Principal Physiotherapist - Inpatient Mental Health Service

Job summary

Are you an experienced Physiotherapist ready to shape the future of Physiotherapy inpatient services across Sussex? We are seeking an exceptional Principal Physiotherapist (Band 8a) to provide strategic, clinical, and professional leadership within our service.

In this influential role, you will combine expert clinical practice with service development, workforce leadership, and innovation to deliver outstanding outcomes for people with mental health conditions across SPFT inpatient sites.

Working closely with the Consultant Physiotherapist, operational leaders, and multidisciplinary teams, you will champion evidence-based practice, drive quality improvement, and help develop services that truly make a difference.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated leader who is passionate about advancing Physiotherapy, supporting colleagues to thrive, and shaping the future of healthcare delivery.

Main duties of the job As the Principal Physiotherapist, you will manage a specialist caseload while providing expert advice and guidance on complex clinical issues.

You will lead and inspire Physiotherapy staff through supervision, mentorship, training, and professional development, ensuring the highest standards of care are consistently achieved.

You will play a pivotal role in service transformation, leading quality improvement projects, audits, research activities, and the development of innovative pathways. You will take the lead on Falls Prevention work for the Trust.

Working collaboratively across disciplines and partner organisations, you will influence strategic decision-making, enhance patient outcomes, and ensure Physiotherapy remains at the forefront of evidence-based, person-centred care.

About us

Join Sussex Partnership and you'll be part of an NHS trust that allows you to thrive and, in turn, thrives because of you. We believe in the vibrancy of our fantastic people. And how that leads to even better support for the people who use our services.

When you join us, you'll be able to take advantage of our wide range of rewards and benefits.

Here are some of the perks that make working at Sussex Partnership a great choice: Flexible Working Generous Pension and Holiday Entitlement Training and Development Opportunities Discounts and Savings Access to Staff Networks Access to Staff Wellbeing Support Free Parking

Job description

Job

responsibilities

1. The post-holder will be responsible for assessing and managing their own specialist caseload of patients/clients across the service. 2.

They will act as the Physiotherapy clinical lead providing expert clinical advice and input for clients with highly complex needs, where there may be barriers to understanding. 3.

In addition, the post-holder will lead on the development of their specialist service, playing a key role in shaping new service initiatives and strategic plans in conjunction with the Consultant Physiotherapist.

They will provide professional leadership, clinical supervision, and mentorship for staff within the service, ensuring that high-quality care is maintained in line with professional, national, and local standards. 4.

The post-holder will also take a leading role in clinical audits and may undertake research to support service development and innovation. As well as being responsible for developing and delivering training in their specialist area as required

Person Specification

Essential Essential oMSc / Degree / Diploma in Physiotherapy oEvidence of master level post qualification study oEvidence of continuing professional development oRegistration with the HCPC as a Physiotherapist oPractice placement qualification oExtensive experience as a qualified Physiotherapist, an element of which must have been in a mental health setting oExtensive experience of working with people with Mental Health problems / Learning Disabilities oExperience of supervising other staff oLeadership experience oEvidence of post-qualification training in a relevant field oProven written and general communication skills within a multi-disciplinary setting oExperience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of Physiotherapy clinical approaches used in Mental health / Learning disabilities oExperience in using assessments relevant to the field oExperience of service/ practice innovation oExperience in Quality Improvement oExperience in working collaboratively with other agencies oExpert knowledge of Physiotherapy interventions oAbility to supervise and develop junior staff oLead others in the development of knowledge, ideas and work practices including policies and strategies oResolution of professional/ethical issues oAbility to communicate complex condition related information to service users, carers and colleagues, and resolve any barriers there may be to understanding oAbility to develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders oAbility to reflect on and critically appraise own performance oAbility to think strategically and across services oAbility to implement and suggest changes to polices, as well as developing specific polices for the specialist area oAbility to assess, develop interventions and monitor needs for a range of highly complex conditions within the specialist area, considering clinical governance issues, and the content of expert advice oAbility to co-ordinate Physiotherapy activity across the area in collaboration with operational managers oAbility to identify the needs of the service as a whole and to prioritise accordingly oAbility to work alone where required and as an active member of a team oEffective time management and allocation of resources oAbility to work with a range of codes of practice and professional guidelines and ability to interpret these for the specialist service oAbility to set up and maintain clinical and professional supervision system for junior staff, including appraisal, allocation of work, as well as the recruitment and appointment of new staff oManagement of delegated budget when appropriate oAbility to use Trust IT systems including e-mail and electronic clinical records oAbility to design and deliver complex clinical audit activity and to be active in considering research activity in the clinical area oAbility to participate in training in de-escalation techniques and breakaway Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands.

Requirement to move patients and equipment during functional assessment and treatment oHighly developed physical skills with a high level of accuracy essential for delivering safe and effective interventions. oDemonstrated dexterity, co-ordination, and fine motor control to carry out physiotherapy assessments and treatments across a wide range of patient groups. oWell-developed sensory and perceptual skills to observe, assess, and respond appropriately to subtle changes in patient presentation and function. oAbility to apply sustained physical effort, including therapeutic handling, manual techniques, and use of equipment, while maintaining patient safety. oAbility to concentrate on complex client assessment and intervention and deal with interruptions to workflow oAbility to be able to deal with conflicting demands oAbility to deal with distressing or emotional circumstances due to complex nature of work with service users oAbility to carry out investigations into untoward incidents which may have distressing content oFrequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions - whilst carrying out functional assessment, or home visits to unsanitary environments oDemonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust oFlexible approach - willing to work as part of a team and assist colleagues oDemonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role oCommitment to providing a quality service within a team oAbility to travel across sites oPunctual and flexible across hours of work when required Desirable oManagement / Leadership training oExperience in a range of clinical settings oManagement experience oMember of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) oLived experience of Mental Health issues oResearch experience oExperience in clinical audit Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.

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) .