Specialist UCR-VW Therapist (Occupational or Physiotherapist)

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

Job summary

A healthcare provider is seeking a Band 6 Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist in St Leonards. This role involves delivering urgent community responses, supporting virtual ward services, and engaging in multidisciplinary care. Ideal candidates will have HCPC registration, experience in acute or community settings, and demonstrate strong communication skills. The position offers a salary range of £38,682 to £46,580 annually and is based on-site with full-time hours. You'll be part of a proactive team focused on patient care and rehabilitation.

Benefits

Access to NHS pension scheme

Professional development opportunities

Onsite nurseries and restaurants

Qualifications

• Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist.
• Clinical experience in acute or community settings required.
• Ability to work independently under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Deliver urgent community responses to patients.
• Support virtual ward services and care planning.
• Liaise with multidisciplinary teams for patient care.

Skills

Strong assessment skills

Excellent communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Team-focused approach

Education

BSc / MSc in Occupational therapy or Physiotherapy

Job description

Job Summary

We are committed to enhancing patient outcomes through a robust quality improvement approach. Our integrated model, combining urgent community response and virtual ward services, enables us to deliver a truly seamless, multi-disciplinary approach to care. Urgent community response and virtual wards provide a 7 day working service.

As part of our "Art of the Possible" vision, we're delivering rehabilitation and care that is:

• Closer to home
• Faster to access
• Seamlessly coordinated
• Built around our patients

Our Home First and Virtual Ward models are at the heart of this transformation—enabling people to recover in their own homes with hospital-level support, surrounded by comfort, dignity, and expert care.

This means:

• Faster recovery and fewer hospital admissions
• Truly personalised care, wherever it's needed
• Greater independence and better outcomes for our communities

Main Duties of the Job

• Deliver a 2‑hour urgent community response to help prevent hospital admissions
• Support virtual ward services and contribute to care planning
• Complete assessments and deliver therapy interventions for all discharge pathways
• Work closely with specialist clinical therapy teams to promote integrated MDT working
• Lead with service development, policy implementation, and audit activities
• Liaise with acute, community, and social care teams to provide person‑centred care
• Participate in health promotion and education for staff, patients, and families
• Take part in the weekend and bank holiday rota on a rotational basis

What We're Looking For

• HCPC registration (Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist)
• Clinical experience in acute or community settings
• Strong assessment, communication, and problem‑solving skills
• A proactive, team‑focused approach with the ability to work independently under pressure
• Band 5‑7 candidates will be considered

Please ensure your application clearly demonstrates how you meet the Person Specification.

About Us

We offer a wide range of staff benefits, including professional development opportunities, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto‑enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, and access to onsite nurseries, staff restaurants, and accommodation.

All staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme, alongside support from our internal Occupational Health department. Onsite parking is available from just £50 per year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust—submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage using AI‑generated content when applying for roles with us. Your application should reflect your authentic skills, experiences, and motivations, expressed in your own words and perspective.

Using AI may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, or experience and could create a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

Please complete your application thoughtfully to help us understand your potential and ensure a fair evaluation. Excessive use of AI‑generated content may reduce your chances of success.

Details

• Date posted: 17 December 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full‑time
• Reference number: 374‑SR3714‑D
• Job locations: Cross Site, St Leonards on sea, TN37 7RD

Person Specification

• BSc / MSc in Occupational therapy or Physiotherapy
• Current registration with HCPC
• Broad range of Band 5 rotations
• Experience of multi‑professional working
• Experience of using client‑centred goals
• Evidence of CPD in previous year
• Motivated to work flexibly within an inter‑professional framework
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate workload
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Full driving licence and car driver
• Available for on‑call and weekend duties
• Evidence that personal behaviour reflects Trust Values
• Specialist postgraduate training (desirable)
• Practice Student Educator (desirable)
• Experience in acute and community setting (desirable)
• Experience of equipment prescription (desirable)
• Specialist client group knowledge (desirable)
• Awareness of change management processes/models (desirable)
• Experience of providing supervision (desirable)

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled work sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer Details

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Cross Site, St Leonards on sea, TN37 7RD

Website: http://jobs.esht.nhs.uk/