Specialist Physiotherapist

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is 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 workforce of more than 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 population of County Durham and Darlington.

Do you have enthusiasm and motivation to take on new challenges 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‑centred care with a progressive multi‑disciplinary team?

We are looking for a dynamic Specialist Physiotherapist to join our Countywide Community Neuro Rehab Team. The post will be based at Chester‑le‑Street Community Hospital and cover North Durham.

Main duties of the job

• Independently manage your own caseload in the community, providing goal‑led interventions following a comprehensive assessment.
• Develop highly specialist knowledge of many neurological conditions and the application of the physiotherapy process with these patients.

Opportunities to:

• Develop skills in holistic assessment beyond the scope of traditional Physiotherapy practice.
• Develop your supervisory, leadership and service development skills.
• Support assistant staff and help with their development.
• Lead and participate in peer support and in‑service training.
• Work within a dynamic multi‑disciplinary team.

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 care in patients’ homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as these groups are currently under‑represented.

Job responsibilities

• Organise and prioritise your own workload and monitor those you clinically supervise within a defined area.
• Independently screen, prioritise and plan interventions for routine and priority referrals received within the specialist area.
• Use sound clinical judgement to prioritise patients within a demanding and unpredictable environment, ensuring effective use of resources.
• Assist staff under your supervision to prioritise their caseloads and advise them on appropriate interventions in response to complex cases daily.
• Undertake holistic and comprehensive specialist assessments of patients, including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi‑pathologies that change across the caseload.
• Utilise analytical and clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques appropriate to the neurological condition, interpreting facts and selecting the appropriate treatment and implementing rehabilitation programmes.

Person Specification

• Statutory Registration
• HCPC
• Member of CSP
• Special Requirements
• Ability to travel and carry small items of equipment to fulfil the requirements of the post
• Valid Full UK driving licence
• Ability to meet physical demands of the post
• 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
• Experience
• Comprehensive and relevant qualified experience in physical rehabilitation including recent general rehabilitation experience
• Experience of collaborative working within multi‑disciplinary teams
• Evidence of communication skills within a wide variety of settings
• Experience in staff appraisals
• Experience in working in a variety of settings
• 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 implication for services, including experience of quality and audit
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's 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
• Evidence of self‑directed learning and critical appraisal skills
• Ability to use own initiative appropriately to enhance service delivery
• Presentational skills
• Evidence of participation in research/audit
• Clinical supervision of other therapy staff/students
• Clinical educator experience

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.

£39,959 to £48,117 a year, pro rata.