Clinical Lead Physiotherapist – Paediatrics in Luton

Step into a pivotal leadership role at the heart of children's healthcare in Luton. We're seeking an inspiring clinical and operational leader to guide our Paediatric Therapy Service across both community and acute settings. You'll oversee a vibrant, wide-reaching service that supports children in special schools, mainstream schools and nurseries, delivers community paediatric outpatient care, and provides expert therapy input on Acute Paediatric wards and within Paediatric Musculoskeletal clinics. Your leadership will also extend to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the neonatal follow‑up service, and a dedicated clerical support team. This is a rare opportunity to shape high-quality, compassionate care across the entire paediatric pathway while leading a committed, multidisciplinary team who share your passion for making a meaningful difference to children and families.

Main duties of the job

• To ensure service delivery aligns with the service specification, is evidence based value for money and in line with the national and local agendas.
• To ensure all patients within the paediatric therapy service are assessed and treated to the highest standards of care following current evidence based practice.
• To overview and review paediatric therapy service, implementing change and evaluating change to ensure effective and efficient service for all patients.
• To be the lead clinician for the paediatric therapy service.
• To deliver advanced physiotherapy assessment, intervention, and consultation for children with complex acquired and developmental disabilities and social needs.
• To act as a clinical source of expertise for the paediatric therapy Team, the multi‑disciplinary team and other agencies within and external to the Trust.
• To be responsible for the analysis, dissemination, implementation and monitoring of national guidelines and standards applicable to the paediatric therapy service.
• To work collaboratively and in partnership with the Therapies Leads, other Allied Health Professional Team Leads and other stakeholders within and external to the trust.

Clinical duties:

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.
• Undertake a comprehensive, holistic assessment of patients, including those with diverse or highly complex presentations / multi pathologies, using highly advanced clinical reasoning, analytical and investigative skills and highly specially assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis.
• Formulate and deliver an individual evidence based physiotherapy treatment programme based on highly specialised knowledge.
• This necessitates high levels of autonomy and the analysis of information from a wide range of sources, interpreting results to inform assessment and treatment planning and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment interventions.
• Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive discharge plans.
• Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
• To have an expert working knowledge of the wider MDT and follow‑up rehabilitation and treatment services.
• To work as an effective member of the MDT and make appropriate and timely referrals to MDT colleagues.
• Use recognised outcome measures, assessment tools and highly advanced clinical skills to evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
• To manage clinical risk within own caseload.
• To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive written patient treatment records, referral letters and reports in line with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy standards of practice.
• Develop and evaluate written information for patients and carers.
• Demonstrate highly specialist skills within the assessment and treatment of community paediatric patients.
• Act as a source of expertise within the Trust for paediatric Therapy.
• To co‑ordinate and lead multidisciplinary clinics for complex patients with consultants, Orthotics and Therapy Staff.
• To Lead and have clinical oversight on projects covering acute and community services, such as provision of community respiratory service and flow of orthopaedic patients pre and post op.
• To deliver effective evidence based patient education talks to groups of patients/carers on topics relevant to the community paediatric physiotherapy setting.
• To provide regular effective clinical supervision for named qualified and non‑qualified staff within the community paediatric physiotherapy team.
• To participate in professional networks at regional and national levels for peer support, maintaining and developing clinical skills and knowledge.
• To engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning according to Health Care Professions Council guidelines.

Person Specification

• Qualifications

• Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience and training
• Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)
• Current professional registration with HCPC

• Proven experience in working in a management / leadership position within NHS
• Extensive clinical experience within paediatrics
• Significant experience working as part of and MDT
• Track record of delivering services with national and local targets.
• Experience managing a large / complex team or teams
• Business case development and annual planning
• Leading change in practice, process, and services in a complex environment to improve performance and quality
• Leading on quality improvement and projects
• Identifying and interpreting national policy and implementing required changes

• In depth understanding of paediatric initiatives, guidelines and policies
• Heightened awareness of national Allied Health Professional initiatives
• In depth understanding of change management
• Able to use IT systems including utilisation of virtual systems, office including excel
• Understanding of the current NHS agenda and health policy including transformation and workforce
• Knowledge of service improvement and project management
• Knowledge of risk management and governance

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.