Senior Orthotist in Plymouth

With Devon's coastline and Dartmoor nearby, Plymouth offers the perfect blend of career challenge and lifestyle. At Livewell Southwest, you'll join a progressive organisation that values innovation, collaboration, and staff wellbeing as much as patient care.

We are seeking an experienced orthotist, who in the role of senior orthotist will join a small orthotics team with strong links to a wide range of hospital and community based teams.

• Manage a complex caseload with scope to expand into specialist areas
• Mentor orthotists, graduates, and students
• Collaborate with technical teams and MDT colleagues to deliver patient solutions
• Contribute to governance, evidence-based practice, and service development
• Represent the service locally and nationally

• Career development in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment
• A culture that values wellbeing, growth, and innovation

• An HCPC registered highly experienced orthotist
• Someone passionate about advancing prosthetic care and outcomes

The Orthotics Service consists of a team of orthotic clinicians, technicians and support staff providing high quality care for people living within the commissioned areas of Plymouth and South West Devon with a wide range of conditions amenable to management with an orthotic solution. As well as a base in Plymouth, the service runs satellite clinics at University Hospital Plymouth, South Hams Hospital, The Plymouth Child Development Centre and local special schools. Although predominantly clinic based, the role includes visiting both the acute and community hospitals.

The role will work within the scope of the HCPC professional code of practice and Livewell Southwest policies. Also working collaboratively and maintain key working relationships with managers, service heads and leads. Within the role you will be expected to work with more complex patients providing holistic evidence-based care, assessing, planning, implementing the treatment requirements of the practice population. Participate in the management of enhanced assessments including at a variety of multi-disciplinary clinics. Promoting and supporting people in their care and treatment to help them manage their own health and wellbeing, maximise independence. Share knowledge and skills and empower others. Support the audit of patient outcomes. Prevent hospital admission. All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities.

If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

• To provide Orthotic clinical input across the organisation and to partner organisations.
• Give clinical and professional advice to relevant multi-disciplinary teams regarding appropriate orthotic provision for patients.
• To participate in the implementation of relevant care pathways within the prosthetic profession.
• To participate with relevant clinical competency frameworks and essential training for the orthotic service and others as required when linked to the profession.
• Accept referrals from medical and healthcare professionals and undertake clinical assessment and examination of patients to provide suitable highly specialist orthotic clinical-technical prescriptions for patients with a wide range of presentations including complex patients.
• To contribute to discussion around and development of clinical procedures, protocols, guidelines and policies that will support evidence based or best practice for the orthotic profession in line with current organisation policy.
• Use a range of measurement and data acquisition techniques in recording all pertinent information to ensure accuracy of patient prescriptions.
• Specify the design, componentry, materials, fabrication method and suppliers of orthoses and order individual items to meet the patients clinical needs.
• Perform mechanical and technical adjustments to orthoses.
• Perform positive model and CADCAM rectifications as appropriate.
• Evaluate the completed device on the patient to ensure the desired quality of body-device interface, functional alignment, comfort, cosmetic appearance and mechanical integrity and safety.
• Re-evaluate the above following Service agreed time intervals to meet patient needs or requirements of a care plan (review appointments).
• Provide verbal, visual and written information, explanation and highly specialised clinical advice to the patient and/or carers at every stage of device provision for informed consent.
• Report patient adverse incidents related to the provision of orthoses to maintain patient safety and engage in national reporting and monitoring procedures for specialised medical devices.
• Advise and maintain effective liaison with technical support personnel including assistance with training to ensure best current technical practice in meeting patients needs.
• Use excellent negotiation and counselling skills and other tools to ensure the effective communication of complex, sensitive and emotional information and to overcome barriers to understanding.
• To be accountable for the direct delivery of service by providing holistic evidence-based practice to patients and their carers, ensuring maximum independence and quality of life in a constantly changing environment.
• To achieve positive patient outcomes in partnership with multi-professional agencies and promoting this throughout the clinical team.
• Utilise a range of specialised clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical setting in which they are seen.
• Exercising a high level of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
• To triage and accept appropriate routine and urgent referrals directly from other disciplines, patients, carers, and members of the public and/or refer to other agencies where appropriate. Ensuring all referrals are prioritised accordingly.
• Whilst working within professional guidelines to make clinical decisions without supervision.
• To undertake comprehensive risk assessments of all situations associated with the care of patients to ensure patients and the carers safety.
• Preserve confidentiality and be aware of the Data Protection Act, Access to Health Records and Consent for Treatment.
• To line manage junior members of the team as and when required, supported by the clinical lead orthotist/principal orthotist.
• Contribute to the learning environment within the department, making suggestions about areas for development in the clinical area to enhance individual development and performance in the delivery of high standards.
• Acting as a resource and assist in teaching knowledge and clinical skills for other health care professionals/colleagues.
• Act as mentor for new staff and students, including delivery of a structured induction and training program for new members of staff alongside the service support manager and other senior clinicians.
• Ensure they are fully aware of their scope within the department.
• Take part in the process of clinical supervision and support clinical supervision and reflective practice for team members.
• Participate in recruitment and selection of new staff.
• Provide guidance for and maintain effective working relationships with service managers and staff to ensure service efficiency.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive documentation in line with legal and service requirements as an autonomous practitioner and to communicate assessment and other clinic outcomes to appropriate persons in the form of reports and letters.
• Maintain patient clinical records in accordance with HCPC policy and local guidelines.
• Report any accidents, complaints, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents following Trust procedure.
• Support the Clinical lead orthotist/Service manager in the recording of accurate clinical activity data for data capture required for reporting.
• Ensure line management and appraisal documentation is completed for the team members for which they hold manager responsibility.
• Carry out risk assessments and record these on the organisations risk register.
• Maintain and update risks on the risk register as required.
• Ensure adherence to Livewell Southwest Policies.
• To contribute to the analysis of relevant clinical incidents across the profession and implementing learning from outcomes.
• To work with the clinical lead/senior clinicians in identifying, assessing and managing risk across the profession/service, utilising the risk register as appropriate.
• To proactively support clinical leaders with the management and maintenance of health, safety, and security following the relevant legislation and current organisation and service policies.
• Provide feedback upon relevant clinical procedures/protocols/policies/audit guidelines for specific aspects of own service in line with NICE guidance, best practice Guidance and professional forums and support implementation into practice.
• To proactively support and engage in clinical service improvements, suggesting new ideas, innovations and approaches to develop clinical and service excellence and quality of delivery, taking into account patient and other service users views and opinions to optimise the use of resources and respond proactively to changes in service needs.
• Monitor the emergence of new evidence and implement and evaluate research-based recommendations that are expected to improve patient care in own work area.
• Maintain links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care.
• Partake in audit and research within own specialty.
• To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
• Contribute to discussions around the implementation of robust prescription guidelines to maximise budget for all patients based on individual needs.
• To ensure consideration of available budgets when prescribing equipment and components and ensuring maintenance and repair is upheld.
• Contribute to discussion around approval of devices requested outside of prescription guidelines or agreed allowances.
• Ensure safe and efficient use of stock and equipment.
• Ensure equipment is checked appropriately.
• Report any equipment defects.
• Advise stores person if low stock noted.
• Exercise a duty of care in relation to the use of the organisations equipment and resources in a cost-effective manner.
• To contribute to resource governance through knowledge and appropriate prescribing decisions.
• To be responsible for organising own time management on a daily basis in line with caseload demands balancing patient needs with the non-clinical aspect of the role.
• To attend various sites to carry out role, including satellite clinic and in-patient settings as necessary.
• To participate in an annual appraisal of their work in line with the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) where the job description will be reviewed, and objectives set. In line with the annual development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.
• To remain updated and competent and ensure that clinical practice is evidence based.
• Maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• To abide by the Statement of Conduct for Prosthetists/Orthotists of the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Practice in accordance with the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists Guidelines for Best Practice.
• Participate in Clinical Supervision in accordance with the Organisations Policy.
• Proactively participate in peer support and supervision which may include for example, reflective practice, case conferences, journal clubs, clinical discussion and supervision sessions with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Participate and propose changes in Quality Assurance Systems, protocols and procedures as relevant and necessary.
• Ensure that Health & Safety legislation is complied with at all times, being aware of and following Organisational and Service Policies including: Health and Safety COSHH Infection Control Incident and complaints reporting.

• Post-graduate experience in clinical orthotic practice.
• Demonstrable exposure to a wide range of highly specialist clinical orthotic practice.
• Managing a clinical & manufacturing caseload that includes complex cases and a range of age groups and conditions.
• Use of relevant outcome measures.
• Experience of effective multidisciplinary working.
• Demonstrate involvement in quality issues or service improvement.
• Experience of audit/research.
• Student mentoring and line management experience.
• Training of clinical and technical staff.
• Service redesign or involvement in change.

• BSc Hons Prosthetics/Orthotics or equivalent.
• HCPC Registration.
• Postgraduate education and/or CPD relating to specialist orthotics provision.
• Membership of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists.
• Postgraduate education and/or CPD relating to specialist Orthotics provision some to MSc level.

• Highly Specialist knowledge of orthotic theory, prescription, manufacture and delivery.
• Highly Specialist Clinical assessment skills to enable clinical diagnosis and onward referral.
• Expertise in problem solving for complex orthotic cases.
• Detailed knowledge of medical device products and technologies relevant to clinical practice.
• Competent across a wide range of areas of orthotic clinical practice.
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to change.
• Ability to communicate complex information to patients and carers including children and those with learning disabilities, mental illness or psychological distress/disturbance.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing patient information and professional knowledge effectively to all levels of healthcare professional and support staff.
• Basic engineering workshop hand and machine skills.
• Fully competent in all areas of orthotic clinical practice.
• Working knowledge of ISO9000 quality management system.

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.

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working.