ROLE SUMMARY
This role offers an exciting opportunity for a suitably qualified and experienced physiotherapist to provide highly specialised physiotherapy support to World Class Programme (WCP) Wheelchair Fencing athletes. Working collaboratively with the interdisciplinary athlete support team, this role will require the successful applicant to establish, deliver and evaluate strategic plans to optimise athlete health and wellbeing to minimise time-loss and maximise availability for performance. The role requires team travel both nationally and internationally to support the competition schedule, including delivery at major games and events. The role will include providing support to the talent pathway programme and oversight of classification protocols and procedures within Wheelchair Fencing.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the delivery of physiotherapy and health services across the World Class Programme athletes and lead the development of athlete management and rehabilitation strategies across the wider interdisciplinary support team.
The role reports to the Performance Manager.
PERSON SUMMARY
The candidate will be someone who can lead a diverse group of Paralympic athletes based primarily at the EIS High Performance Centre based at the University of Bath and to coordinate support in remote locations. They will need to develop relationships quickly and integrate effectively to influence positive change across the performance support and coaching team. They should have a proven track record in supporting athletes and coaches to optimise performance and can build athlete confidence through specialist knowledge, clinical excellence, and highly effective communication skills.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with the EIS and the interdisciplinary athlete support team to improve performance through supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of athlete health services in Wheelchair Fencing.
- Provide highly specialised musculoskeletal assessment, clinical reasoning and diagnostics for WCP Paralympic athletes, prioritising services aligned with performance and clinical requirements for athletes based in the Bath Performance Centre and for remote based athletes in local training environments.
- Responsiblity for the management and delivery of systems, targeted projects, and research to mitigate injury and illness risk aligned to performance goals.
- Work independently at training and competition locations both nationally and internationally, making autonomous triage and primary care decisions with accountability for managing complex medical presentations as part of immediate sport injury/trauma management.
- Provide a primary point of contact for Wheelchair Fencing for the medical coordination and delivery relating to Athlete Health and in collaboration with the Medical Lead to monitor and oversee athlete medications and TUEs to ensure athlete compliance with UKAD regulations in the UK and Overseas.
- Responsibility for the planning and management of immediate emergency medical and trauma care situations in the training and competition environment domestically and overseas.
- Lead the design and management of rehabilitation services and individualised athlete strategies (e.g. preparation and recovery strategies) in collaboration with the interdisciplinary athlete support team, coaches, and athletes to optimise athlete availability for training and competition and to enhance performance.
- Develop innovative, performance-focused, and evidence-based approaches to improve ‘return to performance’ outcomes for athletes.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of targeted performance-focussed projects through highly effective team working and the utilisation/integration of specialist knowledge and expertise (e.g. sport specific chair and addressing athlete/equipment interface projects).
- Oversee the implementation of classification procedures and protocols to ensure that WCP athletes meet the IPC/IWAS rules and regulations and to support athlete classification processes internationally.
- Provide support to the talent programme, to identify and profile prospective athletes to ensure they meet classification criteria.
- Contribute to cross-sport learning and accelerated development across the high-performance system through collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, experience, and expertise.
- Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of delivery, working within professional standards and clinical guidelines.
- Comply with organisational and professional Codes of Conduct, standards, policies and guidelines.
The EIS is a dynamic, growing and fast-moving organisation that will offer you a flexible, positive, stimulating and challenging work environment with real opportunities to make the best better. Working for the English Institute of Sport brings its rewards not only in its salary and benefits package, but also in the opportunities for learning and career development.
Our generous benefits package includes:
- 29 days paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time roles) plus 8 bank holidays.
- Membership of EIS’s Occupational Sick Pay Scheme from your first day of employment.
- Support for Continued Professional Development.
- Automatic entry into BUPA health cash back plan for day to day expenses like dentist, eye tests, physio, etc.
- Generous pension scheme.
- Discounts on Shopping, Entertainment, Travel and Lifestyle services through our Benefits portal.
- Cycle to work scheme.
We are committed to creating an even more diverse and inclusive workforce that will bring different perspectives to our work. So that we can more closely reflect UK society, we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups including Black, Asian and people with other ethnically diverse backgrounds, those with a disability or long-term health condition and people returning to work after a career break.
We also understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, so all of our roles are open to flexible working and, in many cases, remote-working too. We ask only that you work with us to find an arrangement that meets our sports and business needs and enables you to perform the role in full, in a way that works for both of us.
The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 16 April 2021.
