Specialist Occupational Therapist / Physiotherapist

NHS; Skelmersdale; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Skelmersdale seeks a Specialist Occupational Therapist / Physiotherapist to enhance patient care in wheelchair services. Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree and HCPC registration, along with advanced clinical knowledge. The role involves clinical assessments, supervision of junior staff, and promoting a positive patient experience. Join an organization that values patient care with competitive pay and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment.
• Knowledge of relevant national policies and assessment tools.
• Experience in service development and working within an MDT.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical input in assessing wheelchair needs.
• Manage own caseload and supervise staff.
• Ensure adherence to Trust clinical guidelines.

Skills

Complex communication skills

Leadership

Evidence-based practice

Motivating team performance

IT skills including record keeping

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapist

HCPC registration

Clinical Educators Certificate

Post Grad accredited study (e.g. MSc)

Job description

Go back Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist / Physiotherapist

The closing date is 14 December 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, hardworking, motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Wheelchair Services.

The team provides an inpatient / home visit service to wheelchair users of Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire patients.

This post is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Band 5 looking for career progression or a current Band 6 looking for a challenge to expand their skills and aim to develop not only their specialist skills but also managerial and leadership skills.

As a forward‑thinking team, we provide a 5‑day service.

The successful candidate will become an integral member of the Team, promoting a positive experience and outcomes for our service users.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change

Main duties of the job

• Use complex communication skills and knowledge when working with service users, their families and other provider agencies.
• To involve the service user, family/carers in all relevant discussions about their management and decisions that are made about their wheelchair provision.
• To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with service users who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To provide leadership; promoting a learning culture for colleagues and other agencies.
• To ensure excellence in service delivery through personal and service development.
• To undertake complex clinical assessments of service users within your sphere of practice.

• To be responsible for carrying out evidence‑based assessment, intervention and evaluation of service user needs in the areas of mobility, posture and pressure relief for children and adults. This may often require periods of lone working.
• To continually evaluate the outcomes and re‑assess treatment and risk assessments as the service user and environment changes and update the intervention / service accordingly.
• To undertake assessments in a clinic environment and in a service users' home, work or school environment.
• To be professionally responsible, and accountable, for all aspects of own work.
• To develop own clinical specialist skills and when appropriate assist junior colleagues in problem solving.

About us

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9,000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Job responsibilities

To provide clinical input in the assessment and provision of wheelchairs and specialised seating interventions to service users in Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

The post holder will be responsible for a caseload and the supervision of staff and students as required.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

Key Duties.

• To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and to ensure adherence to these and the delivery of a high‑quality service.
• To ensure effective communication processes are followed to meet the needs of service users, relatives/carers and other members of the MDT.
• To maintain a high standard of record keeping regarding service user care, which is comprehensive, concise, valid and audited on a regular basis.
• To provide clinical and professional advice to all members of the therapy team.
• To deputise for B7 therapists when required.
• The role includes a minimum of 85 % clinical time within working hours.

Clinical & professional responsibilities.

• Use complex communication skills and knowledge when working with service users, their families and other provider agencies.
• To involve the service user, family/carers in all relevant discussions about their management and decisions that are made about their wheelchair provision.
• To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with service users who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To provide leadership; promoting a learning culture for colleagues and other agencies.
• To ensure excellence in service delivery through personal and service development.
• To undertake complex clinical assessments of service users within your sphere of practice.

• To be responsible for carrying out evidence‑based assessment, intervention and evaluation of service user needs in the areas of mobility, posture and pressure relief for children and adults. This may often require periods of lone working.
• To continually evaluate the outcomes and re‑assess treatment and risk assessments as the service user and environment changes and update the intervention / service accordingly.
• To undertake assessments in a clinic environment and in a service users' home, work or school environment.
• To be professionally responsible, and accountable, for all aspects of own work.
• To develop own clinical specialist skills and when appropriate assist junior colleagues in problem solving.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and contemporaneous documentation, in line with legal and service requirements.
• To be actively involved in the collection and inputting of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the service and for audit purposes.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES

To maintain own clinical professional development; be aware of the latest evidence‑based practice and new developments; and maintain your registration with the HCPC and comply with their requirements in compiling your CPD portfolio.

To participate in the staff appraisal scheme.

• To support junior staff with clinical supervision and appraisal.
• To participate in the delivery of Learning and Development opportunities to all bands of staff.

To teach and instruct relatives, carers and other professionals to ensure a consistent approach to service user care and to promote the understanding of the care and use of equipment.

To educate service users, parents/carers on 24‑hour postural management, the reasoning for this and provide indicators for the need for reassessment.

• To participate in courses and product demonstrations to maintain wheelchair and other mobility equipment skills.
• To undertake Fieldwork Education & regularly supervise students.
• To participate in the induction, training and education of staff in the Wheelchair Service.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVI…

• To demonstrate leadership by means of:
  • Effecting change within own sphere of practice when and where indicated
  • Making recommendations to improve services
  • Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the Wheelchair Service.
• To attend, contribute and represent at relevant meetings.
• To demonstrate an understanding of policies relevant to the role including the application of clinical governance and risk management.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT

To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply to the work situation.

To be aware of local and national clinical guidelines and standards of care.

To network with practitioner colleagues within the trust, across the Northwest and nationally, to learn together and share good practice.

To take part in service evaluation and with the use of evidence‑based practice, local and national research/audit; contribute to changes to service provision and clinical working practices.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To ensure effective use of resources to support budget management by advising on supply of the most cost‑effective wheelchair and mobility equipment needed to meet each service users clinical needs.
• To consider options for service cost improvements.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree in Occupational Therapist
• HCPC registration
• Clinical Educators Certificate
• Post Grad accredited study e.g. MSc in relevant health studies

Knowledge & Experience

• Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment and evidence of evidence based practise in relevant health setting
• Knowledge of relevant national policies and guidance and relevant assessment tools
• Evidence of effective working within an MDT
• Experience of Service development
• Relevant Continuous Professional Development
• Audit and research in a clinical area

Skills

• Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives
• Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings
• Accurate record keeping, report writing and IT skills including presentation skills
• Have a flexible approach to working with good time management

Other

• Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver

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.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Per Annum, Pro Rata