Job overview
We are seeking a motivated, experienced and dynamic unregistered band 5 Physiotherapy Advanced associated Practitioner to join our Acute Admissions team at St Richards Hospital.
The successful post holder will provide assessment, treatment and discharge planning for a range of acute medical, orthopaedic and elderly frail patients referred to the Acute Admissions Team (Emergency Floor) therapy service, in accordance with national and local guidelines and standards. They will co-ordinate regularly working in collaboration with the wider MDT and health professionals in both secondary and primary care. In addition the role will include supervision, teaching and appraisal of Physiotherapy Associate Practitioners and students.
The applicant should have significant experience at band 4 Physiotherapy Associate Practitioner level and fit the role requirements outlined by the personal specification.
The service is currently provided Monday- Friday with the expectation to participate in the Physiotherapy out of hours weekend services as additional hours. However, Front Door Therapy services will be moving to 7-day provision soon and the expectation would then be to work your contracted hours over 7 days.
Informal visits are encouraged
Please note the interview will be face to face with no exceptions
Main duties of the job
To prioritise and manage clinical work and non-clinical activities in accordance with departmental requirements.
Participate in relevant service development e.g. audit, service evaluation, user feedback and data collection.
Use initiative and problem solving skills to resolve queries and problems, recognising when to escalate to Team lead.
Take responsibility for the line management and /or professional development of other staff, including carrying out appraisal and supervision and monitoring of competencies. i.e. other support workers, rotational band 5’s and students.
Take responsibility for entire episode of care for patients on the Emergency Floor, in which competence has been demonstrated, independently and/or with infrequent support and supervision.
To independently carry out comprehensive and appropriate assessments, treatments, including exercise prescription of patients with a variety of conditions and possibly complex presentations.
To recognise when a patient is progressing or regressing and make adaptions to the management plan accordingly and recognise when to escalate to senior staff.
To be able to recognise when a patient has become unwell or has acutely concerning signs of ill health and be able to arrange the medical assistance required with the appropriate degree of urgency, escalate to senior staff and document appropriately
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and 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, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and 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 and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
see attached JOB DESCRIPTION AND ESSENTIAL/DESIRABLE CRITERIA FOR MORE DETAILS OF THE JOB ROLE AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Person specification
Experience, skills and people management
Essential criteria
1. Evidence of relevant clinical experience in specialism, working as an autonomous practitioner at Band 4 level with Acute Admissions environment.
2. Experience of working as band 5 un-registered practitioner in relevant area
3. Good basic level of education. 5 GCSE’s Grade A-D including English and Maths or Level 1 Functional Skills
4. High level communications skills within the MDT, patients, families and carers, and community colleagues
5. Recognising when to escalate unwell patients, queries and other issues to Team lead/ nursing staff as appropriate.
6. Ability to prioritise own work and delegate appropriately to others
Desirable criteria
7. Relevant courses / training in specific speciality
8. Experience of training family members / carers in specialism
9. Supervision of students
10. Experience of service development
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Essential criteria
11. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
12. 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