Senior Physiotherapist

Job summary

36 hours per week

Job Purpose

An experienced and specialised physiotherapist who will plan, co-ordinate, deliver, develop, and evaluate their physiotherapy service on a day-to-day basis.

The post holder will be clinically responsible for the provision of a quality physiotherapy service with the guidance from the Team Lead, whilst working as a member of the MDT.

To provide advice, signposting, guidance and information to health and social care professionals, patients, carers, relatives or other non-professional contacts.

To be an integral member of the MDT providing education, training and dissemination of information to all healthcare professionals.

To be an autonomous practitioner, holding a caseload and working without direct supervision.

To continue own professional development in line with HCPC regulations.

Job Scope

To provide a high standard Physiotherapy service by using advanced physiotherapeutic assessment of patients who have complex presentations with physical, psychological and cognitive conditions.

The post holder will undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, and work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.

This job may include supervising and managing staff.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Main duties of the job

To take responsibility for all aspects of service delivery, including providing leadership to Physiotherapy colleagues, providing cover for staff who are absent and deputising in the team leads absence.

To co-ordinate the day-to-day activities of Physiotherapy and admin staff where applicable.

To regularly supervise and line manage both workload and caseload of Physiotherapist/support staff, undertaking and recording line management meetings and appraisals, supporting the attainment of competencies, knowledge and achieving objectives set out in their personal development plan.

To support Physiotherapy/support staff and other Livewell SW health and social care professionals, to develop their knowledge, experience, providing advice, guidance, and signposting where appropriate.

To plan, organise and lead when delegated, both formal and informal treatments and health education groups for both service users and formal/informal carers.

To educate service users and both formal/informal carers regarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect patient safety and independence in the hospital and home, leisure, and workplace.

Role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

We may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Details

• Date posted: 09 October 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year pa, pro-rata
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
• Reference number: B9832-2026-PTA-1654
• Job locations: Livewell Southwest, Plympton Clinic, Station Road, Plympton, Devon, PL7 2AU, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Responsibility for People Management.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

To assess, prescribe and authorise both general and specialist aids and adaptive equipment in line with the organisations and the Community Equipment Services policy and procedures.

If appropriate following specialist training or working with colleagues who have undergone specialist training, recognise when there is a need to assess for splinting and positioning to prevent, treat and manage deformity and improve function for the upper limb, fabricating splints which may be complex in nature.

To utilise Livewell SW resources responsibly, following policy and guidance around the security, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipment utilised in the clinical setting.

To take responsibility for ensuring solutions are at all times cost effective and to work within financial delegated limits.

To have a working knowledge of statutory and non-statutory funding and the legislation/guidance that underpins these funding streams, ensuring service users meet the eligibility criteria when advocating for/ utilising services on the service users behalf (e.g. Care Act eligibility, Housing legislation etc)

Responsibility for administration.

To maintain high professional standards and conduct at all times, complying with the standards of practice in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and all of HCPC standards and regulations.

To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.

To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/or apps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.

To work as an autonomous practitioner, independently organising, planning, and diarising a designated caseload to meet service priorities, readjusting plans as situations change and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.

To manage a caseload of service users with complex needs, applying logical professional rationale that is based upon evidence based / person-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To ensure use of risk assessment in all areas of your work are undertaken and comply with Livewell SW Health and Safety policies and Lone Working Policy.

To maintain up to date, accurate and complete records of all activity and clinical input (all formats of service user contacts, MDT care plans, assessments, reports, Caseload Management Tool), ensuring confidentiality at all times, complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Records policy and HCPC requirements for thorough and sufficient records.

To utilise and complete applicable outcome measures in your service and offer service user feedback mechanisms when facilitating the discharge of service users from Livewell SW services.

To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager, taking responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development and statutory training demonstrating the ability to apply increasingly complex skills / knowledge as defined by identified competencies.

To report accidents, incidents, complaints, or faulty equipment in line with Livewell SW policy and procedures.

Responsibility for people who use our services.

To act in a service users best interest at all times, factoring in their known views, beliefs, values, and instructions expressed, when undertaking care or an intervention where the service user lacks capacity to give expressed consent.

To actively participate in the complex MDT functions and the support individuals with decision making around the application of the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and adhering to the principles of Best Interest legislation.

To demonstrate a high level of understanding of conditions relevant to the diagnostic area and those patients presenting with multi pathology.

Where necessary, to carry out baseline medical observations e.g. temperature, respirations and blood pressure checks to record and share this information with other health and social care professionals, to aid them with medical diagnoses and identification of most appropriate treatment pathway.

To have a working knowledge of the Care Act 2014 including the well-being principle, prevention, and the eligibility criteria.

To be competent to identify the need for an enabling package of support and set goals to promote independence.

To maintain competence in the use of complex manual handling techniques and equipment including the prescription of manual handling equipment for use in the community setting, demonstrating the use to carers as necessary including in urgent and crisis situations and to provide a manual handling safe system of work (manual handling plan). Employing single handed care techniques as appropriate.

To respect the individual values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.

To provide education and advice to service users, carers and/or family members regarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits on patient safety and independence in the home, leisure, and workplace.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To jointly manage referrals/admissions/waiting lists to ensure appropriate screening and prioritisation are utilised in accordance with service eligibility criteria and standards.

To participate in Triage/MDT discussions and/or coordination of new referrals/transfer of service users to Livewell SW services.

Communication and relationships

To be proficient in written and spoken English, e.g. face-to-face, email, telephone, letter, presentation.

To establish, liaise with and ensure good communication networks with statutory and voluntary bodies, this will include liaising with health and social care professionals regarding the transfer or discharge of service users from other hospital/communitybased settings.

To work in a patient centred way, using a range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods with people who may have difficulty in understanding or communicating.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ALL POSTS

As part of your role there will be occasional requirement to draw upon appropriate shared skills to support holistic assessments.

The shared skills you are requested to complete for your role/team are detailed in the LSW shared skills matrix. Some of the shared skills (as listed below) may already be a core part of your role:

Clinical Observations

- Take a set of clinical observations and escalate findings appropriately.

Purpose T pressure Screening

-Be able to complete a pressure screening tool and escalate findings appropriately.

Cognition Screening

-Be able to complete a basic cognitive screen and refer on to the appropriate service where required.

Falls Prevention

- Understand what health and social care professionals can advise on to reduce falls risk.

Frailty Level 1

- Understand what frailty is and how it can affect service users.

Safeguarding Children and Adults

All employees have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults and are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards their health and wellbeing. Familiarisation with and adherence to national and local safeguarding adults and children policies is an essential requirement upon all employees. Staff are also required to participate in related mandatory/statutory training.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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).