Children’s Community Physiotherapist B5 or 6

Job overview

Come join our friendly and progressive Children’s Community Physiotherapy Team in beautiful Suffolk

Please specify in the supporting information which banding you are interested in being considered for.

This newly developed role is based in Ipswich working in special schools and the community. The role involves working with children (0-18/19) with neuro - developmental needs / long term disabilities in the child development centre, clinics, homes, and school settings.

There is excellent clinical supervision and peer support from an experienced team of band 6, 7 & 8a staff. The team also benefit from good technician and administrative support. There are varied internal and external funded training opportunities and a team ethos of continuing development and innovation.

This post offers the opportunity to work at a specialist level within a well-established team, taking key responsibilities linked to your personal field of paediatric interest. The team can also support newly qualified staff to develop skills within the wide spectrum of paediatrics.

Interviews will be planned for 08/04/2025.

• You will be working within a county wide team of 32 physiotherapy and support staff that has bases across Suffolk.
• The team works in support of children with long term and varied disabilities across a wide spectrum of diagnosis and presentations.
• The team is part of Integrated Community Paediatric Services (ICPS) that links medical and therapeutic children’s teams across the county.

You will link with many MDTs within ICPS in providing care to children and families as part of your role

Please specify which band you are applying for in your application

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To hold a caseload of children and young people with a broad range of multiple and complex health needs, using knowledge to carry out assessments, using standardised tools, setting objectives and implementing appropriate treatment, as part of the holistic care plan.
• To provide advice to children, young people, families, carers and colleagues, as necessary, on Physiotherapy related matters as appropriate

1. Communication:

• To establish, maintain and participate in robust multi-disciplinary communication networks, for self and team, with children, young people, families, carers and other health workers and agencies involved in care.
• To ensure robust communication systems within own profession and with other professionals
• To promote the role of the PT and multi-disciplinary services within WSH NHS Foundation Trust, in relation to all aspects of Children and young people’s care
• To contribute to relevant meetings with WSH NHS Foundation Trust.
• To provide complex and sensitive information to the children, young people, families, clinicians and other agencies to assist in decision-making, using persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic and re-assurance skills.
• To ensure any verbal complaints are dealt with in a sensitive, effective and timely way in accordance with local and Trust complaints procedure.
• To ensure that self and junior members of the team maintain up-to-date electronic data, where applicable, in accordance with professional and WSH NHS Foundation Trust standards and in compliance with Data Protection and Information Governance policy.
• To ensure self and all members of the team provide Physiotherapy and Multidisciplinary reports relevant to the clients’ situations.

1. Analytical and judgemental:

• To analyse and interpret clinical information and data relating to child/ young persons condition, care or assessment
• To ensure own and other staff’s interventions are evaluated and treatment is modified in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention
• To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of disability and identify adaptations to the client’s social and physical environment, involving other appropriate professionals and agencies when indicated

Person specification

Education and qualifications

• Degree in Physiotherapy
• Health Professionals Council Registration
• Membership of CSP

• Membership of Specialist Interest Group (APCP).
• Physiotherapy Therapy Student Educator qualification
• Bobath Approach training
• Postural Management Training
• Gait analysis/Orthotics training
• Other specialist paediatric courses and training relevant to role

Experience and knowledge

• Post graduate paediatric experience (Band 5, please specify how this criteria is met in application)
• Supervisory experience (Band 6, please specify how this criteria is met in application)
• Clinical experience in core physiotherapy assessment and skills across a range of conditions / presentations
• Evidence of clinical experience in Paediatric Physiotherapy with a range of physical, cognitive and sensory disabilities. (paediatric rotation / role).
• Evidence of experience and working knowledge of Paediatric interventions, including core skills.
• Evidence understanding of normal child development.
• Evidence of using different interventions e.g. Biomechanical, Neurodevelopmental.
• Experience and knowledge of assessment, facilitation and involvement in audit and understanding of quality issues.
• Experience of developing and delivering training
• Evidence of post graduate training in Paediatric Physiotherapy and provision of specialist paediatric equipment

• Expertise in splinting techniques.
• Trained Fieldwork Educator.
• Respiratory management skills

Skills and Abilities

• Documented evidence of continuing professional development.
• Well-developed IT skills.
• An ability to reflect on and critically appraise own practice and performance.
• Planning and decision-making skills and develop supervision skills.

• Specific child related training (including safeguarding).
• IT qualifications/ training.

Personal Qualities

• Excellent communicator.
• Frequent Travel Essential - You will need to travel, so you must either hold a full, current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.
• To have a flexible approach, innovative and creative in the pursuit of efficient and effective child and family centred services.