Job summary
Permanent 30 hours per week
An exciting opportunity through investment has arisen for a Band 7 Respiratory Therapy Lead to join our Respiratory Team here at Livewell Southwest.
We are a specialist team made up of Nurses, Physiotherapist's, and Assistant practitioners, delivering respiratory care and pulmonary rehabilitation to patients living in their own homes.
The service has close links with primary and secondary care working closely with colleagues to deliver high quality care for our patients.
This role will be key in supporting the delivery of service transformation work, fostering links with the virtual wards and expansion of Pulmonary rehabilitation.
It is a key time for the team and post holder to be involved in and supporting the review and development of the respiratory pathways for patients. The role will provide leadership and line management support to the team of nurses and physiotherapists this role will form supportive links with key stakeholders outside the service.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
Main duties of the job
The service aims to prevent hospital admissions by providing respiratory assessments and interventions, including pulmonary rehabilitation, for people with chronic respiratory conditions (e.g., COPD) across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon. The role supports collaborative work with the virtual ward model to facilitate early discharges and prevent admissions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Working within the HCPC professional code and Livewell Southwest policies.
- Collaborating with managers, service heads, and leads.
- Providing holistic, evidence-based care for complex patients.
- Leading the development and implementation of Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- Contributing to the National Respiratory Audit Programme.
- Managing referrals and working closely with nursing and strategic leads.
- Conducting regular caseload management and monitoring waiting lists.
- Utilizing advanced clinical reasoning and patient-centred goal setting to develop individual treatment programs.
The post holder will be highly skilled, requiring advanced clinical reasoning, assessment, and re-assessment skills. They will support senior therapists through case discussions and joint working.
About us
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility for People Management
- Provide direct line management for therapy staff within the team across
- Occupational Therapy /Physiotherapy professional groups. This could be one professional group or both depending on role.
- To undertake line management with assigned staff.
- Be responsible for providing and maintaining a learning environment and maximise opportunities for educational and development in the clinical area to enhance individual development and performance in the delivery of high standards.
- Acting as expert resource and assist in teaching knowledge and clinical skills for other health care professionals.
- Act as mentor for new staff and students, including leading on 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.
- Provide a point of contact for students and ensure they have the correct risk assessments completed and are aware of their scope of practice in the department.
- Take part in the process of clinical supervision and support clinical supervision and reflective practice for team members.
- Lead on recruitment and selection of new staff, including being the lead on interview panel.
- Provide guidance for and maintain effective working relationships with service managers and staff to ensure service efficiency.
- Ensure that Heath Care and Professions Council (HCPC) registration is maintained for self and team members
- Undertake the full range of people management tasks and responsibilities including communication, staff engagement, workforce planning, appraisal, training and development and performance management including disciplinary/grievance/sickness with support from the Operational Leads, service managers and/or Team Lead peers.
Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources
- To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
- To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
- 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 be responsible for overseeing and monitoring and authorising of pulmonary rehabilitation equipment and components and ensuring maintenance and repair is upheld.
- Maintain effective working relationships with multidisciplinary team and deliver a cost-effective quality service to patient/carers within a defined geographical area.
- To contribute to resource governance through knowledge and appropriate prescribing decisions.
- To advise on and prescribe general and specialist aids, equipment and adaptations for individuals in line with Livewell policies and procedures.
Responsibility for administration
- 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 Livewell Southwest procedures
- Support the Service manager in the recording of accurate clinical activity data
- Ensure line management and appraisal documentation is completed for the team members for which they hold manager responsibility.
- To have a good working knowledge of the National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service Audit run by the Royal College of Physicians.
- Act as the NICE lead ensuring that the new guidance is shared as appropriate, and any relevant policies are covered by the department.
- Ensure incident reporting is carried out by team members to an appropriate level and provide answers to incident forms in a timely manner.
- Carry out risk assessments and record these on the organisations risk register.
- Maintain and update risks on the risk register as required.
Responsibility for people who use our services
- To facilitate the implementation of relevant developments within Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- To identify, develop and implement relevant clinical competency frameworks and essential training as required when linked to the service.
- Accept referrals from medical and healthcare professionals and undertake clinical assessment and examination of patients to provide suitable highly specialist therapyassessments.
- To draft, consult upon and complete clinical procedures, protocols, guidelines and policies that will support evidence based or best practice for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation and to revise and maintain any such documents in existence in line with current organisation policy
- Provide verbal, visual and written information, explanation and highly specialised clinical advice to the patient and/or carers at every stage of Pulmonary Rehabilitation for informed consent.
- 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.
- 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.
Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service development
- Ensure adherence to Livewell Southwest Policies.
- To proactively support operational managers with their responsibility for the management and maintenance of health, safety, and security following the relevant legislation and current organisation and service policies
- Develop, review and audit guidelines/ protocols/ polices for specific aspects of own service in line with NICE guidance, best practice Guidance and professional forums and support implementation into practice ensuring the clinical practice reflects national and local drivers.
- To proactively support and advise operational managers implementing clinical service improvements, initiating 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.
- To proactively support and advise operational managers with delegated aspects of undertaking, recording and reporting on Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards.
- To support the operational managers with the ongoing review and evaluation of the services skill mix and establishment at a strategic level, developing and implementing innovative models of service delivery in collaboration with locality managers, professional leads and others.
- Facilitate the development of service objectives within own area, considering relevant guidelines and the needs of the organisation.
- To support the investigation of complaints.
- Monitor the emergence of new evidence and implement and evaluate research based recommendations that are expected to improve patient care in own work area.
- Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care.
Other Responsibilities
- To maintain accurate patient records, which are confidential, up to date, legible and that all care given has been documented. These records must be maintained as specified in the LWSW Policies, HCPC guidelines and Government directives.
- To input and maintain the Livewell PRSA Audit and returns, ensuring timely input and reporting.
- 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 participate in an annual appraisal of their work in line with the 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.
- Assume responsibility for own professional development and personal knowledge.
- Maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
- To keep abreast of the Royal College of Physicians 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.
- Ensure that Health & Safety legislation is complied with at all times, being aware of and following Organisational and Service Policies including:
- Health and Safety
- Manual Handling
- COSHH
- Infection Control
- Incident and complaints reporting
- Risk Management
Please see the attached Job Description for a full breakdown of the role and responsibility
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility for People Management
- Provide direct line management for therapy staff within the team across
- Occupational Therapy /Physiotherapy professional groups. This could be one professional group or both depending on role.
- To undertake line management with assigned staff.
- Be responsible for providing and maintaining a learning environment and maximise opportunities for educational and development in the clinical area to enhance individual development and performance in the delivery of high standards.
- Acting as expert resource and assist in teaching knowledge and clinical skills for other health care professionals.
- Act as mentor for new staff and students, including leading on 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.
- Provide a point of contact for students and ensure they have the correct risk assessments completed and are aware of their scope of practice in the department.
- Take part in the process of clinical supervision and support clinical supervision and reflective practice for team members.
- Lead on recruitment and selection of new staff, including being the lead on interview panel.
- Provide guidance for and maintain effective working relationships with service managers and staff to ensure service efficiency.
- Ensure that Heath Care and Professions Council (HCPC) registration is maintained for self and team members
- Undertake the full range of people management tasks and responsibilities including communication, staff engagement, workforce planning, appraisal, training and development and performance management including disciplinary/grievance/sickness with support from the Operational Leads, service managers and/or Team Lead peers.
Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources
- To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
- To be aware of budgetary constraints when planning and carrying out care.
- 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 be responsible for overseeing and monitoring and authorising of pulmonary rehabilitation equipment and components and ensuring maintenance and repair is upheld.
- Maintain effective working relationships with multidisciplinary team and deliver a cost-effective quality service to patient/carers within a defined geographical area.
- To contribute to resource governance through knowledge and appropriate prescribing decisions.
- To advise on and prescribe general and specialist aids, equipment and adaptations for individuals in line with Livewell policies and procedures.
Responsibility for administration
- 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 Livewell Southwest procedures
- Support the Service manager in the recording of accurate clinical activity data
- Ensure line management and appraisal documentation is completed for the team members for which they hold manager responsibility.
- To have a good working knowledge of the National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service Audit run by the Royal College of Physicians.
- Act as the NICE lead ensuring that the new guidance is shared as appropriate, and any relevant policies are covered by the department.
- Ensure incident reporting is carried out by team members to an appropriate level and provide answers to incident forms in a timely manner.
- Carry out risk assessments and record these on the organisations risk register.
- Maintain and update risks on the risk register as required.
Responsibility for people who use our services
- To facilitate the implementation of relevant developments within Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- To identify, develop and implement relevant clinical competency frameworks and essential training as required when linked to the service.
- Accept referrals from medical and healthcare professionals and undertake clinical assessment and examination of patients to provide suitable highly specialist therapyassessments.
- To draft, consult upon and complete clinical procedures, protocols, guidelines and policies that will support evidence based or best practice for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation and to revise and maintain any such documents in existence in line with current organisation policy
- Provide verbal, visual and written information, explanation and highly specialised clinical advice to the patient and/or carers at every stage of Pulmonary Rehabilitation for informed consent.
- 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.
- 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.
Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service development
- Ensure adherence to Livewell Southwest Policies.
- To proactively support operational managers with their responsibility for the management and maintenance of health, safety, and security following the relevant legislation and current organisation and service policies
- Develop, review and audit guidelines/ protocols/ polices for specific aspects of own service in line with NICE guidance, best practice Guidance and professional forums and support implementation into practice ensuring the clinical practice reflects national and local drivers.
- To proactively support and advise operational managers implementing clinical service improvements, initiating 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.
- To proactively support and advise operational managers with delegated aspects of undertaking, recording and reporting on Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards.
- To support the operational managers with the ongoing review and evaluation of the services skill mix and establishment at a strategic level, developing and implementing innovative models of service delivery in collaboration with locality managers, professional leads and others.
- Facilitate the development of service objectives within own area, considering relevant guidelines and the needs of the organisation.
- To support the investigation of complaints.
- Monitor the emergence of new evidence and implement and evaluate research based recommendations that are expected to improve patient care in own work area.
- Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care.
Other Responsibilities
- To maintain accurate patient records, which are confidential, up to date, legible and that all care given has been documented. These records must be maintained as specified in the LWSW Policies, HCPC guidelines and Government directives.
- To input and maintain the Livewell PRSA Audit and returns, ensuring timely input and reporting.
- 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 participate in an annual appraisal of their work in line with the 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.
- Assume responsibility for own professional development and personal knowledge.
- Maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
- To keep abreast of the Royal College of Physicians 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.
- Ensure that Health & Safety legislation is complied with at all times, being aware of and following Organisational and Service Policies including:
- Health and Safety
- Manual Handling
- COSHH
- Infection Control
- Incident and complaints reporting
- Risk Management
Please see the attached Job Description for a full breakdown of the role and responsibility
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- To be a registered HCPC professional
- Degree in Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy
- Evidence of Masters level study
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
- Extensive knowledge work and experience in the field of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Highly specialist knowledge of Respiratory conditions
- To have an in depth understanding of the National Respiratory Audit programme
Skills
Essential
- Agility skills to demonstrate exercises in group sessions.
- Presentation skills use of power point.
- Competent IT skills including Excel
- Ability to network regionally and nationally
- Influencing skills to promote the service
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of working in community setting
- Experience of delivering group sessions to patients
- Experience of audit, interpretation of guidelines and implementing to ensure best practice
- Proven experience of risk management for both staff and patients
- Experience of teaching or mentoring junior staff
- Experience of participation in projects
Desirable
- Leading on change projects or service improvement
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- To be a registered HCPC professional
- Degree in Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy
- Evidence of Masters level study
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
- Extensive knowledge work and experience in the field of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Highly specialist knowledge of Respiratory conditions
- To have an in depth understanding of the National Respiratory Audit programme
Skills
Essential
- Agility skills to demonstrate exercises in group sessions.
- Presentation skills use of power point.
- Competent IT skills including Excel
- Ability to network regionally and nationally
- Influencing skills to promote the service
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of working in community setting
- Experience of delivering group sessions to patients
- Experience of audit, interpretation of guidelines and implementing to ensure best practice
- Proven experience of risk management for both staff and patients
- Experience of teaching or mentoring junior staff
- Experience of participation in projects
Desirable
- Leading on change projects or service improvement
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).
