Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Therapy Team Leader (Wheelchair Services)
The closing date is 13 May 2026
Shortlisting to take place in the week following closing date: commencing 14th May 2026.
Interview taking place: 22nd May 2026.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist to lead our Wheelchair Service clinical team. This role offers the chance to combine clinical expertise with leadership, supporting a skilled multidisciplinary team dedicated to improving mobility, posture and independence for service users of all ages.
About the Service
Our Wheelchair Service supports patients from birth to 100+ with a wide range of conditions and complex postural needs. We provide comprehensive assessments, prescriptions, fittings and deliveries of a range of wheelchairs from standard to specialist seating systems, pressure‑relieving cushions and postural support equipment.
Main duties of the job
Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details. Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
* Leading the Wheelchair Service in a complex specialty, ensuring a responsive and timely service.
* Providing day‑to‑day clinical and operational leadership, managing a varied caseload including complex postural assessments.
* Supporting, supervising and appraising staff, fostering a positive and supportive team environment.
* Contributing to the education and development of all team members, including students, pre‑ceptees, Band 3 to Band 6 clinicians.
* Promoting high‑quality, evidence‑based clinical practice and continuous service improvement.
* Liaising effectively with patients, carers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, person‑centred care.
* Overseeing equipment stock and working collaboratively with the repairs team to maintain efficient, high‑quality service delivery.
About us
Our People Charter outlines the behaviours we can expect from one another and what you can expect from Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust:
* We are one team.
We’re keen to meet people who share these values and are passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to our patients.
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the job description: responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
* Leading the Wheelchair Service within a complex specialty, ensuring the delivery of a responsive, efficient and high‑quality service.
* Providing supportive and effective management for team members, including conducting annual appraisals and promoting staff health and wellbeing.
* Embedding evidence‑based practice, continuous service development and ongoing education at the heart of service delivery.
* Promoting and modelling BTHFT values and behaviours in all aspects of practice.
* You will demonstrate excellent communication, leadership and teamwork skills, with the ability to apply strong problem‑solving and clinical reasoning to both patient care and service challenges. As this role involves supporting patients and families through potentially sensitive and emotionally challenging situations, including end‑of‑life care, compassion, professionalism and resilience are essential.
Person Specification
Experience
* Significant post‑registration general clinical experience, including NHS experience and of working in the speciality of wheelchairs.
* Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent, working with people requiring postural management.
* Experience of working in an MDT and across organisational and professional boundaries.
* Experience of MDT guideline/policy development, implementation and audit.
* Experience of leading clinical audit/research and using outcome measures.
* Experience of leading and managing change.
* Experience of leading innovative practice.
* Experience in service prioritisation, delegation and caseload management.
* Experience of student / qualified staff supervision.
* Experience of project management/service development.
Skills
* Able to communicate complex information clearly to other professionals, patients, relatives and carers.
* Report writing / Presentation skills.
* Computer literate – ability to use Word / Excel / Powerpoint, electronic patient records etc.
* Clinical credibility.
* Highly developed specialist skills underpinned by theory and experience.
* Highly developed analytical skills for complex situations.
* Team working and to be able to work as part of a team.
* Organised approach to work with ability to prioritise and delegate.
* Mentoring and advanced communication skills.
* Able to teach, train and supervise others in specialist area of practice.
* To be proactive in service development in‑order to promote clinical excellence.
* Proven evidence of Leadership and management skills, including change management skills.
* Excellent time management and organisation skills.
* Analytical approach to problem solving and ability to make clinical judgements requiring assimilation, interpretation and decisions where there may be a range of options.
* Able to lead in the assessment and moving and handling of patients on a regular basis to a high standard of practice.
Knowledge
* Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality.
* Comprehensive knowledge of the NHS national targets and priorities.
* In‑depth knowledge and understanding of the needs of complex postural management needs.
* Knowledge of research and national audit relevant to postural management and wheelchairs.
* Evidence of relevant CPD.
* Recruitment and Selection, Appraisal and other relevant HR/People management training.
* Understanding of what the NHS Constitution means to you, and your responsibilities to the public, patients and colleagues.
* Specialist knowledge, skills and application of current best practice within wheelchair assessment and provision.
Qualifications
* HCPC Registered Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist.
* Degree/equivalent in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy.
* Knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by further training and evidence of further study/knowledge at Masters level or equivalent in a health‑related subject.
* Clinical Educator Training.
* Member of CSP/RCOT special interest group relevant to speciality.
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.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
£49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum (Pro Rata)
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