Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Paediatric FND

The closing date is 30 June 2025

Job summary

This is a one year fixed term post funded by the Evelina Charity to support the service development of a National Specialist Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) service for children and young people.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate would have three main areas of responsibility. Firstly to build a network of local and national paediatric physiotherapists who are interested or experienced in FND. The candidate would seek to link with adult physiotherapists working with FND and transfer best clinical practice to a paediatric environment. Secondly the post holder would work with the caseload of the National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Psychiatry service to offer physiotherapeutic input to patients and liaise with the community physiotherapists working with those patients. Thirdly the post holder would develop training courses and materials for paediatric physiotherapists and run a series of events to upskill colleagues in the area of FND.

About us

This post will sit within the Evelina London Children's Hospital Paediatric Physiotherapy department. Led by the Clinical and Deputy Clinical Leads for Paediatric Physiotherapy this post will have a role in supporting departmental management of a large staff group from band 3 to 8a covering inpatients and outpatient services. The role itself will work with the National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service based within St Thomas' Hospital site.

The National and Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service is based at St Thomas' Hospital and accepts patients from a number of sources up to the age of 18. The service provides cover to St Thomas' Hospital Accident and Emergency Department and will assess around 200 acute psychiatric crises each year. The service also receives complex paediatric cases from inpatient wards at St Thomas' Hospital and the Evelina Children's Hospital as well as specialist outpatient referrals from across the UK (around 100-150 each year).

The clinical work includes patients with complex neuropsychiatric presentations, comorbid mental illness in the context of long-term physical health problems and functional illness. The liaison service is formed of a multidisciplinary team including. Operationally the team sits with National and Specialist CAMHS services in SLaM. The team have close working relationships with both Lambeth and Southwark borough CAMHS services as up to 65% of crisis patients are from these boroughs.

Details

Date posted

20 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,927 to £68,676 a year per annum inc. H.C.A (pro rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

196-LIS9638

Job locations

Evelina London Children's Hospital

London

SE1 7EH


Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

1. To conduct a scoping project on the role of Physiotherapy in specialist Paediatric FND services, building networks and professional relationships with other centres for FND.

2. To work as part of the MDT in the National & Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service providing expert physiotherapy advice to patients, carers and to therapists both inside and outside the organisation.

3. To use expert clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist support and advice to the physiotherapists within and outside the organisation and other medical staff, whilst maintaining a clinical caseload of highly complex patients.

4. To provide specialist advice and education to the paediatric physiotherapy department at Evelina Childrens Hospital at Guys and St Thomas and our wider regional network.

5. To contribute to the departmental management within Paediatric Physiotherapy, and Psychiatric Liaison Services in strategic planning and development of the service.

6. Responsible for maintaining and improving all aspects of clinical governance, evidence based practice and quality assurance in designated area.

Key Relationships

  • Clinical Lead & Deputy Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist
  • South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) Consultants and MDT
  • Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology, Chronic Pain, and Neurodisability
  • Physiotherapists within the trust

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

1. To conduct a scoping project on the role of Physiotherapy in specialist Paediatric FND services, building networks and professional relationships with other centres for FND.

2. To work as part of the MDT in the National & Specialist Paediatric Liaison Service providing expert physiotherapy advice to patients, carers and to therapists both inside and outside the organisation.

3. To use expert clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist support and advice to the physiotherapists within and outside the organisation and other medical staff, whilst maintaining a clinical caseload of highly complex patients.

4. To provide specialist advice and education to the paediatric physiotherapy department at Evelina Childrens Hospital at Guys and St Thomas and our wider regional network.

5. To contribute to the departmental management within Paediatric Physiotherapy, and Psychiatric Liaison Services in strategic planning and development of the service.

6. Responsible for maintaining and improving all aspects of clinical governance, evidence based practice and quality assurance in designated area.

Key Relationships

  • Clinical Lead & Deputy Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist
  • South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) Consultants and MDT
  • Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology, Chronic Pain, and Neurodisability
  • Physiotherapists within the trust

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma / Degree in Physiotherapy
  • MSc in relevant subject (FND) or equivalent level of post-graduate M-level specialist training courses

Professional / Statutory Registration

Essential

  • HCPC registration
  • Membership and engagement with appropriate professional special interest group e.g. APCP

Desirable

  • Membership of relevant multi-professional group

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of experience of working functional neurological disease or other complex presentations
  • Evidence of a broad range of paediatric experience at Band 6/7 level (neurology, musculoskeletal, orthopaedics, developmental care, respiratory, Chronic Pain)
  • Evidence of experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team including interdisciplinary goal setting and planning.
  • Experience of using outcome measures relevant to FND.
  • Evidence of critical engagement in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money.
  • Previous leadership experience

Desirable

  • Experience working in a clinical specialist role
  • Experience in leading service development or transformation
  • Evidence of published data in recognised journals
  • Experience of working with an extended scope of practice

Skills / Knowledge / Ability

Essential

  • Service transformation skills
  • Evidence of expert knowledge and understanding of the key elements of management of young people with FND
  • Evidence of assessment/management skills in a range of paediatric complex conditions (e.g MSK, neuro, Pain)
  • Evidence of involvement in research, service development and Quality Improvement Projects
  • Evidence of experience of contributing to teaching to the wider MDT and professional networks
  • Able to carry out in depth physiotherapy assessments with complex presentations and formulate treatment goals and plans with patient and family.

Desirable

  • Skills in motivational Interviewing
  • Ability to write articles for peer reviewed journals
  • Ability to create and/or format databases and/or spreadsheets using computerized systems
  • Strong Presentation skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma / Degree in Physiotherapy
  • MSc in relevant subject (FND) or equivalent level of post-graduate M-level specialist training courses

Professional / Statutory Registration

Essential

  • HCPC registration
  • Membership and engagement with appropriate professional special interest group e.g. APCP

Desirable

  • Membership of relevant multi-professional group

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of experience of working functional neurological disease or other complex presentations
  • Evidence of a broad range of paediatric experience at Band 6/7 level (neurology, musculoskeletal, orthopaedics, developmental care, respiratory, Chronic Pain)
  • Evidence of experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team including interdisciplinary goal setting and planning.
  • Experience of using outcome measures relevant to FND.
  • Evidence of critical engagement in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money.
  • Previous leadership experience

Desirable

  • Experience working in a clinical specialist role
  • Experience in leading service development or transformation
  • Evidence of published data in recognised journals
  • Experience of working with an extended scope of practice

Skills / Knowledge / Ability

Essential

  • Service transformation skills
  • Evidence of expert knowledge and understanding of the key elements of management of young people with FND
  • Evidence of assessment/management skills in a range of paediatric complex conditions (e.g MSK, neuro, Pain)
  • Evidence of involvement in research, service development and Quality Improvement Projects
  • Evidence of experience of contributing to teaching to the wider MDT and professional networks
  • Able to carry out in depth physiotherapy assessments with complex presentations and formulate treatment goals and plans with patient and family.

Desirable

  • Skills in motivational Interviewing
  • Ability to write articles for peer reviewed journals
  • Ability to create and/or format databases and/or spreadsheets using computerized systems
  • Strong Presentation skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Evelina London Children's Hospital

London

SE1 7EH


Employer's website

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Evelina London Children's Hospital

London

SE1 7EH


Employer's website

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapy

Ellie Potts

02071884660

Details

Date posted

20 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,927 to £68,676 a year per annum inc. H.C.A (pro rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

196-LIS9638

Job locations

Evelina London Children's Hospital

London

SE1 7EH


Supporting documents

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