Senior Physiotherapist - Specialist Physiotherapist (XR06)

Job description

Job responsibilities

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a 0.8 WTE (30.0 hours) Senior Physiotherapist to join the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) Outpatients Prosthetic Service. We are looking for a highly motivated physiotherapist, who is innovative with a commitment to excellence, incorporates education, audit and research. The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate specialist clinical knowledge around prosthetics and amputee rehabilitation. They will also be responsible for their own continuous, personal and professional development and will be expected to follow the Leeds Way values of the organisation (Collaborative, Fair, Accountable, and Empowered) and model these behaviours within their role.

The Prosthetic Service is one of the largest in the UK and has a full complement of highly skilled Consultants, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Prosthetists, Technical Instructors and Prosthetics Technicians who specialise in the treatment of adult and paediatric amputees.

The Prosthetics Service is part of the Wider Specialist Rehabilitation Service which also includes Leeds Wheelchair Service and Leeds Orthotic Service all of which are part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT). The role will be mainly based within the Prosthetic Department with some support offered to the other departments if required.

This post is currently 0.8 WTE (30.0 hours) but may be increased to 1.0 WTE (37.5 hours) in the future however this is not guaranteed.

Clinical

Work autonomously as a Band 6 Specialist Physiotherapist, maintaining professional, legal, and ethical accountability for the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with limb loss.

Undertake comprehensive physiotherapy assessments of patients following upper and lower limb amputation, including those with complex, multi-pathological, and long-term conditions (e.g. vascular disease, diabetes, trauma).

Use advanced clinical reasoning and investigative skills to formulate accurate diagnoses, prognoses, and individualised rehabilitation and prosthetic preparation programmes.

Develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based physiotherapy treatment plans, including pre-prosthetic and prosthetic rehabilitation, gait re-education, strengthening, balance training, functional rehabilitation, pain management, and patient education.

Demonstrate advanced manual therapy, palpation, and handling skills to assess and treat residual limb conditions, musculoskeletal complications, and secondary impairments.

Manage a specialist caseload independently, prioritising workload effectively in line with clinical risk, service demand, and patient-centred goals.

Participate in the delivery of an out-of-hours and weekend physiotherapy service as required.

Education and Training

Support and supervise Band 5 physiotherapists, therapy assistants, and students, providing clinical guidance and informal teaching within the specialty.

Contribute to service development, audit, and quality improvement initiatives within amputee rehabilitation.

Ensure clinical practice is evidence-based and in line with national guidance, Trust policies, and professional standards.

Maintain accurate, timely clinical documentation and outcome measures to support patient care and service evaluation.

Demonstrate commitment to continuing professional development and maintaining specialist skills within amputee rehabilitation.

Professional and Managerial

Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence-based practice, expanding expertise across a variety of conditions and patient populations.

As a senior clinical team member, implement policy and service development changes and ensure colleagues adhere to them.

Maintain professional competency through Continued Professional Development (CPD) activities, keeping a portfolio that reflects personal growth and learning.

Communicate effectively and collaborate with medical, nursing, and therapy colleagues to deliver a coordinated multidisciplinary service, including participation in case conferences, ward rounds, and discharge planning as appropriate.

Participate in the staff appraisal process as both appraisee and appraiser, ensuring compliance with personal development plans to achieve required knowledge and competencies.

Evaluate work practices through evidence-based projects, audits, and outcome measures, individually or collaboratively, and make recommendations for improvements as needed.

Demonstrate understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and apply principles to day-to-day work.

Stay up to date with emerging trends and developments in practice, integrating relevant innovations into professional work.

Supervise junior staff, technical instructors, assistants, and students in the absence of senior staff members.

Allocate tasks to junior staff and support workers and provide guidance and support as needed.

Organisational

To independently manage a defined caseload of patients, as delegated by the Band 7 Physiotherapist, prioritising workload and planning care to meet service demands.

To organise and manage own time effectively, balancing competing clinical priorities.

To ensure the safe and effective use of physiotherapy equipment, providing instruction and supervision to patients and others as appropriate.

To maintain accurate, comprehensive, and timely clinical records in accordance with professional, legal, and Trust requirements, and to communicate assessment findings and treatment outcomes to the multidisciplinary team.

To participate in the collection of data for audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement.

To comply with Trust health and safety policies, promptly report incidents, and promote safe working practices.

To adhere to Trust and departmental policies and procedures and undertake any other duties appropriate to the post.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK, serving the local Leeds community while also providing specialist and emergency care for the wider Yorkshire and Humber region and nationally. It operates across seven hospitals on five sites, including Leeds General Infirmary and St James's University Hospital. The trust is a major centre for research and medical education, and its services include comprehensive care for a wide range of needs, from general and emergency care to highly specialised treatment for areas like cancer and major trauma.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Post graduate clinical experience including relevant core area and relevant specialist rotations including both in and outpatient areas
• Post Graduate clinical experience working with patients with limb loss and prosthetic rehabilitation as in or outpatient.
• Knowledge and experience in a range of approaches to the management of patient in this area of practice.

Desirable

• Involvement in audit and an understanding of research and quality issues.
• Experience of clinical education of staff students or assistants with development of basic supervision skills.
• Ability to participate in the organisation of internal / external clinical courses

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Ability to cope working in a stressful environment
• Able to empathetic and handle difficult or emotional situations

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of specialist learning within a relevant field of physiotherapy and CPD including post graduate courses

Desirable

• Member of CSP
• Member of BACPAR
• Appropriate and relevant Physiotherapy post graduate courses including clinical educators course

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Evidence of successful working and collaboration within a MDT
• Ability to be able to prioritise, organise and allocate workload
• Time management skills including the ability to work flexibly responding to the needs of the service
• Evidence of being able to communicate both verbally and non verbally

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)