Company: North Bristol NHS Trust

Apply for the Physiotherapy Team Lead

Location: Bristol

Job Description:

Job Overview

We are offering an opportunity to a highly skilled and experienced clinician, with proven leadership skills, to join the Neurosciences Team at North Bristol NHS Trust. The role involves joint responsibility for leading physiotherapists and integrated therapy support workers across neurosurgery and neurology, collaborating with other therapy disciplines and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT) to improve clinical quality and service delivery. The successful applicant will also be a key member of the Multidisciplinary Spasticity Outpatient Service.

Main Duties of the Job

The Physiotherapy Neurosciences Team Lead provides clinical leadership to physiotherapy staff and integrated therapy support workers within this regional specialist pathway. The post holder supervises the day‑to‑day running of the team and is line managed by the Pathway Lead.
To undertake the role of a Joint Team Leader to plan, co‑ordinate, deliver and evaluate the physiotherapy service to the Neurosciences caseload.
To contribute to the delivery of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Outpatient Spasticity Clinic.
To work as an autonomous, highly skilled clinician, to provide a specialised service of physiotherapy including assessment, treatment, advice and education for patients, carers/families and staff on these wards.
To be the Physiotherapy Clinical Lead within the multidisciplinary team providing specialist advice to other professionals and working closely with the Consultants and MDT to formulate appropriate management plans for patients.
To provide appropriate training and education to other health care professionals, more junior physiotherapists and students within the team. To be an expert resource within the Physiotherapy service for Neurosciences patients.
To work with and deputise for the Pathway Lead Physiotherapist as appropriate.

Clinical Practice

To ensure the provision of an effective and efficient physiotherapy management to the patients within the specialty of Neurosciences.
To work at an advanced level and be professionally and legally accountable for a highly‑specialised caseload and to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands.
To work to Trust and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy clinical guidelines and have a good working knowledge of relevant national standards to which quality of practice should be monitored.
To use appropriate assessment tools, monitor progress and measure the outcomes of treatment for individual patients to work towards appropriate discharge.
To formulate individualised clinical management programmes, utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to plan a highly‑specialised programme of care.
To identify and employ suitable verbal and non‑verbal communication skills with patients where there may be barriers to understanding or the inability to accept diagnosis.
To manage the speciality’s weekend service and ensure all staff working are maintaining the competency required.
To be a lead member of the multidisciplinary team and to attend case conferences, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings and ensure accurate documentation of the outcome of these meetings within the physiotherapy records.
To keep accurate and up to date records of treatment and interventions in line with legal and departmental policy.
To provide spontaneous and planned expert advice, teaching and instruction to patients, relatives, carers, other disciplines, and agencies. To promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment programme.
To participate in the on‑call, weekend, bank holiday and extended working rotas where clinically appropriate.
To work flexibly across the physiotherapy teams to assist in maintaining physiotherapy cover to ensure a continuation of service.
To undertake mandatory training, in accordance with Trust Policy.
To ensure the Health and Safety of patients, carers and staff during therapy, managing clinical risk by identifying any potential problems and resolving these prior to, during or after treatment.
To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future.
All clinical staff are accountable and responsible for their own clinical competence and should limit their actions to those for which they are deemed competent in line with guidance from their professional bodies.

Education, Training and Research

To educate patients/relatives/carers regarding the nature of the condition and the aims of physiotherapy intervention.
To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through continuing professional development opportunities.
To participate in peer review as appropriate.
To take an active role in appropriate research initiatives.
In collaboration with the Pathway Leads, initiate implementation of new working practices.
In collaboration with the Pathway Leads, prepare, co‑ordinate, participate, and contribute to the delivery of a specific in‑service training programme for staff in the designated pathway.
To undertake supervision and performance assessment of undergraduate physiotherapy students.
To participate in mandatory/statutory training as required by the Trust and national standards.

Organisational

To demonstrate experience of planning and managing own caseload and monitoring that of other members of the team to provide the most efficient use of physiotherapy resources.
To be aware of and able to implement nationally and locally agreed policies, standards and guidelines set by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), North Bristol NHS Trust and other national bodies.
To be able to demonstrate awareness of Health and Safety policies and ensure implementation within this area including the prompt reporting of accidents and incidents by self and staff within the team.
To have an understanding of clinical risk management and be able to apply to this area.
To demonstrate active participation in CPD (Continuous Professional Development) by attending and presenting in departmental in‑service training and to be able to promote CPD within the department.
To be able to work flexibly in order to be able to deal with a number of different tasks and situations simultaneously and interchange between tasks and situations quickly and frequently during the day such as treating patients, answering bleeps and telephone calls, talking to patients, staff and relatives and being a source of advice and information.
To be able to facilitate and undertake audit and quality improvement within the team and to analyse the outcomes of audit and their implications for the team.

Service Management

To manage day‑to‑day workload and maintain level of service within the pathway at the local site and assist other members of the team to make appropriate prioritisation choices.
To participate in ensuring clear and open channels of communication exist within the physiotherapy pathway team. To ensure the cascade of received information including corporate, strategic ideas to all pathway staff.
To be responsible for management of informal conflicts, disagreements and complaints in the local site pathway by using highly developed negotiation skills.
To ensure all incidents, accidents and complaints within the specialty are reported and documented in the appropriate timeframe and in line with Trust policy. To ensure senior physiotherapy managers are made aware of all incidents, accidents and complaints.
To monitor the quality of care provided in the designated pathway at the local site and promote a culture of evidence‑based practice within the team.
To participate in the interpretation of professional and national standards for the speciality, recommending and implementing changes in clinical practice where indicated.
To take responsibility for the regular inspection and safe use of equipment. To advise appropriate personnel of the need to review availability of suitable resources for patient care. To comply with Health & Safety requirements and follow the policy for safe disposal of equipment.
To be aware of the cost/benefit implications in the selection and ordering of appropriate equipment to be provided to the patient for long term use as an individual and by the pathway team.
To maintain and provide accurate and timely activity information both as an individual and for the designated specialty to help inform service delivery and evaluation.
To undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as requested by senior physiotherapy managers.

Human Resource Management

To undertake supervision, performance and day‑to‑day management of pathway staff who report to the post holder.
To participate in the Trust individual performance review process as both appraiser and appraisee. To be responsible for the appraisal and professional development of designated pathway physiotherapy staff in line with the requirements of the Trust ensuring all team members have a comprehensive development plan.
To ensure that staff are aware of and comply with Trust policies and procedures undertaking action as necessary under relevant policies e.g. sickness management.
To be responsible for the clinical standards of the physiotherapy staff reporting to the post holder.
To facilitate effective team working within the pathway, leading, assisting and supporting other team members.
To deputise for senior staff where appropriate.
To assist in recruitment, selection and retention procedures for the physiotherapy service.
To contribute to the clinical induction of physiotherapy staff.

Other

Good IT skills and use of electronic mail systems for communication purposes, producing information for patients and carers and to assist with the teaching and education of all staff.
IT skills to use clinical systems including Careflow and E‑Obs, rostering.
Ability to carry out repetitive physical activities including the moving and handling of patients and equipment on a daily basis.

Person Specification

Education / Training / Qualifications – Essential

HCPC Registered Physiotherapist
Range of relevant postgraduate courses in Neurosciences
Clinical Educator Training

Desirable

Member of CSP
MSc or working towards M level or equivalent experience
Appropriate managerial training

Work Experience – Essential

Comprehensive postgraduate experience in neurosciences & spasticity
Experience of supervising staff who are directly accountable to the post holder
Experience in completing audit and evidence‑based projects

Desirable

Previous band 7 / team lead experience
Involvement in research
Evidence of presenting to MDT groups, undergrad or post‑grad staff

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities – Essential

Specialist knowledge of evidence‑based physiotherapy within neurosciences & spasticity
Demonstrates an understanding of clinical governance and its implication for physiotherapy
Knowledge of national guidelines and standards pertaining to neurosciences & physiotherapy
Awareness and understanding of NHS structure, current issues and developments
Understanding of legal responsibilities of the profession
Ability to discuss clinical reasoning in management of complex cases
Ability to identify and act upon adverse clinical signs
Excellent communication skills
Excellent time management, prioritisation, and organisational skills
IT skills – including hospital databases, word processing, excel, email and powerpoint

Personal Qualities – Essential

Self‑motivated with a clear vision of role & commitment to neurosciences
Demonstrates professional independence
Physically fit and able to comply with trusts moving & handling and therapeutic handling guidelines
Professional manner and appearance
Availability for on‑call, weekend duties and seven‑day working patterns where clinically indicated

North Bristol NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

Applicants from under‑represented groups are encouraged to apply. The Trust is committed to equality of opportunity and an inclusive environment.

Please note that stringent pre‑employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.

#J-18808-Ljbffr…

Posted: June 23rd, 2026