Specialist Physiotherapist

The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in burns and plastic surgery and will work in one of the largest units in the UK.
Our therapy team consists of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistant and Pressure Garment Technicians who continuously strive to provide high-quality person-centred care.
This is a dynamic service that encompasses therapy provision across seven days in which you will play a key role. There will be opportunity to work with inpatients, outpatients and therapy led clinics. This is a rotational role across both clinical areas with the expectation that you will advance your knowledge and skills within the speciality.
Due to the highly specialised nature of Burns and Plastics, it is recognised that additional training may be required and therefore a training post may be considered for a suitable candidate.
Current HCPC registration is essential., As a regional centre we are responsible for the therapy management and rehabilitation of complex, challenging cases and are an integral part of a large multidisciplinary team. You will be a Physiotherapist who is motivated, enthusiastic and able to demonstrate specialist clinical, interpersonal, communication, organisational, time management and clinical reasoning skills to provide bespoke patient care. You will have the ability to work independently and as a core member of the MDT.
There is a well-established in-service training programme, and you will be expected to participate in this. You will assist with the development of junior staff and students, completing supervision and appraisals as required. You will actively seek opportunities to support the development of the service.
Our philosophy is to keep the patient at the heart of everything we do. We look for people who are willing to go the extra mile, not because they are asked to, but because they are committed to being part of a healthcare team that delivers an excellent caring service to our patients.
If you are highly motivated, proactive and passionate about delivering high quality care, would relish the opportunity to join a dynamic, innovative and supportive team and are interested in finding out more about the role, we would love to hear from you., + To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients/clients in your care.
+ To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients/clients under your care, and support more junior staff to do likewise.
+ To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients/clients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use specialist clinical reasoning skills and appropriate assessment techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis of their condition
+ Formulate and deliver an individual treatment programme using assessment, reasoning skills and treatment skills based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options. Formulate an initial diagnosis and prognoses in order to recommend best course of intervention and develop comprehensive discharge plans
+ To take delegated responsibility from the Band 7 clinician for managing patients/clients with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions.
+ Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes as required
+ To have the ability to undertake self-directed/lone working in a variety of locations
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
+ To maintain Professional Registration
+ To work within Trust clinical guidelines, HCPC and Registrant Body guidelines and to have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these
+ To be responsible for a designated area of work, as delegated by a senior clinician. Plan and organise efficiently and effectively patient/client caseload, and use of time for self and more junior staff
+ To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice
+ To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of treatment and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care
+ To provide specialist clinical advice to colleagues working within other clinical areas
+ To provide specialist clinical advice, teaching and training to other members of the MDT regarding the management of patients
+ To train, supervise and performance manage more junior staff and students. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation
+ To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise potential and to ensure understanding of their condition
+ To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients/clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment
+ To communicate highly sensitive information effectively with all patient groups/clients/carers where there may be difficulties in accepting or understanding information
+ To maintain tact and diplomacy and use highly developed communication skills when working in situations which may become hostile/antagonistic including potential complaints as per Trust Policy
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
+ To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and local requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters
+ To undertake as directed the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department
+ To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include participating in a variety of MDT, internal and external agency meetings and forums plus other forms of verbal/written communication as necessary including report writing and referrals to other agencies
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
+ To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments, and incorporate them as appropriate into your work. To support junior staff to do likewise
+ To be an active member of relevant training programmes attending and delivering presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, and by attending external courses and being a reflective practitioner
+ To participate in the supervision scheme as supervisor and supervisee
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
To demonstrate leadership by means of:
- Delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery.
- Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the Therapy Team
+ To provide specialist advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment and long term management of patients/ clients within sphere of practice.
+ To deputise for the band 7 in terms of operational issues
+ To take responsibility for their own specialist and complex decision making and the decisions of their team which effect service delivery
+ To undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by senior staff
+ To participate in working parties developing policy changes within speciality which will impact on all service users
CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, RESEARCH & AUDIT
+ To adhere to the appropriate Registrant Body code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and facilitate compliance of staff with local and national standards of practice
+ Implement policy and service development changes as directed
+ To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation
+ To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures under the guidance of senior staff. Make recommendations for change and to implement change
+ To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating as appropriate
+ To support research activity within the Service
+ To engage actively in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities relevant to service to promote evidence based practice
Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.
Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]
We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.
The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
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).
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.
If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
Flexible Working
We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:
· All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
· There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
· Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.
Working for Team MWL
Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website
You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated.
Additional Information
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.
An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
+ Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
+ Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
+ National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme