Physiotherapist

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the NHS as a Band 6 Specialist Physiotherapist in the Community Frailty Virtual Ward, where you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality care to frail patients in their homes. Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to enhance patient mobility and quality of life, while also contributing to service development and improvement.

Benefits

Protected CPD time

Training pathways

Leadership programs

Qualifications

• Postgraduate clinical experience in physiotherapy.
• Experience in inpatient, outpatient, and community settings.
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist physiotherapy assessments and interventions.
• Deliver individualised physiotherapy treatment programmes.
• Supervise and educate physiotherapy students.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Communication

Teamwork

Leadership

Time management

Organizational skills

Research application

Education

Degree in physiotherapy

HCPC Registration

Job description

Band 6 Specialist Physiotherapist Community Frailty Virtual WardLocation: Plymouth, South Hams & West DevonHours:30hrs per week

Are you a passionate physiotherapist eager to make a real impact in community healthcare? Join our Community Frailty Virtual Ward, an innovative project transforming care for frail patients by delivering high quality, patient centred support in their own homes. This initiative reduces hospital admissions, shortens hospital stays, and enhances well being through integrated, multidisciplinary care.

As a Band 6 Specialist Physiotherapist, you will play a vital role in our team, working across one or more of our six new virtual wards. You will collaborate with consultants, pharmacists, dietitians, occupational therapists, and other professionals, ensuring seamless, holistic patient care. Your expertise will help maintain independence, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life for frail individuals in our communities.

If you are motivated, compassionate, and ready to be part of our Frailty Virtual Ward Team, apply today and help shape the future of community-based frailty care.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

Work with the wider MDT to provide specialist Physiotherapy assessments and interventions

To provide a specialist, high quality physiotherapy service within Frailty Virtual Wards.

To provide specialist physiotherapy assessment, diagnosis, treatment and education to individuals admitted to the Frailty Virtual ward who may have a range of conditions and presentations.

To provide advice, signposting, guidance and information to health and social care professionals, patients, carers, relatives, or other non-professional contacts.

To be an integral member of the MDT providing education, training and dissemination of information to all healthcare professionals.

To be an autonomous practitioner, holding a caseload and working without direct supervision.

To continue own professional development in line with HCPC regulations.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Undertakes all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, including professional and legal accountability, and managing clinical risks for all aspects of own work. Most aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as part of the Frailty Virtual Ward multidisciplinary team.

To undertake physiotherapeutic assessment of patients with diverse or complex physical, psychological, cognitive and behavioural conditions in order to provide an accurate diagnosis and prognosis. To formulate and deliver an individualised physiotherapy treatment programme, including manual therapy techniques, therapeutic handling, patient education, provision of exercise (individual/group), and other alternative options. This includes the appropriate selection of referrals for inclusion in a range of treatment programmes, one to one sessions using advanced treatment options, advanced communication, questioning and reasoning skills.

Supervision takes the form of regular formal training, Line management and caseload supervision sessions as well as Practice Supervision. The post holder will supervise Band 5 therapists and / or Band 4 and Band 3 Support Workers. Access to advice and support from senior physiotherapists is available if required. Clinical work is not routinely evaluate

Undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice.

Make recommendations to the Team Lead for potential changes in practice and service. May lead on the implementation of specific changes to practice within the team or contribute to service protocols.

Supervise, educate and assess the performance of Physiotherapy students. Working with Universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards by the degree level qualification.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FOR FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Person Specification

Skills

• Skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation
• Ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with patients, colleagues and other partners
• Able to work effectively and efficiently as part of a team and as part of a wider multidisciplinary service
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to use initiative and work independently
• Service development and quality improvement skills
• Good time management
• Good organizational skills
• Evidence of good multidisciplinary working
• Leadership and management skills
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise performance
• Ability to organize and respond efficiently to complex information
• Ability to work under pressure
• Service development and quality improvement skills
• Experience of applying research to practice
• Specialist skills relevant to area of work e.g. wheelchair accreditation, splinting, motivational interviewing, OTAGO

Experience

• Post graduate clinical experience working in the profession
• Experience of working in inpatient, outpatient and community settings
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload
• An understanding of Clinical Governance and its implications for services including experience of quality issues and participation in service development, research and audit
• Supervisory and appraisal experience
• Experience of group work
• Experience of waiting list management
• Experience of working with staff from other agencies
• Experience of audit projects

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses relevant to the clinical field Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if this is not first language
• Can demonstrate substantial relevant experience within the NHS, including experience as a Physiotherapist in a post providing a range of experience e.g. orthopaedics, elderly care, medical, surgical, neurological and musculo-skeletal conditions
• The post holder will need to be able to travel and attend to service users based across Devon and Cornwall areas Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act will be taken into account for the successful applicant.
• Full Valid UK Driving Licence.
• Post graduate training in subjects relevant to role
• ECDL or equivalent
• Membership of relevant Special Interest Group
• Clinical educator qualification and experience

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of a broad range of rehabilitation, neurological and medical conditions relevant to post.
• Knowledge and understanding of complex legislation surrounding health and social
• Experience of working as part of a physiotherapy and multidisciplinary team
• Experience of supervising student physiotherapists or physiotherapy assistants/technical instructors/support workers
• Ability to contribute to weekend/evening working rosters (if applicable to post)
• Ability to maintain effective judgement and reasoning skills under pressure
• Knowledge of wide range of legislation relevant to clinical area eg NSFs, clinical guidelines, Care Act
• Knowledge and understanding of complex legislation surrounding health and social care provision
• Project or people management experience
• Experience of teaching and presenting

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.