiotherapy practice across all SVHM clinical programs. Each allied health department in the AH&P delivers clinical services to a range of clinical programs including inpatient outpatient residential aged care and palliative care settings. There are additional Allied Health and Pharmacy clinicians working across SVHM who report operationally to other clinical programs (Virtual & At Home Services Health Independence Programs and Mental Health). Operating across multiple sites within St Vincents Hospital Melbourne network including but not limited to Fitzroy St Georges Hospital Caritas Christi Kew and St Vincents Hospital on the Park the Physiotherapy Department has approximately 100 staff providing direct clinical services as well as clinical teaching for undergraduate and post graduate students and clinical and health system research.

The Physiotherapy Manager will be a role model for others demonstrating high-level leadership and management skills. The Physiotherapy Manager is expected to lead and develop the Physiotherapy Department as well as the individuals within and to have currency of professional knowledge and skills and well-developed health system knowledge.

Reporting to the Director of Allied Health (operationally) and the Chief Allied Health Officer (professionally) the Physiotherapy Manager provides professional leadership for their discipline and is accountable for the clinical governance and profession specific standards of practice across SVHM. This includes credentialing and scope of practice professional development clinical standards service improvement and the education and research programs aligned to Physiotherapy practice.

The Physiotherapy Manager:

• is responsible for operational management of 100 staff (58 FTE) and a $7.3M operating budget
• is accountable for the overall development co-ordination and delivery of all acute subacute palliative outpatient based and residential aged care Physiotherapy services across SVHM
• provides leadership and management to ensure that Physiotherapy services are clinically safe meet state and federal policy legislative and industrial and requirements operate within budget and comply with all accreditation and regulatory requirements
• ensures that services deliver high quality contemporary care and organisational strategic objectives are achieved through collaboration with other operational managers and Allied Health & Pharmacy Heads of Profession
• represents the Physiotherapy profession within SVHM and external to the organisation

This position is also accountable for the overall development co-ordination and delivery of high-quality clinical education for undergraduate and post graduate Physiotherapy students through collaborative partnerships with key universities.

Operational Management

• Provides the leadership management and direction for Physiotherapy services in alignment with the SVHM strategic plan and the mission and values of St Vincents Health Australia
• Effective management to ensure appropriate operational performance of the Physiotherapy Department including compliance with workplace health and safety and National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards
• Ensures the Physiotherapy Department delivers safe effective and contemporary clinical services
• Ensures the effective overall development co-ordination and delivery of high-quality clinical education for undergraduate and post graduate students
• Ensures the development and implementation of clinical research
• Provides supervision and management of senior clinical staff to assist with the coordination of Physiotherapy services
• Assists and guides all aspects of service planning with Physiotherapy senior staff
• Demonstrates commitment to a culture of Continuous Improvement
• Provides effective leadership of change management initiatives within the Physiotherapy Department

Professional Leadership

• Governs the professional practice standards of all Physiotherapists providing clinical services at SVHM
• Ensures recruitment induction and orientation of Physiotherapists comply with SVHM/ SVHA policy and related legislation to support the achievement of KPIs including credentialing leave management and staff retention
• Ensures Physiotherapists working at SVHM are mentored developed and supported
• Actively participates in the SVHM Allied Health Advisory Council supporting the strategic and governance activities of the Chief Allied Health Officer
• Builds a maintains effective relationships between the various programs of SVHM to maximise patient experience staff retention clinical safety and mission/ values-based continuum of care
• Ensures appropriate representation of the Physiotherapy Department and establishes and maintains appropriate links/representation with external bodies

Allied Health & Pharmacy Program Leadership

• Actively contributes to the successful operation of the Allied Health & Pharmacy Program
• Collaborates with operational managers and other Allied Health Heads of Profession to design implement and evaluate contemporary models of care that optimise Allied Health resources and deliver measurable impact to patients
• Ensures appropriate representation of the Physiotherapy Department within the organisation at Allied Health & Pharmacy Program meetings and other organisational meetings and forums
• Actively engages consumers in the planning delivery and evaluation of SVHM services
• Supports and leads strategically relevant improvement activities in the Allied Health & Pharmacy Program

• Provides leadership on Allied Health & Pharmacy Program portfolios and other duties as directed

General

• Perform the duties of the position to the best of their ability and to a standard acceptable to SVHM/SVHA
• Comply with and ensures all those in the area they manage comply with all SVHM/SVHA requirements policies procedures by laws and directions
• Ensure all those in the area they manage only access confidential information held by SVHM/SVHA when this is necessary for business purposes maintaining the confidentiality of that information once accessed
• Display adaptability and flexibility to meet the changing strategic and operational needs of the business
• Maintain skills and knowledge necessary to safely and skilfully undertake duties
• Take personal responsibility for the quality and safety of work performed
• Recognise the relationship between clinical and non-clinical functions in the achievement of optimal safety and quality care
• Take all necessary care and precautions in the performance of duties
• Participate in risk management and continuous quality improvement activities as part of day-to-day work

Clinical Quality and Safety

• Quality and Safety activities aligned with the SVHM Clinical Governance Framework
• Clinical care undertaken within established policy/procedures to provide safe clinical care for patients/residents/clients ensuring clinical risk is minimised
• Clinical staff work within their approved scope of practice and at all times with appropriate supervision and are credentialed as relevant
• Clinical staff maintain their professional registration and any required indemnity cover
• Junior clinical staff are appropriately supervised by senior clinical staff and trained as required to provide safe clinical care
• All staff attend necessary training that enhances safety and quality of clinical care
• Promote a culture that supports learning and encourages reporting of incidents/errors
• Implement systems to identify and manage risks and to deal with and learn from incidents and complaints
• Collaborate with more senior levels of management to implement the SVHM/SVHA safety and quality agenda
• Provide feedback to more senior management in relation to problems or issues that impact on safety and clinical quality

Person Centred Care

• Ensure care is designed and delivered to respond to the preferences values and needs of each consumer and their family/ carers
• Ensure that consumers receive information in an appropriate and accessible format
• Actively support consumers to make informed decisions about their treatment and ongoing care
• Ensure consumers are aware of their rights responsibilities and how to provide feedback

Health and Safety

• All health and safety related policies procedures and directions are complied with in the area they manage

• All staff undertake annual Fire and Emergency Training and comply with fire and emergency procedures
• All staff treat others with respect behaving professionally and in accordance with the SVHM/SVHA Code of Conduct and undertaking annual Workplace Culture and Equity Training
• Regular safety audits with Health and Safety Representatives and implement required improvements
• Actively assist the return to work of any injured employee

Human Resource Management

• Workforce planning regularly undertaken and implemented to provide for the ongoing resource needs of the area they manage
• Recruitment and rostering practices comply with applicable Enterprise Bargaining Agreement and cost effectively support delivery of quality service
• New employees are properly inducted to their local work environment and attend the General Hospital Orientation program
• All staff undertake an annual performance review and are continually developed to reach their full potential
• Leave rostered fairly and that employees in the area managed regularly take leave and do not accumulate excessive leave except where a plan is in place as to when that leave will be taken
• Active management of individual and team performance to maximise performance and minimise workplace problems and conflict
• Continuously seeks individual and team improvement and take responsibility for the introduction of any changes required to bring about such improvements

Financial management

• Services comply with all relevant funding arrangements
• Participate in the development of the annual budget allocation for the area managed

• Monitor EFT and expenditure to ensure spending remains within budget allocation
• Decision making within delegated authority

The incumbent of this position will be expected to possess the following core capabilities:

• Capability
• Demonstrated behaviour
• Personal effectiveness
• Generates Impact Generates results under challenging circumstances
• Learning Agility
• Resilience Embraces change and works efficiently in unfamiliar and ambiguous situations
• Patient/Resident/client centred
• Drives Reputation Understands and responds to current and emerging healthcare approaches
• Innovation and Improvement
• Service Innovation Stimulates and embeds continuous improvement
• Strategy
• Driving Results
• Executes Strategy Develops and implements strategy for area of responsibility
• Organisational Acumen
• Medium Term Planning Develops departmental plans that anticipate future needs and mitigate risks
• People
• Working with and Managing others
• Inspires Others Fosters a climate that supports the growth and development of individuals
• Collaboration
• Develops Partnerships Develops and manages partnerships to optimise outcomes

• Qualified Physiotherapist
• Current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• Postgraduate qualification (relevant clinical research or management area)
• Eligible for membership of the Australian Physiotherapy Association
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake satisfactory National Police and NDIS Worker Screening Checks prior to appointment

8.2 OTHER ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Proven track record in clinical excellence in public hospital Physiotherapy practice
• Deep understanding of the healthcare environment including key quality safety and financial drivers
• Experience in the leadership and operational management of Physiotherapists and support staff in a hospital setting and demonstrated ability to achieve financial and performance targets
• Demonstrated ability to:
• Engage people with a clear vision and outstanding communication skills
• Empower staff and to lead high performing teams that deliver
• Shape and achieve strategic and operational goals implemented through a sustainable continuous improvement methodology
• Deliver results whilst upholding high ethical and professional standards
• Demonstrated commitment to:
• Clinical leadership and program evaluation
• Clinical and health system research
• Organisational strategic plan and direction
• Mission and Values of St Vincents Health Australia

Closing Date:

Reconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincents we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming safe equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information visit https:// or get in contact at

View Reconciliation Action Plan

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct