Specialist Physiotherapist or Specialist Occupational Therapist

Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading children's health service in Sheffield is looking for a skilled physiotherapist to join the Motor Skills Team. The role involves providing advanced assessments and individual treatment plans for children with motor coordination difficulties and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Applicants should have a degree in physiotherapy and advanced communication skills to effectively engage with children, families, and other professionals. Excellent benefits and opportunities for professional development are provided.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Pension schemes

Health and wellbeing programmes

Exclusive discounts

Qualifications

• Degree in Physiotherapy required.
• Proficient in assessment and treatment of children.
• Experience with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced assessments and treatment for children.
• Manage a caseload of children with motor coordination difficulties.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams for comprehensive care.

Skills

Advanced assessment skills

Effective communication

Clinical reasoning

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree in Physiotherapy

Tools

Therapy equipment

Job description

Overview

Supporting the development of motor skills, independence skills and participation in home, school and community life.

Providing assessment which may lead to a diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). To provide a specialised and high standard of physiotherapy/occupational therapy care as a member of the Motor Skills Team. To perform advanced assessments of children presenting with a range of conditions and problems. To provide a diagnosis of the problem related to the Motor Skills Team. To develop highly skilled knowledge in order to deliver an individualised treatment programme for each child. To independently manage a personal caseload of children with motor coordination difficulties/autism working without direct supervision. To access the advice, training and support from senior colleagues within the department but also undertake aspects of clinical duties as a developing autonomous practitioner. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of children in your care. To undertake advanced clinical assessments of children and use clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of the specific problems related to physiotherapy intervention. To design and deliver an individualised programme of intervention based on sound knowledge of evidenced based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment options. To independently manage a caseload of children with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist assessment, treatment and discharge plans. To recommend best course of intervention, taking into account such factors as the prognosis, age of child, family / carers circumstances, environmental factors etc. To develop comprehensive discharge / transfer plans as appropriate. To gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework for patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To be proficient in the use of a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills to communicate effectively with children / parents / carers. To posses highly developed communication and interpersonal skills required to ensure the delivery of effective care, taking into account the complex and variety of difficulties presented e.g. age; physical; emotional; cultural; cognitive, social and behavioural. To effectively communicate, negotiate and explain the assessment findings and treatment plans in a non-judgmental and considered manner to children / parents / carers and other agencies e.g. GPs, Consultants, social care and education services which may occasionally include issues regarding child protection. To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care. To evaluate the child's progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required, monitoring effect using sound measurement and validated outcome measures. To manage clinical and non-clinical risk within own case load. To work within Trust and CSP's clinical guidelines, have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practice as required. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient records in line with local and CSP standards of practice. To represent the Motor Skills Team team or individual children at various multi-disciplinary meetings, to ensure the delivery of an integrated approach to treatment. This will involve discussion of the child's progress, aims and objectives, treatment planning plus discharge / transfer arrangements as appropriate. To be responsible for the assessment, safe and competent use of all equipment including aids for daily living, seating and positioning equipment and appliances and ensure that assistants / children / carers using such equipment attain competency in their use through training and supervision. To be responsible for the transport and issue of small pieces of therapy equipment using own car, and to be able to demonstrate proof of insurance for this purpose. To communicate with other agencies such as Social Services and Local Education Authority for the provision of appropriate equipment in the community. This may involve communication with other professionals beyond the immediate Sheffield area. To be an active member of the respiratory evening and weekend on call rota. When working on the on call rota, undertake the assessment and treatment of acutely ill children with respiratory problems, who may have a complex presentation and maintain associated records as an autonomous practitioner.

Professional

• To undertake risk assessments on a daily basis, for example; work space, equipment, patients and self, using judgement skills to make the necessary adjustments in line with health and safety regulations.
• To comply with the Health and Safety at work regulations and all other health, safety and security standards in accordance with Trust policies.
• To treat as confidential all information obtained during the course of duties undertaken.
• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
• To attend and participate in the Trust mandatory training plus departmental in-service training.
• To adhere to departmental policies and procedures.
• To teach, assess and contribute to the performance assessment and appraisal of assistant therapy staff.
• To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced based practice in DCD, developing specialist knowledge of particular condition and patient types.
• To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidenced based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with more senior colleagues.
• To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in formal learning, supervision sessions, peer review / support and external courses.
• To undertake, as directed the collection of activity data for service management and other data for use in audit or research.
• To manage and undertake audit and research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of methodologies as part of multi-disciplinary audit / research and departmental initiatives.
• To be actively involved in professional clinical groups such as the journal club, action learning set, clinical interest groups and other professional development activities.
• To provide support, guidance and training to assistant therapy staff, assessing and evaluating competence.

Organisational

• To be responsible for the supervision and delegation of appropriate tasks to assistants and students.
• To ensure that your own practice and that of any staff / students under your supervision meets the required professional standards and CSP rules of professional conduct.
• To deputise for the Band 7 therapist in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the area to meet service priorities on a daily basis.
• To be responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change / arise.
• To contribute to the development, implementation and promotion of departmental and Trust policies and procedures.
• To ensure effective use of time, resources and organisational skills in order to promote an organised and efficient working environment.

At Sheffield Children's, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are Outstanding Patient Care, Brilliant Place to Work, and Leaders in Children's Health.

We work with partners across local, regional, and national levels to deliver physical and mental healthcare in both acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise.

We\'re proud that 73% of colleagues would recommend Sheffield Children\'s as a place to work, placing us among the top five NHS trusts in England - and the top-ranked trust in the North East and Yorkshire - in the latest NHS Staff Survey.

Our nearly 4,000 colleagues bring our CARE values - Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence - to life every day, creating a kind, welcoming environment where patients and families feel safe and supported.

As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we\'re excited to keep building our leadership in children\'s health, improve experiences for patients and staff, and focus on our communities and population health.

We also offer excellent benefits to support your wellbeing, with generous annual leave and pension schemes, health and wellbeing programmes, and exclusive discounts - helping you thrive at work and beyond.