Home First Emergency Care Therapy Team Leader

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Bradfield Green; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an experienced Therapist to provide advanced assessment, admission avoidance, and discharge planning within the IPOCH team. You will work across ED, admission avoidance pathways, inpatient wards and community settings to support timely decisions and appropriate care settings.

As a senior member of the IPOCH team you will lead clinical and professional development, supervise staff, and contribute to service development while maintaining a

Qualifications

• Advanced assessment, admission avoidance, and discharge planning knowledge and skills.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate safe, timely discharge from hospital through expert assessment and collaborative discharge planning.
• Lead complex clinical decision‑making, risk assessment, and patient flow management.
• Supervise, support, and develop therapy staff and support workers within the IPOCH team.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and transformation programmes.
• Work collaboratively with acute, community, primary care, social care, and voluntary sector partners to deliver integrated care.
• Support achievement of KPIs relating to discharge, length of stay, admission avoidance, and patient outcomes.

Job description

This post is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and competent Therapist who has advanced assessment, admission avoidance, and discharge planning knowledge and skills, providing support with Home First within the Integrated Placement of Care Team (IPOCH). The post holder will work across the Emergency Department (ED), admission avoidance pathways, inpatient wards, and community settings to facilitate timely decision-making, prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, and support patients to receive care in the most appropriate setting. The post holder has decision‑making autonomy and is responsible and accountable for the development, education, and supervision of others. They will work collaboratively and cooperatively with multidisciplinary colleagues to meet the needs of patients and their families, taking an active role in facilitating safe and timely discharge from hospital, supporting admission avoidance initiatives within ED and urgent care pathways and undertaking ongoing assessments within community settings in line with National Hospital Discharge Guidance and Home First principles. We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated Therapist to join our friendly and supportive IPOCH Team to drive clinical excellence, operational leadership, and service development. The post holder will support the triaging of patients who are ready for discharge, adopting a Proportionate Care and Home First approach, and supporting complex home visits alongside the wider multidisciplinary team. The role will include attendance at multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings within the hospital setting to facilitate timely discharge planning, promote Home First principles, and support effective patient flow across the system. As a senior member of the IPOCH team, you will provide clinical and professional leadership, supporting the delivery of high‑quality, patient‑centred care. You will take a leadership role within the team, supervising and supporting staff through Motiv8s, one‑to‑one meetings, appraisal processes, sickness management, and other HR responsibilities as required. You will act as a role model for best practice, supporting the development and education of colleagues while fostering a positive and collaborative team culture. The post holder will be expected to work weekends and Bank Holidays as part of the service requirements. You are required to be a car driver and have access to your own vehicle.

• Facilitate safe, timely discharge from hospital through expert assessment and collaborative discharge planning.
• Lead complex clinical decision‑making, risk assessment, and patient flow management.
• Supervise, support, and develop therapy staff and support workers within the IPOCH team.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and transformation programmes.
• Work collaboratively with acute, community, primary care, social care, and voluntary sector partners to deliver integrated care and Home First principles.
• Support achievement of key performance indicators relating to discharge, length of stay, admission avoidance, and patient outcomes.
• Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of local hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester boroughs (population 357K). The Trust provides high quality planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care as well as child health, maternity services, and intermediate care across our sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford. The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,100 members of staff. An extensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance. We have played, and continue to play, a proactive role in the development of Integrated Care plans across Cheshire & Merseyside and our local Cheshire East and Cheshire West Place‑based systems. We believe, and it is the cornerstone of our five‑year Trust Strategy, there is the opportunity to progress innovative, responsive and effective care in the best setting for the patient, be it in the hospital or out in the community. At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.
• Provide advanced clinical leadership across ED, admission avoidance, Home First, and discharge pathways.
• Support admission avoidance by identifying patients who can be safely managed within community setting's