Job summary
Come and join us! This is a great opportunity to become part of our dynamic, friendly, and forward-thinking, inclusive Physiotherapy Team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. We are recruiting an enthusiastic and highly motivated band 6 physiotherapist for a 12 months FTC/secondment to cover maternity leave from: 4th July 2025 to; 3rd July 2026 specifically.
At the RSCH, the Physiotherapy Team will be based both in the existing buildings but also in the exciting purpose-built Louisa Martindale Building, where there is a the multi-disciplinary office in the new building with access to our brand-new ADL Suites, garden and therapy gym. Enabling, our staff to really make a difference to our patients' therapy and care.
Main duties of the job
As an autonomous practitioner, to assess and treat specialist caseload of neurological patients, who may have complex and/or chronic presentation, and to determine a diagnosis and develop treatment programmes without direct supervision from Senior Staff
To support the MDT in the planning and organisation of the neurological physiotherapy and multi-disciplinary team activities and programmes.
To be responsible for teaching, supervision and appraisal of recently qualified physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants, rehabilitation support workers and undergraduate students, and be involved in the teaching of MDT staff
To undertake evidence-based practice and participate in departmental and multi-disciplinary team research and audit.
To adhere to Departmental protocols, CRT protocols, Trust policies and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Code of Conduct, and National Standards where they exist
Rotations across sites; Stroke, NeuroMedical, Neurosurgery, Neuro-Outpatients and Sussex Rehab Centre
Please note that if you currently work for another NHS Trust or UHSussex and you are applying to accept this position as a secondment opportunity, before applying you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current Trust/Manager. Secondments can't be agreed without this approval. If you are unable to gain approval you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.
About us
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication
- To adapt communication skills to encourage patients to undertake their treatment programme, including patients with communication difficulties e.g. dementia, learning difficulties, visual and hearing impairments and non-English speaking patients, and dysphasia. Advise other members of staff on appropriate basic communication strategies where necessary.
- To assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment, such as patients who have dementia, dysphasia, dysarthria, cognitive and perceptual problems, or who are acutely confused or who are sedated and ventilated.
To persuade, motivate, reassure, empathise, explain and encourage patients in undertaking their treatment programme, ensure understanding of their condition and communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential.
To clearly communicate sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. This may include explaining prognoses about long-term disabilities, where an educational and counselling role is required.
- To be able to de-escalate potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients, and relatives using negotiation and interpersonal skills.
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
- To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This may include attending case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings.
- Ensure timely communication with the team leader on all professional matters.
Service Delivery and Improvement
- To ensure the safe use of equipment as part of physiotherapy intervention and the reporting of faults according to trust policy.
- To comply with and ensure implementation of all trust policies and procedures and the Health and Safety at Work Act, including adherence to Universal Precautions and Infection Control measures.
- To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using POMR (Problem Orientated Medical Records) and SAP (Single Assessment Process) format to demonstrate evaluation, analysis and clinical reasoning in the provision of patient care.
- To maintain the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and departments/team standards for documentation.
- To record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances in consultation with senior staff.
- Use computer databases to provide accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by line manager.
- To flexibly plan and prioritise own time to ensure that patient care, training, supervision, and meetings are undertaken with occasional guidance from line manager.
- To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service.
- To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required and to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as required.
- To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.
- To assist with multidisciplinary management of referrals to Community Rehabilitation team.
- To be responsible for the operational management of the clinical team in the absence of the team leader.
- To assist Senior Staff in the proposal and implementation of Trust Policy and Service Developments within neurology services.
People Management and Development
To assist the team leader in the day-to-day supervision and coordination of the junior and assistant physiotherapy staff.
To supervise less experienced staff and formulate Individual Development Plans and undertake regular appraisals with Junior and assistant staff.
To supervise undergraduate physiotherapy students on clinical placements within the department.
To lead interdisciplinary projects to develop the service, with assistance and guidance of more senior members of staff.
To flexibly plan and prioritise own time to ensure that patient care, training, supervision, and meetings are undertaken with occasional guidance from Band 7 and Band 8a staff.
To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service.
To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required and to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as required.
To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.
To be responsible for the operational management of the clinical team in the absence of the team leader.
To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using POMR (Problem Orientated Medical Records) format to demonstrate evaluation, analysis and clinical reasoning in the provision of patient care.
To maintain the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and departments standards for documentation.
To record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances in consultation with senior staff.
Use computer databases to provide accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by Band 7 and Band 8a Staff.
Patient Care Delivery
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable, as an autonomous practitioner, for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
- To ensure high standards of clinical care within the designated area, and adhere to Trust, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Departmental/ Team standards of care.
- To be competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of neurological patients, including those with a complex presentation, using advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, often in situations where conflicting evidence is present.
To be competent in the initial interdisciplinary team risk assessment of patients and effectively communicate these findings to the rest of the team, in order to identify patients needs.
- To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, which may be conflicting, using underpinning theoretical knowledge and experience to suggest a diagnoses, identify main problems and form prognoses in a wide range of complex and complicated conditions.
- To formulate and develop individual patient management, treatment and discharge plans, using clinical reasoning, current evidence and a wide range of treatment skills.
- To seek Senior guidance with highly complex or challenging patient cases.
- To demonstrate well developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for the assessment, therapeutic handling and manual treatment of patients e.g. specific soft tissue mobilisation, facilitation of movement and massage.
- To continually re-assess patients in order to progress treatments effectively and advise patients and carers on the appropriate time to return to work, sports and other activities.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and ensure its effective application to the work situation, guided by senior staff Superintendents and Physiotherapy Management / team manger as needed.
- Maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times and support peoples equality, diversity and rights.
- To use theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate, e.g. for assessment or further treatment or specialist consultant opinions.
- To be an active member of the evening and weekend on-call service and / or orthopaedic service.
- To maintain professionalism in public, ward, in the patients homes and rehabilitation areas.
- To advise the senior staff / team leader of any problems within the service to ensure quality and effectiveness of care for their patients.
- To undertake any other duties as may be deemed necessary by Physiotherapy managers / team manager in the provision of the physiotherapy service.
- To co-ordinate interventions which include other disciplines and services, e.g. through key working, multi-disciplinary team meetings, hospital / social services, goal setting meetings and joint treatment programmes.
- To be responsible for maintaining standards relating to risk assessment and lone working policies within the community setting.To take part in 7-day services and on call rotas.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication
- To adapt communication skills to encourage patients to undertake their treatment programme, including patients with communication difficulties e.g. dementia, learning difficulties, visual and hearing impairments and non-English speaking patients, and dysphasia. Advise other members of staff on appropriate basic communication strategies where necessary.
- To assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment, such as patients who have dementia, dysphasia, dysarthria, cognitive and perceptual problems, or who are acutely confused or who are sedated and ventilated.
To persuade, motivate, reassure, empathise, explain and encourage patients in undertaking their treatment programme, ensure understanding of their condition and communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential.
To clearly communicate sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. This may include explaining prognoses about long-term disabilities, where an educational and counselling role is required.
- To be able to de-escalate potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients, and relatives using negotiation and interpersonal skills.
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
- To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This may include attending case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings.
- Ensure timely communication with the team leader on all professional matters.
Service Delivery and Improvement
- To ensure the safe use of equipment as part of physiotherapy intervention and the reporting of faults according to trust policy.
- To comply with and ensure implementation of all trust policies and procedures and the Health and Safety at Work Act, including adherence to Universal Precautions and Infection Control measures.
- To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using POMR (Problem Orientated Medical Records) and SAP (Single Assessment Process) format to demonstrate evaluation, analysis and clinical reasoning in the provision of patient care.
- To maintain the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and departments/team standards for documentation.
- To record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances in consultation with senior staff.
- Use computer databases to provide accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by line manager.
- To flexibly plan and prioritise own time to ensure that patient care, training, supervision, and meetings are undertaken with occasional guidance from line manager.
- To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service.
- To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required and to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as required.
- To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.
- To assist with multidisciplinary management of referrals to Community Rehabilitation team.
- To be responsible for the operational management of the clinical team in the absence of the team leader.
- To assist Senior Staff in the proposal and implementation of Trust Policy and Service Developments within neurology services.
People Management and Development
To assist the team leader in the day-to-day supervision and coordination of the junior and assistant physiotherapy staff.
To supervise less experienced staff and formulate Individual Development Plans and undertake regular appraisals with Junior and assistant staff.
To supervise undergraduate physiotherapy students on clinical placements within the department.
To lead interdisciplinary projects to develop the service, with assistance and guidance of more senior members of staff.
To flexibly plan and prioritise own time to ensure that patient care, training, supervision, and meetings are undertaken with occasional guidance from Band 7 and Band 8a staff.
To use good prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service.
To participate in departmental meetings including staff, unit and grade meetings as required and to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings as required.
To report all complaints, incidents and accidents to the immediate senior member of staff as soon as possible and document according to trust policy.
To be responsible for the operational management of the clinical team in the absence of the team leader.
To be responsible for maintenance of an accurate and evaluative record keeping system using POMR (Problem Orientated Medical Records) format to demonstrate evaluation, analysis and clinical reasoning in the provision of patient care.
To maintain the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and departments standards for documentation.
To record statistical information related to own activity and highlight variances in consultation with senior staff.
Use computer databases to provide accurate reports containing statistics and clinical information as requested by Band 7 and Band 8a Staff.
Patient Care Delivery
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable, as an autonomous practitioner, for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
- To ensure high standards of clinical care within the designated area, and adhere to Trust, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Departmental/ Team standards of care.
- To be competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of neurological patients, including those with a complex presentation, using advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, often in situations where conflicting evidence is present.
To be competent in the initial interdisciplinary team risk assessment of patients and effectively communicate these findings to the rest of the team, in order to identify patients needs.
- To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, which may be conflicting, using underpinning theoretical knowledge and experience to suggest a diagnoses, identify main problems and form prognoses in a wide range of complex and complicated conditions.
- To formulate and develop individual patient management, treatment and discharge plans, using clinical reasoning, current evidence and a wide range of treatment skills.
- To seek Senior guidance with highly complex or challenging patient cases.
- To demonstrate well developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for the assessment, therapeutic handling and manual treatment of patients e.g. specific soft tissue mobilisation, facilitation of movement and massage.
- To continually re-assess patients in order to progress treatments effectively and advise patients and carers on the appropriate time to return to work, sports and other activities.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and ensure its effective application to the work situation, guided by senior staff Superintendents and Physiotherapy Management / team manger as needed.
- Maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times and support peoples equality, diversity and rights.
- To use theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate, e.g. for assessment or further treatment or specialist consultant opinions.
- To be an active member of the evening and weekend on-call service and / or orthopaedic service.
- To maintain professionalism in public, ward, in the patients homes and rehabilitation areas.
- To advise the senior staff / team leader of any problems within the service to ensure quality and effectiveness of care for their patients.
- To undertake any other duties as may be deemed necessary by Physiotherapy managers / team manager in the provision of the physiotherapy service.
- To co-ordinate interventions which include other disciplines and services, e.g. through key working, multi-disciplinary team meetings, hospital / social services, goal setting meetings and joint treatment programmes.
- To be responsible for maintaining standards relating to risk assessment and lone working policies within the community setting.To take part in 7-day services and on call rotas.
Person Specification
Professional Registration
Essential
Experience/Qualifications
Essential
- Experience of supervising less experienced staff such as students and assistants Contribution to education of students and assistants
- Broad range of clinical experience working as a Band 5 or Band 6 Physiotherapist in the NHS or equivalent, including in- and outpatient services, supported by evidence of post graduate learning, and experience and its application to clinical practice.
- At least one band 6 or senior band 5 rotation in neurology
- Involvement in clinical audit
Desirable
- Respiratory Competent with a variety of patients including tracheostomies
- Experience at Band 6 level
Skills
Essential
- Able to present information, written and verbally, in a clear and logical manner
- Able to plan and prioritise own workload efficiently
- Experience of delegating to assistants and less experienced staff
Desirable
- Presentation skills to physiotherapy colleagues
People Management and Development
Essential
- Able to work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team
- Committed to personal, team and service development
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Person Specification
Professional Registration
Essential
Experience/Qualifications
Essential
- Experience of supervising less experienced staff such as students and assistants Contribution to education of students and assistants
- Broad range of clinical experience working as a Band 5 or Band 6 Physiotherapist in the NHS or equivalent, including in- and outpatient services, supported by evidence of post graduate learning, and experience and its application to clinical practice.
- At least one band 6 or senior band 5 rotation in neurology
- Involvement in clinical audit
Desirable
- Respiratory Competent with a variety of patients including tracheostomies
- Experience at Band 6 level
Skills
Essential
- Able to present information, written and verbally, in a clear and logical manner
- Able to plan and prioritise own workload efficiently
- Experience of delegating to assistants and less experienced staff
Desirable
- Presentation skills to physiotherapy colleagues
People Management and Development
Essential
- Able to work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team
- Committed to personal, team and service development
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
