Paediatric Physiotherapist Respiratory Lead

NHS; Poole; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Dorset is seeking a highly motivated Paediatric Physiotherapist Respiratory Lead. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead a specialized team, ensuring high-quality therapeutic services for children aged 0-16 years with various respiratory conditions, while contributing to clinical leadership and service development.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration as a Physiotherapist.
• Minimum 5 years as a senior paediatric physiotherapist in NHS.
• Experience managing children with respiratory conditions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the acute paediatric physiotherapy respiratory service.
• Work autonomously with complex medical and developmental paediatric cases.
• Develop and implement service/policy improvements.

Skills

Clinical Leadership

Autonomy in Assessment

Team Collaboration

Education

BSC(Hons) or MSc in Physiotherapy

Post graduate course in physiotherapy clinical practice

Post graduate course in PT respiratory management

Masters level Advanced Clinical Practice course/modules

Leadership / management course relevant to health care

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Paediatric Physiotherapist Respiratory Lead

The closing date is 13 July 2025

We are looking for highly motivated and experienced physiotherapist with a minimum of 5 years paediatric therapy experience at a senior level. This post gives an excellent opportunity to gain experience in working as part of a specialised paediatric therapy team.

The post includes clinical leadership and service development as physiotherapy respiratory lead for the established Acute Paediatric Physiotherapy Service, delivering assessment and intervention to children aged 0-16 years.

The current post holder combines this role with a physiotherapy virtual ward post which is also out for advert.

Services are delivered in a variety of settings, including paediatric wards, the Child Development Centre and across all University Hospitals Dorset Trust sites, with opportunities to assess and treat children with a range of respiratory, and other conditions.

We work closely with the child health team and community health colleagues. We are committed to delivering high quality services for the children and families we work with in a child friendly manner.

Base Location: Poole Hospital

Interview Date: TBC

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Main duties of the job

To lead and be responsible for managing the acute paediatric physiotherapy respiratory service. This service is provided to patients on the children's HDU, wards and outpatient settings for children aged 0-18 years with a range of respiratory, musculoskeletal, and other conditions.

About us

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues. UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme. This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

There will be cross site working at Poole and Bournemouth hospital form January 2026.

Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the postholder's home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions.

Job responsibilities

• To lead and be responsible for managing the physiotherapy respiratory ward service and caseload of paediatric patients for the catchment population using an advanced level of professional accountability, autonomy, and judgement for highly complex decision-making holistically on behalf of the patient and the family.
• To work autonomously, using advanced knowledge and skills, underpinned by theory and experience, holistically assessing a defined patient caseload, using a range of methods across a broad range of complex medical and developmental paediatric conditions.
• To plan and manage episodes of care, working in partnership with Paediatric consultant and other specialists, delegating and referring as appropriate, to optimise health outcomes and resource use, as well as providing direct support to patients and carers.
• To lead on developing, implementing, monitoring service / policy development and redesign, impacting beyond own area / disciplines, informed by current best practice and evidence-base, in accordance with values-based care UHD Approach, ensuring patients receive sustainable, high quality, safe, effective care.
• To work across all UHD sites.
• To be on the paediatric weekend, twilight and on call rotas as required.
• To deliver treatment for in and out-patients as required.
• To support the team, lead in all aspects of their service delivery plans and objectives, supporting and deputising when required and requested by the team lead and their line management.
• To plan and oversee the Paediatric PT on call rota.
• To co-ordinate the training of PT staff in paediatric respiratory conditions ensuring staff are meeting the competencies for delivering this service.
• To undertake any other clinical duties as may be deemed necessary and be prepared to work at any location across all the Trust sites and other areas where clinics may be held.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• oHCPC registration Physiotherapist BSC(Hons) or MSc in Physiotherapy
• oPost graduate course/s in physiotherapy clinical practice (validated & accredited course modules)
• Post graduate course in PT respiratory management
• oMasters level Advanced Clinical Practice course/modules
• oLeadership / management course relevant to health care environment
• Courses applicable to role e.g. HAPE, NMP, x-ray interpretation

Experience

• o5 years minimum as senior paediatric physiotherapist
• Working in NHS
• Management of children with respiratory conditions
• Audit Experience
• Teaching & developing staff
• oLeading on managing change
• oLeading on Service and practice development

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.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

University Hospitals Dorset - Poole Site

University Hospitals Dorset - Poole Site