Job overview
Our Front Door Therapy Services are moving towards a more sustainable, integrated workforce model to manage the complex needs of our patients. The current vacancy sits on the Emergency Floor at St. Richard's Hospital Chichester with the expectation of also supporting service provision in Accident and Emergency. It offers a great opportunity for professional development with very different clinical experiences every day.
We are looking for a dynamic individual who can think on their feet, has good clinical reasoning, prioritising and discharge planning skills, is confident in positive risk taking, has excellent prioritizing skills and is able to solve problems to get the best outcome for patients. You will be responsible for providing a high standard of acute respiratory assessments, functional mobility assessments, advice, treatment and evaluation of patients referred to the Front Door Service, including patients with varying medical, frailty, orthopaedic, respiratory and some neurological presentations and complex social and psychological conditions.
As our service develops, we are looking for a flexible and adaptable approach to ensure delivery of excellent therapy provision. Through expanding your scope of practice into some areas of Occupational Therapy this will also enable the continued delivery of an responsive and efficient single assessment model.
Main duties of the job
· To provide advanced assessment, treatment and discharge planning for a range of acute medical, orthopaedic and elderly frail patients referred to the Acute Admissions Team therapy service, in accordance with national and local guidelines and standards.
· To assess and treat patients that require respiratory Physiotherapy (with access to specialist team as needed)
· To work in collaboration with the wider MDT and health professionals in both secondary and primary care.
· To supervise, teach and appraise, Band 5 Physiotherapist’s, Physiotherapy Advanced Physiotherapy Associate Practitioners, Physiotherapy Associate Practitioners and students.
· To support the Team Leads and deputise in their absence
· To participate in CPD, IST, audit, evidence-based projects and service development projects
· To participate in out of hours on call-rota.
· To be available to work across a seven-day period if required.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see job description and service specification for more details of the job role.
We strongly recommend an informal visit or call to discuss the job role
Person specification
Registration
Essential criteria
1. Physiotherapy Degree (BSc or MSc equivalent). UK registration Relevant Short Course
2. HCPC Registered
Desirable criteria
3. Evidence of post-graduate education such as post grad Diploma/ MSc modules.
4. CSP membership
Experience/ Qualifications
Essential criteria
5. Various Band 5 experience including rotation in Acute Respiratory within NHS
6. Proven clinical skills in speciality with knowledge of relevant pathology and treatment concepts
7. Experience of supporting, developing and training staff.
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of treating a variety of complex conditions with a range of co-morbidities
9. Previous Band 6 experience in speciality
Skills
Essential criteria
10. Have excellent communication skills with patients, relatives, carers/parents, colleagues and other members of the MDT.
11. Ability to use assessment findings / evidence to form individual patient treatment plans for sometimes complex patients.
12. Ability to manage a busy clinical and non-clinical workload, using effective time management, prioritisation and delegation skills.
13. Willingness to participate in the Out of Hours services (including Emergency Respiratory On-Call service)
14. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Desirable criteria
15. Involvement in audit, research and understanding of quality issues.
People Management and Development
Essential criteria
16. Experience of appraising and supervising less experienced staff and students.
Desirable criteria
17. Student supervision
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
18. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
19. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications