1.
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments
1.1
Introduction
1.2
Mission Statement
1.3
Vision Statement - 20/20 Vision
1.4
Strap Line
2.
Centre Management Structure
3.
Characteristics of Children/Young People with Whom the Centre Engages
4.
Characteristics of Programmes and Services
5.
Major Programmes and Services
6.
Therapeutic Delivery Within Programmes and Services
7.
The Physical Environment
8.
Roles, Responsibilities and Requirements
8.1
Post Roles
8.2
Responsibilities and Accountabilities
8.3
Job Description
8.4
Full-time, Part-time Working
9.
Person Specification
10.
Remuneration Package
11.
CPD Investment
12.
Working Arrangements
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
4
4
4
4
6
2
2
2
2
8
8
7
8

1.
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments
1.1
Introduction
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments (SCCMI) is an organisation with extensive, expansive, outward-looking and multi-faceted requirements and responsibilities, which necessitate the establishment of partnerships with key organisations involved in education and health care for children throughout Scotland.
The Centre was founded by the then Scottish Office Education Department in 1991 and is one of Scotland’s
Grant Aided Special Schools receiving a substantial proportion of its funding from the Scottish
Government’s Support and Wellbeing Unit. The independent nature of SCCMI means that it operates outwith either supporting local authority educational, or NHS supra-structures and is solely responsible for all educational, therapeutic and other elements.
The Centre was established to provide services for children affected by disorders of movement or coordination, including reductions in communication caused by cerebral palsy or other conditions, the term
‘motor impairments’ being the term to describe the problems affecting such children. It therefore provides education and therapeutic services for children affected by neurological disorders addressing the wideranging, complex and multifarious physical, functional, communication and life skills requirements of such children/young people. In addition to delivering services to children, the Centre was also given the requirement to deliver an extensive range of responsibilities to contribute to the building of the knowledge base associated with the education and therapeutic development including advancing practice and contributing to research and professional development.
The Centre has gone through a period of change related to its Directorship, Management and Board of
Directors composition. This period of change will continue over the next few years.
1.2
Mission Statement
The Centre’s Mission Statement is:
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments will endeavour to enable all children/young people with motor learning difficulties throughout Scotland to develop their cognitive, psychomotor abilities, and life skills in order to improve the quality of their lives and achieve their maximum level of independence.
1.3
Vision Statement - 20/20 Vision
By the year 2020, the Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments will be a prime exemplar of integrated education and health care for children/young people affected by motor learning difficulties throughout Scotland. In addition, the Centre will seek to be acknowledged by professionals and organisations engaged in the education and health environments as a Scottish centre of excellence in the fields of additional support needs education, incorporating innovative and high quality methods to develop cognitive, psychomotor, life skills development and independence in children and young people affected by neurological deficits.
1.4
The Centre’s ‘Strap Line’
The Centre has produced a ‘strapline’ which will be placed on all documentation and which encapsulates the Centre’s work, “enabling children to achieve” .
1

2.
Centre Management Structure
The SCCMI Chief Executive is Professor Patrick Salter, former Professor of Physiotherapy at Queen
Margaret University and former Faculty Dean at St George’s Medical School, Kingston University and
Napier University. The Chief Executive is supported by the Centre Management Team which includes
Wendy Cummine, formerly Stroke Specialist Physiotherapist in Glasgow Royal Infirmary Stroke Unit as the recently appointed Professional Lead for Therapy, and who is the line manager for this post. The
Centre Management Team is overseen by the Board of Directors.
3.
Characteristics of Children/Young People with Whom the Centre Engages
The children/young people with whom the Centre will engage are those affected by cerebral palsy and related conditions and who have abilities across a wide range of the severity and complexity spectra, including some of those with ‘complex and exceptional healthcare needs’. These children and young people will have an age range of birth to 19 years.
4.
Characteristics of SCCMI Programmes and Services
All programmes are designed to reflect the ability, age and developmental stage of children/young people with cerebral palsy. Key elements include where appropriate, providing an integrated education and therapeutic programme which involves parents as partners in programme delivery and which addresses the child/young person’s education, movement, life skills and communication requirements. The focus of programmes and services is on maximising the potential of the child/young person and enabling each to establish his/her highest possible level of independence through developing cognitive, movement, functional and communication abilities.
5.
Major Programme and Services
The nature of programmes and services will be kept under continuous review to ensure these remain appropriate for Scotland’s population of motor impaired children/young people. The major programmes/services offered currently include:

Early Intervention Programme
This programme addresses the needs of children between birth and 3 years across the range of disability severity and complexity spectra, attending with parents, incorporating assessment, therapeutic intervention, cognitive ability development, communication development and parental instruction.

Department of Early Years Education Programme (Nursery/Primary Class)
The Department of Early Years Education (DEYE) addresses the needs of children between the ages 3 -
12 years, across a wide range of the severity and complexity disability spectra. The programme addresses educational and therapeutic needs thus assuming local authority education and NHS therapy roles.

Access to Education Programme
Designed for children/young people between the ages of 3 and 19 years at the ‘more able’ and ‘less complex’ aspects of the disability spectra, resident in any part of Scotland. The programme facilitates the child’s access to education within the local mainstream school community through developing physical abilities and life skills, providing a supplementary and complementary service to NHS therapy provision.
2

6.
Therapeutic Delivery Within Programmes and Services
Initially the SCCMI therapeutic approach was based on Conductive Education, however SCCMI physiotherapists have always employed other physiotherapeutic approaches. The SCCMI management have given considerable attention to the nature of the Centre’s therapeutic delivery, with an analysis of approaches commonly used to address the needs of children with neurological conditions indicating that no single approach is able to address the entirety of needs of those with whom the Centre engages.
The Centre’s analysis, produced in April 2011, is consistent with the view articulated in the November
2011 publication of Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology editorial by Dr Margaret Mayston,
Associate Editor, who writes.... “in the 21 st century there are a plethora of treatment ideas .......... presenting a challenge to both professionals and their families alike as to which physical interventions will be the most helpful.... we need to..... acknowledge that there is no singular ‘right way’ to provide physical therapy for the person with cerebral palsy and to focus on determining what works best for whom and at what stage of the life span.....therapy needs to be tailored to the individual’s needs and abilities and be consistent with developmental and functional goals.”
The characteristics of the Centre’s therapeutic approach will therefore include the use of what is considered to be the ‘best’ elements of various approaches being incorporated into a programme to address the needs of children in general, with the most appropriate approach(es) for the individual child being employed to meet his/her needs. These approaches would therefore include:
 Those elements of CE which can be professionally articulated, for those children who are assessed to be towards the ‘more able’ and less complex aspects of the disability spectrum (as CE is not designed for the less able/more complex child). This would include eg group-based activities (but not exclusively), function-focused movement development and the promotion of independence. Using CE as the basis of the Centre’s approach enables, where appropriate, the integration of education and therapy a feature which characterises SCCMI’s programmes.
 The use of NDT/Bobath to address the specific focused needs of individual children and which would not be appropriate to address through group-based activities and to address the needs of children who are towards the ‘more severe’ and more complex side of the disability spectrum and for whom CE is identified as not being appropriate.
 The use of the motor learning approach to motor development in the assessment and therapeutic management for all children throughout the disability spectrum, to ensure functional based, task orientated therapy programmes are devised and implemented.
 ‘Normal’ exercise activities are incorporated into a programme where appropriate through eg the use of tricycles and other equipment, in order to address the individual child’s cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and to increase their awareness of the need for exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
 Other therapy adjuncts including eg: Constraint Induced Therapy mainly for those children described as hemiplegic and Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation (TES) as deemed appropriate to meet specific individual needs.
7.
The Physical Environment
The education and therapeutic elements take place in stimulating environments within the Centre’s welcoming, spacious and pleasant building and specialist equipment is employed to assist the child’s activities. Children receive hydrotherapy in the Centre’s custom-designed pool and use the landscaped gardens, grounds and play areas to enhance their learning.
3

8.
Paediatric Neurological Physiotherapist: Post Roles, Responsibilities and Requirements
8.1
Post Role
The post holder will make a significant and sustained contribution towards ensuring the fulfilment of the
SCCMI’s Vision and the achievement of the organisation’s ambition of being viewed as a centre of excellence in the provision of education and therapy for neurologically impaired children and young people in Scotland. The post has professional responsibility and accountability to the Professional Lead for
Therapy (PLT) and in day-to-day operation to Highly Specialist Physiotherapist within one of SCCMI’s programmes for the implementation and evaluation of therapeutic practice across programmes offered by
SCCMI within the Craighalbert Campus and in other locations throughout Scotland.
Under supervision of the Highly Specialist Physiotherapist, the post holder will contribute to all SCCMI’s programmes through the application of evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. Where appropriate, discrete therapy interventions and complete therapeutic programmes require to be integrated with the delivery of the academic curriculum for children/young people individually and in collective groups.
There is therefore, a strong requirement for high level of proactive collaborative working with primary teachers, other AHP's and other staff within an integrated multi-professional team and embracing the concept of co-professional working. The post holder requires to build a comprehensive knowledge base in neuropaediatric therapy interventions.
8.2
Responsibilities and Accountabilities





Responsibility and accountability for the provision of a high quality physiotherapy input to all SCCMI programmes for children/young people, evaluating and modifying interventions appropriately to meet complex individual needs.
Work as an autonomous practitioner taking responsibility for a complex caseload.
Accountable for standards of therapy delivery and deliver these within the context of clinical governance to ensure the highest standards of clinical intervention.
Compliance with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and all other guidance and requirements which support and maintain standards of professional practice.
Compliance with Health and Care Professions Council Physiotherapy Standards of Proficiency.
8.3
Job Description
Practice Responsibilities
 In collaboration with other staff, undertake initial and ongoing examination and assessment of a child

 using specialist, standardised and non-standard assessment tools.
In collaboration with other staff, plan and deliver a therapy programme which is, where appropriate integrated with educational elements.
Through the use of clinical reasoning skills and in collaboration with colleagues, provide an


 individualised programme plan for the child which is informed by evidence-based practice and which will involve using a variety of methods and approaches.
Under supervision of Highly Specialist Physiotherapist, work as an effective practitioner demonstrating high quality practice in the physiotherapeutic management of children/young people, through the implementation of evidence-based practice.
Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and within a partner-agency framework.
Use clinical reasoning skills to provide individualised management plans using a variety of methods and
 approaches.
Ensure the appropriate therapeutic management of children following Botulinum A therapy and any required orthopaedic surgery, in order to optimise functional gains from the intervention(s).
4





Facilitate referral of children to orthotics for supply of appropriate UL/LL orthosis, and to external agencies for appropriate specialist seating assessment and provision.
Communicate effectively and appropriately with children, young people and their family/carers in order to ensure an appropriate understanding of their condition and status, including highly complex and sensitive clinical information.
Ensure a smooth transition during the child/young person’s development and progression through his/her educational career.
Provide advice/training to parents to enable their effective contribution to their child’s development.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Development


Implement methods and systems related to monitoring and evaluation including specialist, standardised assessments tools with validated appropriate outcome measures, to assess the child’s physical abilities.
Monitor, measure and evaluate the child’s progress and the effectiveness of intervention using clinical
 reasoning skills and modify the programme accordingly.
With other staff, undertake the ongoing evaluation of programmes; designing appropriate tools to enable measurement of quality, with input from stakeholders.
Record Maintenance and Report Preparation


Maintain accurate and comprehensive records in line with professional standards.
Produce highly literate and professional reports on a child’s physical status and short-term targets/goals in a manner which is appropriate for parents and other professionals.
Leadership
Staff Development
 Contribute to the training of other therapy, professional and support staff, students, service users,
 parents/carers and external professionals as directed.
Undertake an internal role in the education, specialist training, and provision of advice regarding
 specific physiotherapy interventions to staff, service users, parents/carers, other disciplines and agencies.
Undertake a role in the education and specialist training of external professionals and other staff.
Developmental Activities



Contribute to the development and advancement of SCCMI programmes.
Undertake a role in research both internal and external to SCCMI as directed.
Promote and facilitate multi-disciplinary involvement and awareness of relevant research projects.
Presentations
Undertake presentations at a high professional level to external and internal audiences.
Professional Development
 Develop, expand and enhance professional skills to ensure the delivery of the Centre’s services reflect

 contemporary research and current practice.
Undertake appropriate professional staff development to maintain membership and registration with professional and statutory organisations.
Participate in the Centre’s appraisal, performance and staff development systems. Embrace future professional appraisal, performance and staff development systems developed internally and nationally.
Health and Safety

Implement the Centre’s and national policies on risk assessment.
 Establish and maintain a safe environment for children, staff and visitors.
5

Projects and Policies
 Adhere to organisational procedures, standards, protocols and policies relevant to Physiotherapy and
 other areas of work.
Adhere to Manual Handling policies and procedures.




Adhere to Child Protection policies and procedures.
Ensure and maintain a safe working environment for children and staff in accordance with Health and
Safety Regulations and centre policies.
Adhere to educational policies eg GIRFEC, ASN Act, CfE.
Contribute to the development, implementation and updating of the Centre’s policies as determined by the Chief Executive.
Other Duties
Undertake other duties including additional projects associated with the Centre’s work as determined by the
Chief Executive.
6

9.
Paediatric Neurological Physiotherapist - Person Specification
ATTRIBUTE
Education, Professional Membership and Registration Requirements
Honours degree or Pre-registration MSc in Physiotherapy
Relevant postgraduate qualification or working towards postgraduate qualification
Active engagement in post-registration study relevant to neuropaediatrics
Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or equivalent professional body
Registered Member of the Health and Care Professions Council
Professional Requirements: Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of paediatric neurological conditions and related conditions
Practical, technical and clinical knowledge and skills to provide therapy autonomously for children with neurological conditions of differing complexity
Ability to present the conceptual basis of therapeutic approaches in this field
Knowledge of appropriate assessment methods and measurement tools
Knowledge of multi-disciplinary team working and ability to work as an effective team member
Communication, motivational and interpersonal skills
Core inter-personal skills within professional context and during parental engagement
Ability to produce professional reports related to assessment of child’s abilities & therapy outcomes
High level of presentation skills
Evidence of further education/CPD/reflective practice
Knowledge of professional ethics/standards, code of conduct and applications in practice
Ability to source/extract information from research and scholarly works
Able to contribute to research: clinical governance, critical appraisal, research knowledge
Highly computer literate
Full driving licence holder
Experiential Requirements
Experience of working with children with neurological conditions
Experience of working with children following surgery
Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team & partner-agency working
Experience of utilising methods of measuring/assessing children’s abilities
Personal and Professional Characteristics
Commitment to SCCMI ambitions
Commitment to concept of multi-disciplinary team
Commitment to concept of co-disciplinary team working
Supportive to management and colleagues
Positive, forward thinking, solution-focused, dynamic and engaging
High levels of ownership
Can-do attitude
Honesty and integrity
Highest level of professional ethics
Ability to mentor junior therapy and other staff
Required Desirable


































7

10.
Remuneration Package
The post offers an attractive remuneration package which includes a salary which will range between £21k
- £27.5k.
The post holder can engage with the NHS Superannuation Pension Scheme.
The annual leave entitlement is 55 days per year. These holidays are composed of:
45 days fixed holidays (4 weeks fixed holidays at summer, 1 week October, 2 weeks Christmas, 2 weeks Easter);
5 days are allocated to long weekends placed throughout the year;
5 days to be taken at the individual's discretion, providing this is approved in advance by the line manager (in the case of this post this is the Professional Lead for Therapy) and providing there is no impact on the service delivery and the Centre’s efficient operation.
11.
CPD Investment
Substantial staff development resources will therefore be committed to the appointee in order that he/she develops the comprehensive set of knowledge and abilities required to deliver high quality services. Such
CPD may include funding appropriate postgraduate masters level programmes and/or professionally oriented courses as deemed appropriate by the Chief Executive.
12.
Continuous Professional Development
Staff are expected to complete the equivalent of 1 working week’s Continuous Professional Development
(CPD) to upskill and maintain professional knowledge in a way that actively contributes to the ongoing progress and development of the Centre. This will require to be evidenced and the Centre will supply a format for doing so. CPD that is not “on the job” will be conducted outside of normal working hours and no additional time off in lieu will be granted
13.
Working Arrangements
The working arrangements in SCCMI vary from week-to-week during the year and are described below.
Week 1 (21 weeks per annum)
Monday – Thursday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm with a 30 minute unpaid lunch break
Friday 8.30 am to 4.00 pm with a 30 minute unpaid lunch break.
Week 2 (22 weeks per annum)
Monday – Thursday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, with a 30 minute unpaid lunch break
Friday 8.45am – 12.30 pm with no lunch break.
Breakfast will be available between 8.00 am and 8.30 am
Staff will be required to work a maximum of 10 Saturdays (pro rata) per year (9.30 am – 3.30 pm, with a
30 minute unpaid lunch break). Saturday dates will be identified for the coming year, in advance.
In addition, staff may be required to work away from the Centre for a reasonable period of time. Normally a minimum 1 month notice for such arrangements will be given and reasonable subsistence awarded.
Evening Working
Staff will be expected to work outwith these hours during a maximum of 4 evenings throughout the year to carry out a variety of activities such as parents’ evenings, information sessions etc. An additional 15 minute break after 3.15 pm will be granted. No additional time off in lieu (TOIL) will be offered for
8

evenings worked. Where there is a requirement to work evenings, the expected finishing time will be no later than 9pm.
Twilight Working
Staff will be required to work a maximum of 6 twilight sessions per year (pro rata) until 7pm at the latest, for service delivery. An additional 15 minute break after 3.15 pm will be granted. Time required for this twilight working will be gained from a reduction in the standard working week as illustrated in week 2 above.
9