Job summary
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC) is a specialised tertiary hospital, taking the most complex referrals from both local and national centres and a designated major trauma centre for the Southwest of England.

The post holder will provide highly specialist physiotherapy intervention to children and babies presenting with a variety of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions. The post holder will be expected to work with acute post op and post trauma patients as well as routine MSK patients.

The postholder will assist in the development of the service as a member of the multidisciplinary team and provide a source of expertise locally, nationally and internationally.

Participation in the 24/7 on call rota is required.

Main duties of the job
To formulate diagnoses, prognoses and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning with children aged 0-16 years old presenting with MSK conditions. To communicate complex assessment findings and treatment plans to children, parents and carers.

To lead audit and quality improvement activities within the MSK service and support research and implementation of evidence-based practice.

To provide supervision and support to junior staff within the MSK and wider physiotherapy department. To deliver teaching programmes and student education. both within the department and across the region.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details
Date posted: 23 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
pa pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 6 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 387-W&C8097-BAL
Job locations: Bristol Children's Hospital, Bristol, BS2 8BJ, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Interpersonal and communication skills

• Provide specialist advice, education and training to MDT colleagues, students and external professionals.
• Communicate complex assessment findings and treatment plans to children, parents and carers.
• Represent physiotherapy at MDT and multi-agency meetings.

Professional knowledge and expertise

• Act as a source of expertise in paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
• Maintain advanced knowledge of evidence-based practice.
• Work within HCPC, CSP and Trust standards.

Problem-solving and decision-making

• Undertake comprehensive assessment of children with complex presentations.
• Formulate diagnoses, prognoses and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning.
• Undertake continuous clinical and non-clinical risk assessment.

Planning and coordination

• Lead assessment, treatment and follow up within MSK clinics.
• Manage specialist caseloads and prioritise workload.
• Support planning and development of the service.

Practical and technical skills

• Demonstrate advanced MSK clinical reasoning skills.
• Demonstrate advanced rehabilitation skills.
• Apply specialist paediatric assessment and manual handling techniques.

Patient care and support

• Assess and treat children with MSK conditions.
• Provide parent and carer education.
• Participate in the on-call service.

Service development and improvement

• Lead audit and quality improvement activities.
• Support research and implementation of evidence-based practice.
• Contribute to development of policies and clinical pathways.

Leadership and team management

• Provide supervision and support to junior staff.
• Deliver teaching programmes and student education.
• Contribute to appraisal and workforce development.

Finance and resource management

• To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out duties
• To ensure safe and effective use of equipment by self and others.
• To utilise staff time and service resources effectively.

Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential

• Degree of equivalent in Physiotherapy
• Registration with HCPC
• Evidence of relevant postgraduate continued professional development

Desirable

• Membership of the CSP

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Significant and appropriate post graduate experience across a wide range of acute specialities
• Experience of working within paediatrics at a senior level (band 6 or above)
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Specialist paediatric assessment and intervention
• Ability to work independently as an autonomous practitioner
• Proven responsibility for own decision making whilst working closely within a team

Experience
Essential

• Senior paediatric experience (Band 6+)
• Evidence of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Previous experience of service development
• Previous experience in team management
• Experience in MSK practice at band 6

Desirable

• Experience in audit and research

Personal qualities
Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to be a flexible team player
• Passionate about evidence-based practice
• Be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard

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.
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).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Bristol Children's Hospital, Bristol, BS2 8BJ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Orthopaedic Outpatient Paediatric Physio Lead, Jo Walton, joanna.walton@uhbw.nhs.uk, 01173428525

Supporting documents
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