Job summary
- Main area
- Adult Learning Disabilities
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term maternity cover)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 277-7787997-ALD
- Employer
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Queen Mary's Hospital
- Town
- Sidcup
- Salary
- £44,485 - £52,521 pa inc
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Physiotherapist
Band 6
Job overview
12 MONTH FIXED TERM MATERNITY COVER
To provide assessment and specialist Physiotherapy to adults with learning disabilities as part of the Community Adult Learning Disability Physiotherapy Team and to act as a learning disability resource for carers and other providers. To provide support and guidance to colleagues in other teams/services around making reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities and to facilitate people in accessing mainstream services wherever possible.
Main duties of the job
Key Task and Responsibilities
- To be able to plan and facilitate appropriate therapeutic intervention including group work for the specialist client group and their families and carers
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of conditions in learning disability and how Physiotherapy interventions can be appropriately chosen to achieve clinical effectiveness
- To be able to assess and manage risk in adults with learning disabilities and to do this on an on-going basis within the role as care co-ordinator
- Assist in running hydrotherapy service, completing administration, such as the collection of referrals and booking of patient appointments
- To act as an autonomous practitioner with an understanding of own limitations and recognition of when to seek support.
- To contribute to overall service delivery and development, as required
- To work closely with the college based and community health professionals, carrying out joint assessments when appropriate.
- To implement appropriate training for parents and carers in conjunction with colleagues.
- Be responsible for maintaining and developing own competency to practice through CPD activities, for example, using evidence based-practice projects, audits and the use of outcome measures and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To possess good IT skills to effectively communicate in writing with colleagues, other professionals and families in accordance with trust policies e.g. writing of comprehensive report.
- To store statistical data in accordance with trust policies.
- Undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects, managing and undertaking research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and departmental research initiatives
- To ensure live registration with appropriate professional body, e.g. CSP and HCPC
- Actively identify personal training needs and participate in training programmes as required and identified in PDP
- To demonstrate the ability to make appropriate decisions with regard to the confidentiality of clients and their families taking into considerations the risks to clients, self and the wider public.
- To liaise with other colleagues in ALD and participate in different clinical groups in order to share best practice and discuss current and future professional and clinical developments e.g. case review meetings and professional fora
- To liaise independently and effectively with external partner agencies, co-ordinating meetings and participating in case discussions between teams involved in the care of clients.
- Carry out assessments and treatments of patients, which involves moderate to intense physical effort daily
- Comply with the Trust Manual Handling policy and local therapeutic handling guidance at all times
- Deal sensitively with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care such as realistic expectations of rehabilitation outcome
- Deal sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia, limited mobility or limited understanding
- Work alone in environments, for example, domiciliary settings, assessing and managing risk appropriately
- Manage the aspects of the role which may involve exposure to unpleasant working conditions on a regular basis, for example, bodily fluids including sputum, unpleasant smells, faeces, vomit, urine and occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Physiotherapy degree or equivalent UK HPC Registration
- Evidence of relevant post-graduate education
- Experiential training relevant to working with adults with learning disabilities
Experience
Essential criteria
- At least 2 years post physiotherapy registration.
- A broad range of post-graduate experience, including skills that are transferable to learning disabilities, e.g. community, neuro, paediatrics, elderly care, mental health.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Experience of managing patients in a hydrotherapy pool environment.
- Experience of working with learning disabilities
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Core and developing specialist physiotherapy skills.
- A range of assessment and treatment tools and approaches.
- Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate risk/care plans to meet the needs of clients.
Effort and Environment
Essential criteria
- · Demonstrable ability to work under pressure and respond to emergency situations as appropriate
- · A flexible approach to client intervention and to be able to work independently and flexibly to meet client needs
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Louise Mara
- Job title
- Specialist Physiotherapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02038715680
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