Bi-Borough Home First Pathway Lead

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in London seeks an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist for a bi-borough Home First role. The successful candidate will lead clinical operations, ensuring high-quality patient care in the community. Collaborating within a multi-disciplinary team, you will manage complex cases and support service delivery. A current HCPC registration and strong leadership are essential. This fixed-term position offers a salary range of £64,156 to £71,148 annually, within a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Full NHS benefits package

Supportive environment

Opportunities for professional development

Lease car option

Qualifications

• High level of clinical and managerial leadership.
• Current NMC/HCPC registration.
• Reliability and strong work ethic.

Responsibilities

• Manage clinical risk within a fast-paced community environment.
• Provide leadership of the bi-borough Home First clinical pathway.
• Ensure all staff deliver safe and effective care.

Skills

Clinical and managerial leadership

Excellent communication skills

History Taking and clinical Examination Skills

Budget Management

Advanced assessment and care planning skills

Education

Registered Nursing/AHP Qualification

Professional Body Membership

Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level

Job description

Job summary

The Community Independence Service (CIS) is a developing intermediate care service. The Home First pathway enables timely discharge from hospital to home, supported by a diverse multi‑professional team, with the aim of delivering high‑quality care in patients' own homes.

We are seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist who is passionate about delivering exceptional patient care and thrives in a collaborative team environment. This bi‑borough role supports our Home First pathway across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea for a period of seven months to cover a maternity absence.

The role is suited to someone who works creatively beyond traditional practice boundaries, with strong leadership skills to contribute to service delivery and support the wider multi‑disciplinary team.

The successful candidate will work across both bases with support from the Borough Leads, Head of Service, and Clinical Lead. The post holder will be jointly accountable to two managers and benefit from their guidance.

We are committed to professional development, offering regular supervision, Personal Development Reviews, and opportunities to engage in service and quality improvement projects.

We provide excellent development prospects within a supportive and forward‑thinking team.

Main duties of the job

This is a highly skilled clinical role requiring the post holder to manage clinical risk within a fast‑paced community environment.

The post holder will provide leadership of the bi‑borough Home First clinical pathway, with direct line management responsibility for clinicians (therapists and healthcare assistants) within the pathway, as well as professional responsibility for senior clinicians of their own discipline across the wider service where required.

They will ensure that all staff within the pathway deliver safe and effective assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care in line with professional and organisational quality standards.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that the team has adequate therapy and care staff rostered on duty with the appropriate skills to safely meet the needs of patients. They will undertake direct clinical work for an agreed proportion of their time, undertaking a complex clinical caseload and act as a role model for excellence in clinical care provision while providing clear professional clinical leadership.

The service operates 08:00‑20:00, seven days per week, and the post holder will contribute to maintaining high standards of patient care throughout these hours.

About us

The bi‑borough Home First Pathway prides itself on experienced clinicians and strong teamwork, supported by a positive culture of shared lunches, celebrations, and staff recognition. This is reinforced by the many compliments we receive from service users and partner organisations.

Essential requirements

• High level of clinical and managerial leadership
• Excellent communication, clinical knowledge, and assessment skills
• Current NMC/HCPC registration
• Reliability and strong work ethic

In return, we offer

• A supportive environment to learn and develop new skills
• Opportunities to work with a Consultant Geriatrician and extend knowledge beyond standard practice
• Regular statutory and mandatory training
• Emphasis on work‑life balance
• Opportunities to deliver training sessions
• Full NHS benefits package, plus lease car option

Person Specification – Education and Qualification (Essential)

• Relevant registered Nursing/AHP Qualification
• Relevant Professional Body Membership
• Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level or equivalent
• Evidence of working in a multi‑disciplinary team in a leadership role
• Teaching/Mentoring experience
• Demonstrate postgraduate training relevant to this area of working

Person Specification – Education and Qualification (Desirable)

• An understanding of the current health service policies
• Non‑Medical Prescribing Requirements
• A good understanding of Primary Care

Previous experience (Essential)

• Extensive clinical experience at band 7 of acute disease management and crisis care
• Experience in managing a case load of complex patients
• Experience of leading and managing a clinical team
• Substantial post‑qualification experience of acute disease management and crisis care
• Assessing and care planning for complex patients
• Previous community clinical experience in an inner city/urban environment
• Experience of line management of clinical staff including performance management

Previous experience (Desirable)

• Experience of leading and managing a multi‑disciplinary team
• Report writing for the public domain

Skills and Knowledge (Essential)

• History Taking and clinical Examination Skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience of successfully leading or managing multi professional staff groups and teams
• Budget Management
• In depth physical assessment skills
• Advanced assessment and care planning skills for complex patients
• Knowledge of long‑term conditions including end‑of‑life care

Skills and Knowledge (Desirable)

• Project management skills and experience
• Knowledge and understanding of current NHS policy and economic drivers for health care, including commissioning arrangements
• Knowledge and experience of working with people with Dementia

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal Characteristics (Essential)

• Develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations effectively
• Demonstrate the application of Trust values – Respect, Compassion, Empowerment, Partnership with an engaging and approachable management style

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal Characteristics (Desirable)

• Inspirational and influential leadership style

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Hathaway House

Westminster

W9 2BA

Employer’s website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work

Job details

Date posted: 29 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: 8a

Salary: £64,156 to £71,148 a year per annum incl. HCAS pro rata

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 7 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 333-G-CIS-0210

Job location: Hathaway House, Westminster, W9 2BA

Job description and responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the safe and effective delivery of care to patients accepted into the service.
• Establish effective communication links with community colleagues providing planned care and specialist disease specific care, supporting integrated working to manage smooth hand over of care.
• Manage budgets effectively to own delegated level, actively participating in organisational and divisional budget monitoring arrangements.
• Maintain safe staffing levels in the service pathway, by monitoring rostering arrangements, minimising vacancies and leading on timely recruitment and selection processes.
• Ensure that all new staff in the pathway have a comprehensive induction and orientation to the service and that all staff have on‑going personal development programmes.
• Investigate complaints and incidents and share lessons learnt.
• Manage workforce planning, recruitment, selection and performance management including appraisals and objective setting.
• Manage the clinical performance of staff, ensuring interventions are commensurate with required competency.
• Ensure that the service pathway meets all Key Performance Indicators, CQUINS, and QIPP requirements.
• Develop and implement recovery plans when required and report progress to senior management.
• Take responsibility for plans, projects and programmes for own service area as delegated.
• Maintain and develop high performance in the clinical pathway by managing staff absence, performance and conduct in accordance with HR policy and good people management practices.
• Record sickness absence information on a monthly basis via Trust absence reporting system.
• Instigate a schedule of minuted weekly staff meetings to ensure effective team communication, clinical excellence and staff support.
• Analyse and interpret data associated with the team and suggest improvements based on reported statistics and facts.
• Provide rapid and effective support to staff in solving problems, handling informal patient feedback and conveying difficult or contentious information in a sensitive and skilful manner.
• Communicate service information to own staff, management team and external agencies in an effective and professional manner.
• Represent own service area at relevant internal and external meetings in a professional and positive manner.
• Occasionally provide high quality clinical leadership and support to staff outside of own pathway where required.
• Undertake management duties in line with Trust values Compassion, Respect, Empowerment, Partnership.

As this role may involve direct contact with patients, we strongly encourage vaccination to protect yourself, your colleagues, and the people we care for.

This is a demanding, specialist post. We recommend contacting us for an informal discussion or visiting one of our teams before applying.