Exercise Practitioner Fellowship
Applications for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust Exercise Practitioner fellowship are now open. This exciting opportunity is the first fellowship of its kind, and offers the opportunity for a forward-thinking, dynamic individual to champion the role of exercise practitioners within CF.
The aim of this fellowship is to develop the role of the exercise practitioner in specialist CF teams, through development of a comprehensive training package for exercise practitioners based on the exercise needs of people with cystic fibrosis. This fellowship reflects the commitment of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to increasing opportunities for people with cystic fibrosis to protect and improve their health through opportunities to take part in physical activity.
Eligibility
This fellowship is open to:
Applications from people working in paediatric or adult care are welcome.
The purpose of this fellowship
The Exercise Practitioner fellowship will enable the individual to experience the variety of exercise interventions offered across the CF community, enabling them to develop their own clinical practice. During the fellowship they will lead the development of training resources for exercise practitioners based upon the needs of the CF community, to enable CF specialist physical activity and exercise interventions to be offered to all individuals with CF from within their CF multidisciplinary care teams.
This work includes:
- Surveying individuals with CF to gain understanding of what exercise support is required.
- Surveying the CF community to gain
- Understanding of what current provision is in CF clinics
- Understanding what training and qualifications current exercise practitioners or therapy assistants have
- Understanding what training requirements exercise practitioners and therapy assistants have, to ensure optimal care and development of a suitable training package
- Working with experts within the field of CF and exercise to develop a training package for therapy assistants and exercise practitioners based upon identified needs.
What does it entail?
For full information around how this fellowship would work, please read the outline document.
The successful candidate will be based within their current workplace as a ‘home centre’, but will complete a tailored education/experience programme involving the following aspects:
- Linking with other organisations – CF and Exercise Network, BASES, ACPCF, ECFS Exercise Working Group, CSP, Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
- Visits/virtual visits to other CF Centres to discuss and observe exercise practice (including both paediatrics and adults).
- Completion of the research project.
- Engagement with project supervisors and mentors.
- Presentation at the end of the fellowship to the ACPCF / CF Exercise Network joint study day, and at a Cystic Fibrosis Trust meeting.
- Presentation of findings at relevant conferences and events.
- Attendance at key meetings such as the ECFS, NACFC, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust conference, ACPCF study days, the Brompton course, CPET course.
The successful candidate will have a clinical supervisor in their centre and a named mentor from the fellowship steering committee who will provide support and guidance throughout the project.
Apply for the fellowship
Applications are now open. Please complete the application form and send it to [email protected]
For any queries regarding potential applications for this fellowship please email Gemma Stanford ([email protected]) for more information.
The deadline for applications is Friday 15th October 2021.
Applications will be reviewed by fellowship steering group comprising representatives of the CF and Exercise Network and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Cystic Fibrosis (ACPCF), as well as a representative from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview online on Monday 22nd-Tuesday 23rd November 2021. The successful fellow must be in post before 31st March 2022