Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Discharge to Assess - Clinical Lead

The closing date is 17 March 2026

Job summary

The Discharge to Assess (D2A) service is an innovative and expanding team supporting timely and safe transfers of care for residents of Stockport and surrounding areas. We are seeking a highly motivated and forward-thinking Clinical Lead Physiotherapist with a specialist interest in frailty to lead our multidisciplinary therapy team.

The post holder will work within a lively, dynamic community bed-based service, facilitating safe discharges, delivering holistic assessments, and supporting individuals who are medically optimised to return home. You will embody our Trust values, working collaboratively across health and social care sectors while also demonstrating autonomy, strong clinical reasoning and excellent communication skills.

You will lead a team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy instructors, and therapy assistants, supporting the development of the D2A model and ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care.

Main duties of the job

  • Facilitate safe and timely discharge from community D2A beds for individuals who are medically optimised.
  • Provide advanced specialist physiotherapy assessment and intervention with a frailty focus.
  • Lead and coordinate a therapy team including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy instructors and therapy assistants.
  • Plan, implement and evaluate individualised treatment plans that support independence and maximise function.
  • Work collaboratively within a multi-professional team to deliver holistic care and support planning.
  • Liaise with colleagues across acute, community, social care and voluntary sector services to ensure smooth discharge and continuity of care.
  • Deliver therapy input within a 7-day service, including weekends and bank holidays.
  • Travel independently to community locations as required

About us

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

If you require support with your application please contact a member of the recruitment team, who can discuss alternative application methods.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

Benefits we offer to you:

  • Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
  • NHS pension scheme membership
  • Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
  • NHS Staff discounts
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Salary finance - for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
  • Stockport Credit Union- for local financial advice

Details

Date posted

03 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

362-AHP7BB-03-26

Job locations

D2A bed bases

Stockport

Stockport

SK2 7JE


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Act as a clinical leader and role model within the D2A team, supporting the ongoing development of the service.
  • Provide clinical leadership, supervision and support to physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy instructors and therapy assistants.
  • Ensure high standards of clinical practice through evidencebased assessment and intervention.
  • Contribute to teaching, supervision, competency development and induction of new staff and students.
  • Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and contribute to performance monitoring as required.
  • Participate in service development, quality improvement initiatives and crossorganisational pathways.
  • Promote personcentred care, advocating for the needs and preferences of individuals transitioning from bedbased care to their usual residence.
  • Engage in continuous professional development, reflective practice, and regular appraisals.
  • Adhere to all Trust policies, including safeguarding, equality and diversity, and health and safety.
  • Support a positive team culture that values professional development, learning and collaborative working.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trusts policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.

If successful this vacancy will require an enhanced DBS check at a cost of £54.90. This cost will be deducted from your first Trust salary

In addition to this it will be a condition of your employment that you will join the DBS update service and pay the annual subscription fee of £16

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Act as a clinical leader and role model within the D2A team, supporting the ongoing development of the service.
  • Provide clinical leadership, supervision and support to physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy instructors and therapy assistants.
  • Ensure high standards of clinical practice through evidencebased assessment and intervention.
  • Contribute to teaching, supervision, competency development and induction of new staff and students.
  • Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and contribute to performance monitoring as required.
  • Participate in service development, quality improvement initiatives and crossorganisational pathways.
  • Promote personcentred care, advocating for the needs and preferences of individuals transitioning from bedbased care to their usual residence.
  • Engage in continuous professional development, reflective practice, and regular appraisals.
  • Adhere to all Trust policies, including safeguarding, equality and diversity, and health and safety.
  • Support a positive team culture that values professional development, learning and collaborative working.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trusts policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.

If successful this vacancy will require an enhanced DBS check at a cost of £54.90. This cost will be deducted from your first Trust salary

In addition to this it will be a condition of your employment that you will join the DBS update service and pay the annual subscription fee of £16

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

  • Diploma/Degree in Physiotherapy
  • Registration with Health and Care Professional Council
  • Evidence of continuous and clinical professional leadership relevant to clinical field

Desirable

  • Comped or registered for MSc
  • Management leadership training

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of a range of complex presentations and conditions
  • Demonstration of understanding of role and responsibility of MDT working
  • Understanding of clinical governance
  • Knowledge of recent NHS/Trust development

Experience

Essential

  • Recent experience of working in NHS as band 7 or at least 2 years experience as band 6
  • Broad base of clinical experiences
  • Able to demonstrate MDT collaborative experience

Desirable

  • Previous band 7 experience
  • Leadership course
  • Experience in managing change

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • Advance clinical reasoning skills
  • High level problem solving skills
  • Ability to pass on knowledge and skills to others in both formal and informal environments.
  • Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate and to manage time effectively.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and flexibly and to adapt communication style to the needs of patients, carers and staff.
Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Essential

  • Diploma/Degree in Physiotherapy
  • Registration with Health and Care Professional Council
  • Evidence of continuous and clinical professional leadership relevant to clinical field

Desirable

  • Comped or registered for MSc
  • Management leadership training

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of a range of complex presentations and conditions
  • Demonstration of understanding of role and responsibility of MDT working
  • Understanding of clinical governance
  • Knowledge of recent NHS/Trust development

Experience

Essential

  • Recent experience of working in NHS as band 7 or at least 2 years experience as band 6
  • Broad base of clinical experiences
  • Able to demonstrate MDT collaborative experience

Desirable

  • Previous band 7 experience
  • Leadership course
  • Experience in managing change

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • Advance clinical reasoning skills
  • High level problem solving skills
  • Ability to pass on knowledge and skills to others in both formal and informal environments.
  • Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate and to manage time effectively.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and flexibly and to adapt communication style to the needs of patients, carers and staff.

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

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Address

D2A bed bases

Stockport

Stockport

SK2 7JE


Employer's website

http://www.stockport.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Address

D2A bed bases

Stockport

Stockport

SK2 7JE


Employer's website

http://www.stockport.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

D2A Operational Lead

Heather Hough `

heather.hough@stockport.nhs.uk

01618356694

Details

Date posted

03 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

362-AHP7BB-03-26

Job locations

D2A bed bases

Stockport

Stockport

SK2 7JE


Supporting documents

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