Specialist Physiotherapist

NHS; Dawlish; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a dedicated team in a new Regional Learning Disability and Autism Unit. This role offers the chance to develop a pioneering physiotherapy service from the ground up, providing essential care to adults with learning disabilities and complex mental health needs. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will enhance mobility and promote independence through tailored assessments and interventions. With a commitment to ongoing training and a culture of inclusivity, this position is perfect for those passionate about making a real difference in people's lives.

Qualifications

• Degree in Physiotherapy with experience in mental health or learning disabilities.
• Strong communication and assessment skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist physiotherapy for adults with learning disabilities and autism.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to promote physical health and wellbeing.
• Engage in clinical supervision and oversee exercise professionals.

Skills

Physiotherapy

Assessment Skills

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Patient Care

Education

Degree in Physiotherapy

Postgraduate Training in Learning Disabilities

Job description

Are you someone looking for a career in one of the UK's most respected mental health and learning disability trusts?

Would you like to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference in people's lives to enjoy a better future?

Would you like to play a role in developing a new physiotherapy service from the start?

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team at the new Regional Learning Disability and Autism Unit in Dawlish (The Brook).

The job offers a challenging yet rewarding environment with opportunities to continuously learn.

The Brook is a new regional service providing high-quality care and treatment for people with learning disabilities and complex mental health needs. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to support the assessment and treatment of adults with learning disabilities or autism on the unit.

This is the first NHS inpatient physiotherapy role in Learning Disabilities and Autism in Devon, offering a rare and exciting opportunity to develop a service from the ground up.

We are committed to the ongoing training and development of all staff and offer various opportunities for career progression.

The environment will be state-of-the-art, and the service aims to become a centre of excellence.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Physiotherapist in The Brook, LDAU, the post holder will:

• Provide specialist inpatient physiotherapy for adults with learning disabilities and/or Autism, including outreach into the community when access to generic physiotherapy is not suitable.
• Use specialist physiotherapy skills for assessment, advice, and treatment of physical problems often in conjunction with cognitive and sensory impairments.
• Improve mobility for people with physical disabilities through assessment and provision of specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, postural support systems, and other assistive technologies.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary team members, carers, other services, and agencies to promote physical health, wellbeing, community inclusion, and independence through assessment, care planning,, interventions, and training.
• Be an active member of the multidisciplinary and physiotherapy teams, contributing to service requirements and development.
• Ensure safe practice and adherence to safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Assist ward staff in proactively reducing the incidence of falls.
• Engage in clinical supervision with a Specialist Physiotherapist in Learning Disabilities Services.
• Oversee an exercise professional in delivering personalized exercise plans to maintain and improve physical health.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability, and neurodiversity services, along with specialist and secure services regionally and nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health and wellbeing and strive to deliver high-quality, safe, and recovery-focused services using our expertise and partnerships.

We are committed to a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families, and carers in all we do.

Our values

We recruit based on qualifications, experience, and demonstrated behaviors that align with our core values, including a commitment to quality care, respect, dignity, and compassion. We promote a supportive, inclusive environment and encourage applications from all community sections, especially those with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity, or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Relay complex, sensitive information empathetically and understandably to people with learning disabilities and their carers.
• Assess understanding of treatment proposals and capacity to give informed consent, working within legal frameworks when capacity is lacking.
• Lead and contribute to team and physiotherapy meetings, representing physiotherapy in other relevant meetings.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues and community partners.
• Maintain professional boundaries with patients.
• Keep electronic records following Trust policies.
• Provide professional advice and consultancy to managers, team members, carers, and other services.
• Use Total Communication practices to enhance communication with people with learning disabilities.
• Share skills with other physiotherapists in Devon through participation in meetings and planning.
• Collaborate with other physiotherapists for up-to-date treatment advice and patient needs.

Note: Due to the extensive length of the original, only a portion has been refined here. The full job description should be similarly reviewed and adjusted for clarity, conciseness, and formatting consistency.