Physiotherapy Lead for Inpatient Health Care of the older person in Torquay

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Band 7 Physiotherapist to lead the Health Care of the Older Person (HOP) inpatient physiotherapy service at Torbay Hospital. This is a senior clinical leadership role combining advanced physiotherapy expertise with operational and team management responsibilities. You will lead a team delivering high-quality, patient-centred care to older adults with complex needs, including frailty, multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, and functional decline.

Working within a fast-paced acute environment, you will play a key role in improving patient flow, reducing length of stay, and preventing deconditioning, supporting a "home first" approach to care. You will provide visible leadership across multiple wards, ensuring safe staffing, effective use of resources, and the delivery of evidence-based, compassionate care. The role includes a clinical caseload alongside responsibility for team performance, workforce planning, and service improvement.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and develop services for older people within an integrated system, working collaboratively across acute, community, and social care interfaces.

Main duties of the job

• Provide clinical and operational leadership to the Health Care of the Older Person physiotherapy team to deliver safe, effective, high-quality care.
• Manage a specialist clinical caseload involving complex frailty, multimorbidity, and cognitive impairment.
• Lead physiotherapy input into multidisciplinary team (MDT) working, supporting coordinated care and patient flow.
• Drive proactive discharge planning and support safe, timely transitions of care.
• Promote rehabilitation, recovery, and independence within a "home first" and deconditioning prevention model.
• Supervise, appraise, and develop physiotherapy staff, support workers, and students.
• Coordinate staffing, rota management, and workforce deployment across inpatient wards.
• Monitor service performance, contributing to reduced length of stay and improved outcomes.
• Lead service development, audit, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with clinical governance, professional standards, and Trust policies.
• Work collaboratively across organisational boundaries to support integrated care pathways.
• Act as a clinical expert and role model for complex decision-making and high-risk cases.

You will join a compassionate and forward-thinking multidisciplinary team within Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. The service is committed to delivering proactive, person-centred care and fostering a supportive culture where staff are encouraged to learn, innovate, and contribute to service improvement.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will act as an autonomous practitioner, delivering advanced physiotherapy assessment and intervention for older adults with complex physical, cognitive, and behavioural needs. You will lead on rehabilitation planning, risk management, and decision-making in complex clinical situations, ensuring care is safe, person-centred, and aligned with patient goals.

You will also act as a clinical expert in frailty, supporting colleagues in managing complex patients, contributing to multidisciplinary decision-making, and influencing care across the urgent care pathway. The post holder will provide professional and operational leadership to physiotherapy teams across HOP wards and short-stay areas. This includes day-to-day workforce management, supervision, performance management, and staff development.

You will promote a positive, inclusive team culture, supporting learning, reflective practice, and continuous improvement, while ensuring safe staffing, effective skill mix, and high-quality service delivery.

You will lead the organisation and prioritisation of service delivery across multiple inpatient wards, ensuring responsive and efficient allocation of physiotherapy resources. This includes rota coordination, managing referrals, and balancing capacity with demand in a dynamic environment.

You will support effective discharge planning, contributing to reduced length of stay, avoidance of hospital-acquired deconditioning, and improved patient flow. The role requires highly developed communication skills to manage complex, sensitive discussions with patients, families, and professionals. You will work collaboratively with medical, nursing, therapy, and social care teams to ensure coordinated care and effective transitions between services.

You will represent physiotherapy within MDT and multi-agency meetings, providing specialist advice on rehabilitation, discharge planning, and ongoing care needs. You will ensure compliance with professional standards, Trust policies, and clinical governance frameworks, maintaining high standards of documentation and care delivery.

The post holder will lead and contribute to audit, research, and quality improvement initiatives, embedding evidence-based practice and driving service innovation. You will manage a complex workload, balancing clinical and leadership duties while responding flexibly to changing service demands. Responsibilities include prioritisation of care, workforce planning, and escalation of risks affecting service delivery.

The role involves working across multiple inpatient wards in a busy acute setting, requiring adaptability and resilience. You will manage physically demanding clinical activity, frequent decision-making under pressure, and emotionally challenging situations associated with caring for frail older adults.

Person specification

• Degree or graduate diploma in Physiotherapy.
• Current HCPC registration.
• Evidence of post graduate training in leadership.
• Evidence of post graduate CPD relevant to frailty/older people's care.
• Masters qualification in leadership or relevant clinical field.
• Specialist qualification in frailty/older persons rehabilitation.
• Significant post graduate experience in the management of the older person.
• Recent experience of working in the NHS within a Physiotherapy role.
• Demonstrates leadership and management experience including participation in achievement reviews/supervision/students.
• Direct experience of leading an MDT.
• Direct experience of working across NHS urgent care pathways including hospital/community.

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.

If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a 'Staff Carers' policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer's Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.

The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.