Team Manager - Wheelchair Services in Sunderland

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Wheelchair Service Team Manager to lead our Wheelchair and Posture Service in Sunderland. This is an excellent opportunity to provide operational, professional and clinical leadership to a team of Wheelchair Assessors, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and person‑centred services that maximise mobility, promote independence and enhance quality of life. Delivered through a partnership between Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Care and Support, the Wheelchair and Posture Service provides assessment, provision and maintenance of specialist wheelchairs and postural equipment for children and adults across Sunderland. We are committed to enabling people to achieve their personal goals, participate fully in everyday life and maintain their independence through high‑quality, responsive services.

The service strives to maintain high standards of customer care and works with its practitioners to assure continuous professional development, demonstrating best practice and a high commitment to the undergraduate education of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy students. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and forward‑thinking leader to make a real difference to the lives of people across Sunderland while helping to shape the future of Wheelchair and Posture Services.

Main duties of the job

As Team Manager, you will be responsible for the operational management and performance of the service, leading and supporting staff to deliver excellent outcomes for service users. You will provide professional leadership, expert clinical consultation and guidance to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy colleagues, promoting best practice, quality improvement and professional development. Working collaboratively across health and social care, you will establish and maintain effective partnerships with therapy services, social care teams and colleagues in both community and acute settings. You will also work closely with service users and stakeholders, including the Sunderland Wheelchair User Group, ensuring that customer feedback and co‑production are central to service development and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping and developing the service, working alongside fellow Team Managers and the Therapies Senior Management Team to deliver service improvements, transformation initiatives and strategic priorities that improve outcomes for the people we support. You will be an effective communicator with excellent interpersonal, analytical and problem‑solving skills, capable of building positive relationships with a wide range of partners and using data and performance information to inform decision‑making and drive service improvement.

Job responsibilities

• Responsible for staff/equipment: The postholder will be responsible for a designated service area, providing regular consultation, leadership, supervision, appraisal and first level HR functions for staff within their team.
• The postholder will monitor the use of equipment, including IT equipment for staff within their service area.

Main purpose of job

• Represents, organises, and leads Wheelchair Services, within the Community Therapy Services to deliver the service effectively, efficiently, to a high standard and within budget.
• Ensures effective performance management for the services within the responsibility of the post.
• Involved in service improvement for the team within the responsibility of the post.
• Ensures the Strategic Manager & Head of Service are kept aware of trends, quality, and availability of resources.
• Leads or contributes to projects on behalf of the Strategic Manager and Head of Therapies.

Key responsibilities

• Plans and organises own work and that of the team.
• Always ensures continuity of service delivery.
• Supports and supervises team members and ensures high quality services are provided to customers, including the provision of regular consultation to team members to guide therapy staff on clinical cases and decisions.
• Promotes a culture of learning within the organisation.
• Motivates, leads, and develops team members through formal and informal supervision, personal development plans, and annual appraisal.
• Delivers training and presentations within the service, as appropriate.
• Delivers Wheelchair Trusted Assessor training within the service and to partners across the City.
• Completes first line Human Resource aspects of the role including Wheelchair Service absence monitoring and Human Resource processes in line with policies and procedures.
• Provides regular supervision to staff working in the Wheelchair Service.
• Supports the Wheelchair Service Front Door providing a direction and a level of supervision to admin staff.
• Monitors performance of individual staff members and team performance for the area of responsibility using available resources.
• Responsible for ensuring team members understand and comply with Health and Safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• Responsible for ensuring team members complete mandatory training.
• Completes risk assessments with staff members when appropriate.
• Works collaboratively and develops relationships, working alongside key partners to ensure effective service provision.
• Continuously reviews business processes and procedures to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
• Promotes the Wheelchair Service and the Community Therapy service, its purpose, and developments within the service and to key partners.
• Champions Safeguarding within the service, ensuring all aspects of safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Ensures the Equal Opportunities Policy is adhered to within the team in employment and service delivery.
• Treats all customers, members of the public and colleagues equally and with respect.
• Promotes and champions a positive organisation‑wide culture, reflecting the Council’s values.

Key tasks

• Screens and allocates referrals within agreed time frames.
• Regularly monitors the workload of staff within their team in line with the workload management policy.
• Provides regular consultation with staff, offering expert advice and guidance on their cases, in line with relevant policies and procedures.
• Completes regular supervision and appraisals for team members inline with policy and procedure.
• Monitors the compliance of staff with mandatory training and promotes learning opportunities for staff within the area of responsibility.
• Attends meetings within the service and represents the service at other meetings, as delegated.
• Effectively monitors Health & Safety aspects of the role and to actively participate in health and safety reviews, risk assessments and monitors teams compliance to service and organisational health and safety policies and procedures.
• Participates in audits and reviews across the service as delegated by the Strategic Manager/Principal OT/Head of Therapies.
• Maintains own Continuous Professional Development through a variety of learning methods.
• Complies with the organisations and services essential training requirements.
• Participates in supervision and appraisal with line manager.
• Maintains individual professional registration with the Health & Care Professions Council.

Other duties/specific policies e.g. DBS

The post holder must carry out the duties with full regard to the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy, Code of Conduct and all other Council Policies. The post holder must comply with the Council's Health and safety rules and regulations and with Health and safety legislation. The post holder must comply with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to the management of Council records and information. To comply with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR in relation to the management of Council records and information and respect the privacy of personal information held by the Council.

Person Specification

Experience

• A minimum of 4 years post qualifying clinical experience as an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or Nurse.
• A minimum of 2 years leadership experience in a relevant health or social care setting.
• Recognised leadership training/qualification.

Skills, Knowledge, Ability

• A thorough knowledge of how the Wheelchair Service and Community Therapies fits into the wider health and social care provision.
• An ability to work collaboratively and build effective relationships with wheelchair users, individuals, groups, and key partners internal and external to the organisation.
• Effective communication & listening skills, including the ability to produce reports.
• Ability to prioritise workload, be flexible and adjust plans according to competing demands.
• Ability to critically analyse information, including performance data and analysis of demand.
• Ability to analyse data and produce performance reports.
• Ability to lead and motivate staff in a confident manner & to provide human resource functions at an appropriate level, including supervision and appraisal; staff development; managing resources, monitoring staff performance and staff wellbeing.
• Ability to provide effective leadership to a team.
• Ability to participate in projects as delegated by the Head of Therapies/Strategic Manager.

Work Related Circumstances/ Values of the Council

• Commitment to Equal Opportunities.
• Compliance with health and safety rules, regulations, and legislation.
• Ability to comply with the Council's values of: We respect.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) or Diploma in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy or Nursing.
• Current registration with Health and Care Professions Council or appropriate Registered Nurse professional body.

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.