Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced HCPC-registered physiotherapist or occupational therapist to play a leading role in launching and shaping Suffolks new WorkWell service in partnership with Suffolk Mind. As our WorkWell Lead, you will bring clinical and operational leadership to an innovative early-intervention offer, helping people overcome health-related barriers so they can remain in, return to or start employment.

WorkWell is an early-intervention work and health service with a focus on prevention, which includes holistic support for their health-related barriers to employment. It will provide evidence based, low intensity work and health assessments that support individuals with their low-level occupational health needs to overcome barriers to work.

If you are excited by the chance to create something new, bring people together and make a lasting difference to health and employment outcomes in Suffolk, we would love to hear from you. We welcome applications from candidates who meet the essential criteria and share our commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and person-centred care. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout recruitment and employment.

Main duties of the job
Make a difference you will:

• Shape safe, seamless participant pathways from referral to discharge, leading clinical triage and multidisciplinary working
• Champion holistic assessment and personalised WorkWell plans that connect health, work and what matters most to each participant
• Build a confident, capable team through supportive supervision, coaching, competency development and clinical assurance
• Create strong partnerships with primary care, employers, Connect to Work, VCFSE organisations and the wider system
• Turn ideas and feedback into action by leading co-production, pathway development and quality improvement

What you will bring

• An experienced HCPC-registered Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist ready to bring ideas and senior clinical expertise to our service
• A confident leader who can guide clinical risk, governance, supervision and multidisciplinary decision making
• Skilled in person-centred assessment and passionate about connecting health, function, occupation and employment
• An engaging communicator who enjoys working across organisational boundaries and turning new ideas into practical services
• Committed to inclusive practice, health equity, continuous improvement and AHPS values

Why join us?

• A genuinely rare opportunity to help build a new service from the ground up and shape how WorkWell develops across Suffolk
• The scope to innovate, test new approaches and see your ideas translate into better experiences and outcomes for local people

About us
We are a supportive employer committed to helping our people thrive through comprehensive training, development and ongoing support

Reasonable adjustments are available throughout recruitment and employment.

Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description for further information for the role of WorkWell Lead (Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist)

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Extensive post-registration experience as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist
• Experience of assessing and managing people with complex physical, mental health, functional or psychosocial needs
• Strong understanding of biopsychosocial assessment, personalised care and shared decision making
• Experience of clinical leadership, supervision, coaching and competency development
• Experience of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working across health, community or employment-related pathways
• Experience of quality improvement, audit, service evaluation, clinical governance or risk management
• Knowledge of safeguarding, consent, confidentiality, clinical risk and escalation
• Knowledge of primary care, community services and wider work, health and skills pathways
• Understanding of health inequalities, barriers to employment, reasonable adjustments and return-to-work principles

Desirable

• Experience in vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, work and health, social prescribing or employment support
• Experience of issuing or managing fit notes
• Experience of service mobilisation or pathway redesign
• Experience of working with employers, commissioners or VCFSE partners
• Involvement in research, co-production or population health improvement

Qualifications
Essential

• Recognised diploma or degree in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
• Membership of the CSP or RCOT, or equivalent professional liability insurance
• Evidence of up-to-date relevant continuing professional development
• Relevant postgraduate learning or equivalent specialist development
• Meets, or is able to complete, organisational competency requirements for issuing fit notes

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification or Masters-level study
• Qualification in vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, health coaching or a related area
• Leadership, supervision, coaching or management training

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.

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.