Physiotherapist

Livewell Southwest; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Livewell Southwest is seeking a Band 6 Physiotherapist to join our Discharge to Assess Team. The role focuses on timely hospital discharges and helping patients regain independence at home or in the community.

You will work within a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality, person-centred physiotherapy assessments and interventions, facilitating safe transitions from acute services and supporting a Home First approach. A 7-day service is expected.

Qualifications

• Degree in Physiotherapy with HCPC registration is required.
• CPD kept up-to-date with relevant courses and evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Experience in NHS/community physiotherapy settings is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-standard physiotherapy assessments and interventions.
• Lead on planning, coordinating, delivering, developing and evaluating the service.
• Supervise and line manage staff, and participate in recruitment and onboarding.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Leadership

Time management

Education

Degree in Physiotherapy

HCPC Registration

Job description

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Band 6 Physiotherapist to join ourDischarge to Assess Team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting timely hospital discharges and enabling patients to regain independence within their own homes or community settings.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will deliver high-quality, person-centred physiotherapy assessments and interventions, ensuring safe and effective transitions of care from acute services. The team supports patients both in their own homes and in care home environments, working in line with the Governments Discharge to Assess model and promoting a Home First approach.

This role is well suited to individuals who enjoy working collaboratively within a fast-paced team environment.

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

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

Main duties of the job

To provide a high standard Physiotherapy service by using advanced physiotherapeuticassessment of patients who have complex presentations with physical, psychological andcognitive conditions.The post holder will undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner,and work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.The post holder will take an active role in planning, co-ordinating, delivering, developingand evaluating the service, undertaking evidence-based audit and research projects tofurther own and the teams clinical practice. They may lead on the implementationofspecific changes to practice and contribute to service protocols.This job may include supervising and managing staff.

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.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

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

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

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

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

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIESResponsibility for People Management.

To take responsibility for all aspects of service delivery, including providing leadershipto Physiotherapy colleagues, providing cover for staff who are absent and deputising inthe team leads absence.

Deputising in the absence of the Registered manager/Team Lead can includeoperational/leadership duties such as supporting triage, waiting list management,attending meetings and delegation of work to Physiotherapy/support staff.

To take a flexible approach to supporting colleagues in times of caseload pressure,including working with colleagues to maintain clinical cover across the team within theresources available.

To co-ordinate the day-to-day activities of Physiotherapy and admin staff whereapplicable.

To regularly supervise and line manage both workload and caseload ofPhysiotherapist/support staff, undertaking and recording line management meetingsand appraisals, supporting the attainment of competencies, knowledge and achievingobjectives set out in their personal development plan.

To take responsibility and assist the team lead with the recruitment process ofPhysiotherapy and support staff e.g. taking part in interview panels, induction processand engaging with preceptorship programmes.

To support Physiotherapy/support staff and other Livewell SW health and social careprofessionals, to develop their knowledge, experience, providing advice, guidance, andsignposting where appropriate.

To regularly provide learning opportunities to Physiotherapy/support staff andcolleagues. This includes facilitating and providing instruction, training to supportingtheir development, attainment of skills, and ability to reflect on professional and ethicalissues.

To attend student educator training and regularly supervise Physiotherapy students onpractice placement, in line with Livewell SWs Placement Guidance for Non-MedicalUndergraduate Learners and Students policy.

To support colleagues as a practice supervisor or supporting those completing thePreceptorship programme, including acting as a Preceptor in line with Livewell SWsPreceptorship Guidance document.

To participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities, experience and training tohealth and social care staff and students, including those from other Livewell services,professional disciplines and colleges as agreed with Team Lead.

To plan, organise and lead when delegated, both formal and informal treatments andhealth education groups for both service users and formal/informal carers.

To educate service users and both formal/informal carers regarding the impact ofcognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect patient safety and independencein the hospital and home, leisure, and workplace.

To support team lead with complaint management and responses, assisting withaddressing and resolving complaints.

5.2Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

On the rare occasion you may handle patient valuables as part of a home visit orcommunity assessment, that you follow Livewell SWs policy Cash & Cheque HandlingProcedures, section 6 Patient Money, section 7 Patient Travel.

To assess, prescribe and authorise both general and specialist aids and adaptiveequipment in line with the organisations and the Community Equipment Services policyand procedures.

On occasions make recommendations for/work with trusted assessor for minoradaptations to increase / enable or compensate for independent function, teachingcompensatory techniques as required.

Where required may need to assess seating and positioning needs and treat asappropriate including assessment for and prescription of standard wheelchairs andaccessories when accredited referring on to the wheelchair services as required forassessment of complex and specialist mobility and seating needs.

If appropriate following specialist training or working with colleagues who haveundergone specialist training, recognise when there is a need to assess for splintingand positioning to prevent, treat and manage deformity and improve function for theupper limb, fabricating splints which may be complex in nature.

To ensure all equipment and relevant clinical stock is accounted for, maintained, usedeffectively and efficiently with risk assessments and appropriate training completed.

To ensure new or replacement equipment is not used by self or staff until it has beencommissioned in accordance with Livewell SW policy. Defective equipment is reportedand made safe without delay in accordance with Livewell SW procedures.

To utilise Livewell SW resources responsibly, following policy and guidance around thesecurity, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipmentutilised in the clinical setting.

Authorise spend on services within operational and financial limits as designated byrole and banding.

To take responsibility for ensuring solutions are at all times cost effective and to workwithin financial delegated limits.

To have a working knowledge of statutory and non-statutory funding and thelegislation/guidance that underpins these funding streams, ensuring service users meetthe eligibility criteria when advocating for/ utilising services on the service users behalf(e.g. Care Act eligibility, Housing legislation etc)

To assess the need for short/long term care placements or care packages for serviceusers where required; factoring in the use of equipment, techniques or compensatorymethods that safely meet the service users care needs whilst aiming to preserve healthand social care budgets wherever possible.

To maintain high professional standards and conduct at all times, complying with thestandards of practice in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and all ofHCPC standards and regulations.

To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.

To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliableattendance.

To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/orapps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.

To manage often competing clinical and non-clinical demands, prioritising the day-today management of own caseload and that of the team, delegating activities asappropriate.

To work as an autonomous practitioner, independently organising, planning, anddiarising a designated caseload to meet service priorities, readjusting plans assituations change and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinicalpriorities and use of time.

To manage a caseload of service users with complex needs, applying logicalprofessional rationale that is based upon evidence based / person-centred principles toassess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To ensure use of risk assessment in all areas of your work are undertaken and complywith Livewell SW Health and Safety policies and Lone Working Policy.

To maintain up to date, accurate and complete records of all activity and clinical input(all formats of service user contacts, MDT care plans, assessments, reports), ensuringconfidentiality at all times, complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Recordspolicy and HCPC requirements for thorough and sufficient records.

To provide written communication to outside agencies and charitable bodies to supportthe need for services and equipment on discharge from the service.

To be responsible for the timely discharge of people from your caseload.

To utilise and complete applicable outcome measures in your service and offer serviceuser feedback mechanisms when facilitatig the discharge of service users fromLivewell SW services.

To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager, taking responsibility forensuring own personal and professional development and statutory trainingdemonstrating the ability to apply increasingly complex skills / knowledge as defined byidentified competencies.

To submit completed travel expenses in line with Livewell SWs Travel and SubsistenceExpense Claims policy.

To ensure all leave is requested in line with Livewell SW policy.

To report accidents, incidents, complaints, or faulty equipment in line with Livewell SWpolicy and procedures.

Responsibility for people who use our services.

To ensure the service user is aware of the role and philosophy of Physiotherapy and

components of the Physiotherapeutic process, utilising all means necessary toenable individuals to understand the nature and purpose of proposed actions orintervention, including explaining any possible risks involved.

Person Specification

Experience

• experience working in the
• profession
• Experience of working in
• community settings
• Ability to organise and prioritise
• 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
• management
• Experience of
• working with staff
• from other
• Experience of

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
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• Post graduate training in subjects relevant to role
• Masters degree 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 e.g 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

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
• 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

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.

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working