SHSCT Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner Band 7

Job details

• Branch: Craigavon & Banbridge area (SHSCT)
• Location: Lurgan Hosp-Child Development Clinic
• Directorate: Children & Young People's Services
• Salary: Band 7 (£47,810 - £54,710)
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 14/07/26
• Closes: Tue, 28 July 2026 @ 4:00 PM
• Interview Dates: To be confirmed.

Notes

If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. “A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026”. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.” Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner Level 1 in Paediatrics

BAND

7

DIRECTORATE

Children Young People and Wonen’s Services,

INITIAL LOCATION

Lurgan Community Paediatrics and Oakdale Newry

REPORTS TO

Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapy service and/or Operational Team manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO

FLEXIBLE WORKING

PROVISIONS AVAILABLE

Head of Physiotherapy and Head of AHP CYPWS

Working patterns vary with individual posts. Flexible working provisions may be available and will be confirmed with Line Manager on appointment

JOB SUMMARY

Community Child Health Physiotherapy Team provides a high quality and evidenced-based child centred assessment of children (0-18yrs) with a diverse presentation and complex physical and medical needs. The service will be provided across a range of settings including clinic, schools, patients own homes and aquatic therapy

The post holder will be expected to provide a high level of clinical expertise in the assessment, diagnosis and management of children who present with diverse presentations of complex physical and medical needs. They will act as a source of expertise and provide an advisory, educational, and consultative service to parents, teachers, other health professions, and relevant stakeholders. The post will also require close working with other members of the multidisciplinary and multiagency teams to develop and deliver focused treatment programmes of care to meet each individual child’s specific needs. This will involve utilising a broad range of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

They will maintain close links with specialist teams and core Physiotherapy services to ensure seamless pathways for the babies, children, and young people on their caseloads. The service will be provided in accordance with local and national guidelines and in line with SHSCT corporate objectives.

The post holder will be directly involved in training and supervision of more junior staff. They will make recommendations to Team Leader and Head of Service for changes to practice. This may lead to the implementation of specific changes to practice or contribute to the development of service protocols.

KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

To be responsible for the planning and delivery of specialist paediatric physiotherapy service within the CYP Directorate, including triaging referrals, and prioritising clinical need.

To assess babies, children and young people with complex needs and determine accurate clinical diagnosis drawing on a broad range of in-depth knowledge gathered from experience, research, and education.

To undertake specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment as an autonomous practitioner via a range of methods, including face to face, telephone consultations and video calls.

To maintain timely, accurate and comprehensive clinical records in accordance Trust and Professional standards. To be responsible for own practice and accountable for all aspects of physiotherapy treatment and care delivered to the patient

To assess, diagnose and develop individual care/treatment plans for children and young people with a range of conditions which will be clinically complex in nature and for patients/parents/carers with social and mental health needs.

Use a range of communication tools to communicate complex information effectively with patient’s/families/ teaching and education staff regarding diagnosis and prognosis alongside providing encouragement and motivation. This includes patients who have difficulties in communication and understanding e.g. dysphasia, deafness, cognitive impairment, and where English is not the first language.

To work collaboratively with children and young people and their families to develop meaningful, child‑centred goals, ensuring physiotherapy assessment, intervention and outcomes are guided by the priorities, strengths and lived experiences of the child and family, discuss the implications of diagnosis, prognosis and deal sensitively with patients/families who have high level of difficulty accepting a diagnosis.

To provide physiotherapy leadership within the multi-disciplinary team, providing specialist advice to other professionals e.g. Paediatricians, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, teaching and education staff, Podiatry, Nursing, GP’s, Social Services staff, as necessary.

To take responsibility for day-to-day delegation and monitoring of appropriate patients and duties, and provide clinical supervision to less senior physiotherapists, assistants and student physiotherapists and support staff as appropriate.

To be a source of clinical expertise and advice for less senior physiotherapists, support staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

To organise, plan and carry out aquatic treatment sessions.

To analyse clinical and social information from a range of sources and integrate into physiotherapy assessment and development of treatment plan to meet the child’s holistic needs.

To liaise and work collaboratively with the other members of the Primary/Community Care team and acute settings who refer patients for assessment, treatment and management and provide detailed advice to assist in decision making.

To use a range of communication strategies and tools to convey complex and sensitive information effectively to children, families and education staff, including when working with individuals who have communication difficulties (e.g. developmental language disorder, deafness, cognitive impairment) or where English is not the first language.

To prepare high-quality physiotherapy advice and reports for education which contribute to the Statutory SEN Assessment Process within agreed timescales

To be actively involved in the safeguarding of children and Young People and follow Trust policies and procedures. Attend case conferences where appropriate.

To advise and instruct parents, teaching staff and carers how to carry out exercise programmes and physical management strategies, incorporating these into everyday life.

To undertake risk assessments with children and young people in the community and to advise/instruct carers appropriately, including in relation to moving & handling, to ensure safe use of equipment by others, inform the care plan and ensure safe systems of working.

To keep up to date with specialist equipment and take responsibility for assessment, prescription, ordering and review of such equipment, for example, standing frames, sleep systems, mobility aids and respiratory adjuncts.

To ensure that less senior physiotherapy staff are competent and trained in the safe use of equipment and compliant with relevant Standard Operational Procedures.

To ensure parents and carers receive appropriate training and guidance in the safe use of specialist equipment.

To contribute to and support the provision of out‑of‑hours or emergency services as required, including participation in emergency respiratory rotas or on‑call arrangements.

Organisational

To inform and advise the Physiotherapy Paediatric Lead on the provision of paediatric physiotherapy services in a range of settings to include school, community and domiciliary settings.

To work closely with Physiotherapy Paediatric Lead to effectively discharge the stated duties of the post and to inform innovation and reform which best meets the needs of the children and assists the Trust to achieve its business plan.

Work closely with the Physiotherapy Paediatric Lead in the strategic development of this service, which includes developing and implementing policies and procedures.

In collaboration with the Physiotherapy Paediatric Lead, identify extended role skills required to lead and develop the service and undertake any necessary training required to attain competency in these extended roles.

To remain responsive to the changing needs of the service users, and commissioners, and in partnership with the Physiotherapy Paediatric Lead develop the service to meet local, and regional priorities and targets.

To contribute to the development of policies/procedures/Guidelines for the evolving paediatric services in response to service demands.

To support achievement of Department of Health Priorities for Action targets, including those relating to access and waiting times for allied health professional services.

Professional Development

To facilitate and support continuing professional development (CPD) for self and, where appropriate, other staff, ensuring accurate records and reflective learning are maintained.

To maintain personal professional competence through ongoing CPD and to maintain a professional portfolio that evidence learning, development and reflective practice.

To provide clinical supervision, training, mentoring and professional advice to qualified and non‑qualified staff as appropriate to role and experience.

To maintain competency to practise in accordance with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) requirements, Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) profiles and the Personal Development Plan.

To maintain and further develop an up‑to‑date knowledge of evidence‑based practice relevant to paediatric physiotherapy.

To participate in and, where appropriate, lead evidence‑based audit and research activity aimed at improving clinical practice and service delivery.

To actively contribute to the in‑service training programme through attendance at and participation in internal training sessions, tutorials, individual learning opportunities, external courses and peer review.

To provide both theoretical and practical guidance, training and support to staff within the Trust, and to contribute to the monitoring of performance through supervision and participation in the appraisal process.

To promote and maintain a high‑quality service by demonstrating sound knowledge and application of clinical governance, quality assurance and risk‑management principles.

To actively engage in professional networks and clinical groups, including journal clubs, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) clinical interest groups, peer‑review groups and other relevant professional development activities.

To supervise, educate and assess physiotherapy students to graduate standard, working in partnership with universities to ensure clinical education and practice meet the requirements of degree‑level qualifications.

Service Improvement

To participate in, and where appropriate lead, clinical audit and research activities to support service quality and improvement.

To continually review physiotherapy techniques and interventions considering current evidence‑based practice and research findings, evaluating effectiveness and outcomes.

To contribute to operational planning, policy development and service improvement initiatives within the CCH, and across interfaces with core Child Health Services and specialist teams in a range of settings. To provide relevant activity and performance data as required to support service monitoring and development.

To support and optimise the local implementation of new policies and guidance that impact on the work of the team.

To contribute specialist physiotherapy input to policy development that influences education practices locally and regionally, where relevant to children and young people with complex physical needs.

To lead on delegated projects in support of service development, quality improvement or pathway redesign.

To contribute to, and support delivery of, the Physiotherapy development plan within the Community Child Heath Team.

To ensure accurate and timely information is maintained within Trust information systems, in line with governance and record‑keeping requirements.

To contribute to the development of a flexible and responsive workforce that is able to meet changing service needs

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trust supports and promotes a culture of collective leadership where those who have responsibility for managing other staff:

Establish and promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables all parts of the team to have clearly aligned goals and objectives, to meet the required performance standards and to achieve continuous improvement in the services they deliver.

Ensure access to skills and personal development through appropriate training and support.

Promote a culture of openness and honesty to enable shared learning.

Encourage and empower others in their team to achieve their goals and reach their full potential through regular supportive conversation and shared decision making.

Adhere to and promote Trust policy and procedure in all staffing matters, participating as appropriate in a way which underpins Trust values.

RAISING CONCERNS - RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency.

The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the Trust’s ‘Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)’ policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

PERSONAL AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES (PPI)

Involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community where relevant, in developing, planning, delivering and evaluating our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal Public Involvement (PPI) and Co-Production. Further information is available at engage.hscni.net

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Always adhere to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

Smoke Free policy

IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

standards of attendance, appearance, and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the [org name] policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

Available / able to work any 5 days out of 7 over the 24 hour period, which may include on-call / stand-by / sleep-in duties, shifts, night duty, weekends and Public Holidays if required immediately on appointment or at a later stage following commencement in response to changing demands of the service

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

April 2026

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE/BAND Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner Level 1 in Paediatrics

Band 7

DEPARTMENT / Community Child Health Physiotherapy Team

DIRECTORATE CYPWS

HOURS 30 (0.8 WTE)

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

5 years post registration clinical experience with at least 3 years’ experience as a band 6 Physiotherapist.

One years’ experience working in Paediatrics which must include Neurodevelopmental or orthopaedic conditions

A minimum of 1 years’ experience in staff or student management/supervision.

Experience of service development or project management.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications/ Registration

BSc/Diploma in Physiotherapy

Current up to date Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Evidence of in-depth clinical development in specialist area and post graduate training with completion of at least two post graduate courses in neuro-development paediatrics, neurology, respiratory orthopaedics

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other

Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment.

This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.

Shortlisting by Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Knowledge/

Abilities

Effective Planning & Organisational skills with an ability to prioritise own workload

Excellent verbal and written communications skills to meet the needs of the post in full.

Ability to work well within a team

Good sense of responsibility and demonstration of initiative

Ability to undertake a supervisory / mentoring/training role

Ability to identify solutions to problems and implement them effectively.

Experience of carrying out research and audit

Ability to work to tight timescales whilst meeting targets.

Demonstrate a commitment to the provision of high quality and safe services with an ability to drive a culture of continuous improvement

Interview

Knowledge

Knowledge of the Physiotherapy Paediatric service, including paediatric conditions and their management.

Interview

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

Successful applicants may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

THE TRUST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

· may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

· can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

· are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance.

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times