Specialist Community Physiotherapist

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; Shotley Bridge; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A major health organization in England is seeking a Specialist Community Physiotherapist to manage a diverse caseload in the community. The role emphasizes holistic patient-centered care and offers opportunities for leadership, development, and collaboration within a multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate will have a BSc/MSc in Physiotherapy and experience in rehabilitation. Competitive salary and benefits included.

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge in assessment and treatment of physical disabilities.
• Experience in multidisciplinary team collaboration.
• Ability to work under stress and manage aggressive patients.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload independently in the community.
• Provide holistic, short-term, goal-led intervention.
• Support junior staff and peer training.

Skills

Holistic assessment

Leadership skills

Clinical supervision

Communication skills

Education

BSc/MSc in Physiotherapy

Job description

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Community Physiotherapist

The closing date is 24 September 2025

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are one of the largest integrated organisations in the country, providing hospital and community services to a population of over 650,000. We are an ambitious and innovative organisation with a talented workforce of over 7,000 colleagues. Our vision is to be Right First Time, Every Time and our mission is to provide safe, compassionate and joined-up care to the populations of County Durham and Darlington.

Do you have the enthusiasm and motivation to take on a new challenge within our forward thinking trust?

Are you an excellent team worker but also have the drive to lead and influence change?

Do you strive or aspire to provide seamless holistic patient centered care within a progressive Multi Disciplinary Team?

We are looking for a dynamic Specialist Physiotherapist to join our Community Therapy North team at Shotley Bridge Community Hospital. The team is part of the North Durham Community Rehabilitation Team which works across Durham, Chester le Street and Derwentside. This post would predominantly be based in the community, supported by a team of Occupational Therapists, Associate Practitioners and assistants.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will independently manage a caseload in the community providing holistic, short term, goal led intervention following a comprehensive assessment. Patients will present with a wide range of complex problems and will allow you to develop a highly specialist knowledge of many medical conditions and long term conditions and the application of the physiotherapy process with these patients.

Opportunities to:

• Develop skills in holistic assessing beyond the scope of your traditional Physiotherapy practice.
• Develop your supervisory, leadership and service development skills.
• To support junior and assistant staff and to help with their development
• Lead and participate in peer support and in service training
• Work within a dynamic Multi-Disciplinary Team
• The successful applicant would work Monday to Friday in the Community Therapy North service. On occasions the successful applicant may also need to work into the crisis response service, this is a seven day service.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months)

Job responsibilities

Maintain specialist clinical skills and provide expert advice to the community teams in relation to identified specialism

To organise and prioritise own workload and to monitor those you clinically supervise within a defined area

To independently screen, prioritise and plan interventions for routine and urgent referrals received within the specialist area

To use sound clinical Judgements to prioritise patients within a demanding and unpredictable environment ensuring effective use of resources.

To assist staff under your supervision to prioritise their caseloads and advise them on appropriate interventions in response to urgent/and or complex cases on a daily basis

To undertake holistic and comprehensive specialist assessments of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies that change across the caseload. To utilise analytical and clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide accurate diagnosis of their condition, these skills may be advanced; interpret facts and select the appropriate treatment and implement rehabilitation programmes

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

• In depth and up to date knowledge and skills in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of physical disabilities
• Remain updated with professional practice and new research
• Understand clinical governance and its implications for services, including experiences of quality issues and audit
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trusts policies of data protections, equal opportunities and health and safety. To meet the differing needs of patients.
• Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and carry out concurrent activities.
• Ability to cope with working in a stressful environment and deal with emotional or aggressive patients and carers.
• Ability to work independently and organise, prioritise and delegate workload to meet service demands
• Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession.
• Able to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Evidence of self-directed learning and critical appraisal skills
• Able to use own initiative appropriately to enhance service delivery
• Presentational skills
• Evidence of participation in research/audit
• Clinical supervision of other therapy staff, assistants and students
• Clinical educator experience. Attendance at a recognised clinical educators course
• NHS Experience

Special Requirements

• Ability to travel and carry small items of equipment on a daily basis to fulfil the requirements of the post
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the post
• Commitment, motivation and ability to work flexibly within a multidisciplinary service

Experience

• Comprehensive and relevant qualified experience in physical rehabilitation including recent general rehabilitation experience.
• Experience of collaborative working within multidisciplinary teams
• Evidence of communication skills within a wide variety of settings
• Experienced in staff appraisal
• Experienced in working in a variety of settings
• Experience of crisis management

Qualifications

• BSc/MSc in Physiotherapy
• Evidence of CPD, including attendance at recent post-graduate courses relevant to the clinical fields in the specialism
• An understanding of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction, achievements and NHS standing
• Involvement in specific interest groups

Statutory Registration

• HCPC registered Physiotherapist
• Member of CSP

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year, per annum, pro rata