Principle Therapist - Community (home based services)

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust; Fleet; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Principle Therapist to lead the therapy teams across Intermediate Care, aligning home-based services with broader therapy provision and ensuring strong governance and supervision.

The post requires experienced leadership, development of pathways, and strategic direction for the service, working with the Intermediate Care Service Manager and Head of Therapies.

Qualifications

• Recognized degree in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy.
• HCPC Registration.
• MSc in related area or equivalent experience.
• Management courses e.g. supervisory skills, appraisal skills, team skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a service by demonstrating advanced clinical leadership of therapists across Intermediate Care.
• Develop new clinical pathways and ways of working across all therapy professions within the specialty.
• Carry a specialist clinical caseload and provide consultative/second opinion services to other therapists.
• Ensure quality and safety of service provision, including risk assessments and infection control.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical governance

Auditing

Communication

Strategic planning

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy

HCPC Registration

MSc in related area or equivalent experience

Management courses

Tools

Epic EPR

Job description

Job Overview

We have developed this new Principle Therapist position within Intermediate Care to align the Trust's home based community therapy services with the Trust's wider therapy provision and to ensure robust governance, clinical supervision and support.

Job Overview

We have developed this new Principle Therapist position within Intermediate Care to align the Trust's home based community therapy services with the Trust's wider therapy provision and to ensure robust governance, clinical supervision and support.

Responsible for the clinical leadership of the therapists across Intermediate Care, you will use skilled clinical reasoning to provide expert specialist support and advice regarding complex clinical presentations, clinical governance issues and the strategic direction of the service.

As an experienced leader with expertise in community therapy service provision you will develop this post alongside other Principle Therapists, the Intermediate Care Service Manager, the Head of Therapies and Head of Community Services.

Main duties of the job

• Lead a service by demonstrating advanced clinical skills and leadership skills to ensure the service achieves the aims and objectives of the Trust.
• Regularly undertake/lead audit with area and interpret National Guidance, influencing key stakeholders and implementing change as required.
• Be a visible presence to lead teams of therapists and to be the point of contact for the Therapy directorate regarding provision and further development of specialist therapy services.

Working for our organisation

Why Join Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust?

At Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, our people are at the heart of everything we do.

As a Disability Confident Employer and recipient of the Gold Award in the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, we actively champion equality, diversity and inclusion, creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to build rewarding careers within the NHS.

We also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance. By supporting flexible working arrangements wherever possible, we enable our colleagues to balance their professional and personal commitments while continuing to deliver outstanding care to our patients. Whether flexibility means adjusted hours, part-time working, hybrid arrangements or alternative working patterns, we work in partnership with our staff to meet both individual and service needs.

Join Us

Whether you're at the start of your career or looking for your next challenge, Frimley Health offers the opportunity to be part of a inclusive, forward-thinking organisation that is committed to excellence, innovation and compassionate care. Together, we can shape the future of healthcare and make a real difference to the lives of the communities we serve.

Frimley Health Trust benefits on Vimeo

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of specialist therapy services, acting as the professional ‘voice’ for the specialty.
• Maintain a highly visible presence in clinical areas across sites, ensuring close links with patient services, staff and Divisional leads.
• Develop new clinical pathways and ways of working across all therapy professions within the specialty.
• Carry a specialist clinical caseload and provide consultative/second opinion services to other therapists.
• Communicate complex specialist information to a range of internal and external stakeholders, requiring advanced influencing and negotiation skills.
• Ensure quality and safety of service provision, including risk assessments and infection control.
• Manage frequently stressful or emotional situations empathetically, such as staff issues and complaints.
• Actively record and maintain own continued professional development.
• To participate, as required, in extended services such as weekend working, 7-day working and extended shifts depending on the needs of the service.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Recognized degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• MSc in related area or equivalent experience
• Management courses e.g. supervisory skills, appraisal skills, team skills

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of relevant nonclinical management training e.g. financial training

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant clinical experience working at a senior level in own professional area
• Team leadership including HR functions as well as teaching, mentoring and developing others
• Experience of contributing to the development of business plans and service development initiatives
• Quality improvement experience including PDSA cycles.

Desirable criteria

• Able to demonstrate knowledge of budget management, cost improvement and efficiency measures.
• Experience of managing employee relations issues e.g. disciplinary/grievance etc.

Skills

Essential criteria

• Management of complex community health care in patients’ homes
• Ability to organize (collect, process and interpret) complex information to reach sound conclusions
• Able to negotiate and influence and gain commitment from others
• Understanding of National NHS Agenda

Desirable criteria

• Able to lead teams through service review, re-design and deliver change.
• Formal coaching/mentoring training

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) is proud of its strong reputation, record of achievement and ambition for the future. We serve a population of over 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, and remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Our new organisational strategy – FHFT 2030 – sets out our ambition to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in the NHS. Underpinned by our Trust values – Committed to Excellence, Working Together, Facing the Future, and being a modern, compassionate, Healthcare Organisation – we are creating a culture where our people can thrive and patients always come first.

We continue to invest heavily in our services and facilities. This includes the development of a new hospital at Frimley Park, major expansion of diagnostics and inpatient capacity, and the continued transformation of services across our sites. We have already delivered a brand-new £100m state-of-the-art Heatherwood Hospital, a £49m Emergency Assessment Centre at Wexham Park, and a £10m upgrade to maternity services.

We are also committed to sustainability and the NHS Net Zero ambition. Our new hospital and estate developments are being designed to be environmentally responsible, energy efficient, and future-proofed, featuring on-site renewables energy and intelligent energy systems. Through our green plan, we are embedding sustainable practices across all areas of care and operations, ensuring we reduce our environmental impact while improving population health and wellbeing. Our staff are key to helps us deliver on our ambition and to ensure sustainability is a core component of care delivery and our operations.

Alongside estates’ investments, we are embedding a strong focus on digital innovation and quality improvement. Our electronic patient record (Epic), launched in 2024, is already enabling safer, more connected, and more effective care for patients, while giving staff the tools they need to do their best work. Our electronic patient record also supports safe and effective digitised care pathways, savings time and carbon, whilst delivering excellent quality of care.

Everything we do is guided by our values, shaping how we care for patients, support colleagues, and build a sustainable future for healthcare together.