Highly Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Lytham St Annes; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a highly specialist Band 7 Paediatric Physiotherapist to join the Community Children's Therapy Team. The post involves working across community settings with babies, children and young people who have complex conditions.

A full UK driving licence and access to a car are essential. You will take autonomous responsibility for complex caseloads, provide leadership and education to colleagues, and collaborate with multi-agency partners to

Responsibilities

• Undertake highly specialist assessment of babies, children and young people.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate specialist paediatric physiotherapy interventions in community environments.
• Formulate, implement and regularly review individualised treatment plans and goals.
• Assess, prescribe and review specialist paediatric equipment and liaise with orthotics and equipment services as required.
• Provide specialist advice to support diagnostic formulation and communicate complex information to families.
• Accept professional accountability for clinical decision-making and risk management within a complex caseload.
• Manage a defined specialist caseload autonomously, prioritising referrals and interventions based on clinical need.
• Work as a lone practitioner in the community in accordance with Trust lone-working policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate, timely and professional clinical records in line with Trust standards.
• Provide specialist advice, guidance and informal supervision to junior staff, students and support workers.
• Contribute to education and training of colleagues, students and multi-agency partners in paediatric physiotherapy practice.
• Support a culture of learning, reflective practice and continuous improvement within the team.
• Work closely with colleagues across health, education and social care to develop coordinated, child-centred care plans.
• Contribute specialist physiotherapy reports and attend education reviews, safeguarding meetings and case conferences as required.
• Provide advice for SEND assessments and education-based manual handling risk assessments.
• Ensure all practice is evidence-based and aligned with professional standards, national guidance and Trust policies.
• Participate in audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activity.
• Identify and elevate clinical risks, incidents or safeguarding concerns in line with Trust procedures.
• Maintain HCPC registration and demonstrate ongoing professional development through CPD and appraisal.
• Actively promote the Trust's values and contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment.

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly specialist Band 7 Paediatric Physiotherapist to join the Community Children's Therapy Team at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Full UK Driving Licence and access to a car is essential for this role. This post provides specialist physiotherapy assessment, treatment and management for babies, children and young people with complex, chronic, disabling and life-limiting conditions across community settings. The role requires advanced clinical reasoning, autonomous decision-making and close multi-agency working to support children with highly complex physical, neurological and developmental needs. The post holder will hold a specialist caseload, contribute to service development, and provide clinical leadership, education and support to colleagues within the multidisciplinary team. This is a lone-working role within the community, requiring a high level of professional accountability and adherence to Trust policies. To provide highly specialist physiotherapy assessment, treatment and ongoing management for children and young people with complex and multiple needs. To independently manage a specialist caseload, prioritising work according to clinical risk and service need. To work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and multi-agency framework including health, education, social care and voluntary sector partners. To provide specialist advice, training and support to colleagues, families and partner agencies. To contribute to service development, audit, quality improvement and clinical governance activity within the Community Children's Therapy Service. To act as a source of specialist knowledge and clinical expertise within paediatric physiotherapy. The Community Children's Therapy Team delivers physiotherapy services to babies, children and young people across a wide range of community settings including homes, schools, clinics and early years environments. We work with children who present with complex physical, neurological, developmental and learning needs, often requiring coordinated, long-term and multi-agency intervention. The team is committed to delivering high-quality, child-centred care that promotes safety, independence and participation. You will be supported by an experienced leadership team and work closely with colleagues across Children's Community Health Services. We actively encourage professional development, reflective practice and service improvement, and value the specialist contribution of senior clinicians in shaping and sustaining safe, effective services.

Clinical responsibilities

• To undertake comprehensive, highly specialist assessment of babies, children and young people using advanced clinical reasoning, standardised assessments and observational skills.
• To plan, deliver and evaluate specialist physiotherapy interventions in a variety of community environments, including home, school and clinic settings.
• To formulate, implement and regularly review individualised treatment plans and goals, adapting interventions in response to changing clinical presentation or circumstances.
• To assess, prescribe and review specialist paediatric equipment and liaise with orthotics and equipment services as required.
• To provide specialist advice to support diagnostic formulation and communicate complex, sensitive information to families in an understandable and compassionate manner.
• To accept professional accountability for clinical decision-making and risk management within a complex caseload.

Caseload management

• To manage a defined specialist caseload autonomously, prioritising referrals and interventions based on clinical need, safeguarding considerations and risk.
• To work as a lone practitioner in the community in accordance with Trust lone-working policies and procedures.
• To maintain accurate, timely and professional clinical records in line with Trust standards.

Leadership, education and support

• To provide specialist advice, guidance and informal supervision to junior staff, students and support workers.
• To contribute to the education and training of colleagues, students and multi-agency partners in relation to paediatric physiotherapy practice.
• To support a culture of learning, reflective practice and continuous improvement within the team.

Multi-agency working

• To work closely with colleagues across health, education and social care to develop coordinated, child-centred care plans.
• To contribute specialist physiotherapy reports and attend relevant meetings including education reviews, safeguarding meetings and case conferences as required.
• To provide advice for statutory processes including SEND assessments and education-based manual handling risk assessments.

Governance, quality and professional responsibilities

• To ensure all practice is evidence-based and aligned with professional standards, national guidance and Trust policies.
• To participate in audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activity.
• To identify and elevate clinical risks, incidents or safeguarding concerns in line with Trust procedures.
• To maintain HCPC registration and demonstrate ongoing professional development through CPD and appraisal.
• To actively promote the Trust's values and contribute to a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment.