Delegation to support workers is important, it supports physiotherapy to meet rising demand and contribute to new ways of working. Delegation should be underpinned by robust governance arrangements, to ensure tasks and responsibilities remain safe and effective.
Five principles for developing effective governance arrangements
- Assessment and management of risk should occur in the local context and be undertaken in consultation with registered physiotherapists.
- Induction of support workers new to a role or area of practice should include spending time with registered physiotherapists or higher level physiotherapy support workers.
- Support workers should have access to the support of registered physiotherapists or higher level physiotherapy support workers to identify learning and development needs related to physiotherapy practice.
- Support workers should have access to the support of registered physiotherapists or higher level physiotherapy support workers to develop and sustain their competence to undertake physiotherapy interventions safely and effectively.
- Support workers should have timely access to registered physiotherapists or higher level physiotherapy support workers for professional support and advice. This must include arrangements to access a registered physiotherapist when the level of support required is beyond the defined expectations of higher level support workers’ knowledge, skills and experience.
The publication also covers how to put these principles into practice.