A COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS PROVIDING SERVICES TO LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIAL SCHOOLS

Background: Physiotherapists, working in special schools, require specific knowledge and competencies to effectively (re) ) habilitate learners with special needs (Effgen, Chiarello and Milbourne, 2007). The need for a competency framework to guide physiotherapists' clinical role in educational settings for learners with special needs, has been identified in South Africa.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to develop pa competency framework to guide physiotherapists in South Africa, and standardise their practice in educational settings in accordance with the within the current socio-political situation in South Africa.

Methods: Ethics approval to conduct the study was obtained (Ethics approval number: MREC/H/96/2014). A mixed method exploratory sequential research design in three phases were implemented. Phase 1 entailed FGDs with the physiotherapists in Gauteng province's special schools, aimed to establish their demographic profile and explore their professional experiences, to identify the competencies that were inherent in their practice. Transcribed FGDs were open and axially coded to identify themes and categories. Phase 2 entailed a quantitative survey amongst countrywide physiotherapists working in special schools to evaluate the applicability of the competencies from phase 1 to their educational settings. Phase 3 entailed a comparative analysis between the competencies developed by Effgen, etc al (2007) in Canada,  the NPAG (2017) and the the competencies identified from phases 1 and 2. A contextualized competency framework for physiotherapists working in special schools in South Africa was compiled from the results of phase 3. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout the study.

Results: Eight themes, were identified from the FGDs: 1)Rendering therapeutic services within a school environment; 2)Working conditions within a school environment; 3)Socio-political influences; 4)Learners' characteristics and attributes that impact therapy; 5)Knowledge and skills required to effectively work in schools; 6)Sentiments experienced by participants in a school setting; 7)Roles of physiotherapists in a school  and 8)Collaborative practices within a school were identified from FGDs and survey. These themes correlated with the results of the survey. Integration of findings with the competency profile by Effgen, et.al (2007) and NPAG (2017) resulted in competency areas and were used to formulate the final list of competencies.

Conclusion(s): The Canadian competency profile (2007) and NPAG(2017) correlated with the competencies generated from this study with slight additions specifically relevant to SA physiotherapists. The formulated SA competency framework for physiotherapists in SA educational settings are locally relevant and globally comparable.

Implications: This competency framework contributes uo the  SASP's drive to provide competency frameworks, clinical practice guidelines and evidence based statements to standardize clinical practice in South Africa. It can also provide Physiotherapy training institutions in South Africa with a guideline for training of undergraduate students and continous professional development.
Finally, it may contribute to the implementation of Government Educational policy for physiotherapists treating learners with special needs in educational settings 

Funding, acknowledgements: No funding was provided.

Keywords: Competency framework, Physiotherapists, Learners with special needs

Topic: Professional issues: diversity and inclusion

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

Committee: SMUREC

Ethics number: MREC/H/96/2014