Frailty Physiotherapist Clinical Specialist

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; Highweek; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK health service provider is seeking a dedicated Frailty Physiotherapy Clinical Specialist to deliver person-centred physiotherapy for older adults across acute and community settings. This pivotal role involves managing a complex caseload, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and contributing to service innovation. The ideal candidate will have a relevant physiotherapy degree and strong clinical reasoning skills. Excellent opportunity to shape care delivery within the Healthy Ageing Service.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Comprehensive health and wellbeing programs

Qualifications

• Experience in providing person-centred physiotherapy for older adults.
• Ability to manage complex caseloads with advanced clinical reasoning.
• Experience in multidisciplinary team collaboration and discharge coordination.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert physiotherapy across acute and community settings.
• Coordinate care and discharge between various healthcare teams.
• Mentor and supervise junior staff and students.
• Provide specialist advice and contribute to service development.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Team collaboration

Patient assessment

Mentoring

Education

Relevant Physiotherapy degree

Job description

We're excited to launch our new Healthy Ageing (Frailty) Pathway and are seeking a dedicated Frailty Physiotherapy Clinical Specialist (Band 7) to provide expert, person-centred physiotherapy across both acute and community urgent-care settings. In this pivotal role, you will identify, assess, and manage adults--predominantly those aged 65 and over living with frailty. You'll work collaboratively within a proactive multidisciplinary team (MDT) to optimise physical function, enable timely discharge, and prevent avoidable hospital admissions through evidence-based interventions and rehabilitation. This is an excellent opportunity to shape a new model of care that supports people to live well, maintain independence, and achieve the best possible outcomes within their own homes and communities.

• Act as the service's clinical physiotherapy specialist for frailty, providing timely, holistic assessment and treatment, and contributing to Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment-aligned plans.
• Coordinate care and discharge with therapy, nursing, medical and discharge teams to ensure safe transitions between hospital, community hospitals, care homes and patients' own homes.
• Manage an independent, complex caseload, applying advanced clinical reasoning and positive risk-taking to support safe decisions.
• Work flexibly across a 7-day service spanning ED interfaces, SDEC/ambulatory care and community, responding to urgent referrals and supporting patient flow.
• Provide specialist advice, mentor/supervise junior staff and students, and contribute to audit, QI and service development. You'll join Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust within the Healthy Ageing Service, a compassionate, multi-professional team delivering integrated frailty care across the urgent care pathway. We value learning, innovation and staff wellbeing, and we work closely with ED, inpatient, community and voluntary-sector partners to deliver seamless, person-centred care that upholds dignity and independence.