Closing date: 09 November 2026

Internal applicants only
This post is available to LWSW employees only. Please do not share these details outside of the organisation.

At the time of this specific vacancy being advertised, this role is not permitted for sponsorship under the skilled worker route, because of the ongoing rotational service that is provided to a third party.

Up to 37.5 hours per week. Livewell Southwest is looking for a motivated and forward-thinking Physiotherapist to join our 6 monthly rotational scheme in a variety of settings across Plymouth. This post would suit a newly qualified physio (to benefit from our preceptorship programme) or an experienced Band 5 looking to broaden their experience. The rotation is integrated with our neighbouring organisation, University Hospitals Plymouth, to provide both acute and community rotations, making the rotation a fantastic opportunity to gain a wide ranging experience of Physiotherapy services.

All Livewell Southwest staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

Job Share(s) Considered.

Main duties of the job

• Gain experience in MSK Outpatients, Urgent care, Neurology (inpatient and outpatient), Respiratory, Intensive care, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Community Rehabilitation
• Frequently travel between Livewell sites and community locations, including areas not served by public transport, handling equipment that may be large or heavy
• Participate in 7 day, evening and bank holiday working
• Assessment and treatment, working jointly with Occupational Therapists and other Health and Social Care Professionals
• Supervised by experienced clinicians who are specialists in their field, with regular line management, practice supervision and in-service training

Job responsibilities
Clinical

• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards of practice and local/organisational policy.
• Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or multi pathologies; use clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate clinical diagnosis of their condition.
• Formulate and deliver an individual physiotherapy treatment programme based on evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills e.g. manual physiotherapy techniques, patient education, exercise classes, electrotherapy techniques and other alternatives.
• Take delegated responsibility from the Team Leader for managing patients with particular conditions and provide specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions within each rotation.
• Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive management plans.
• Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, which must be documented, and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. Comply with local confidentiality policies, child protection and vulnerable adult procedures.
• Use an extensive range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers: to motivate, gain co-operation, and progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes, including patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.
• Prescribe, order and instruct patients in the safe use of appropriate equipment and recommend low level adaptations in line with Organisation policies and procedures.
• Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
• Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and report incidents and near misses.
• Work within Livewell Southwest clinical guidelines and CSP guidelines and have a good working knowledge of national and local standards. Monitor own and others quality of practice as appropriate.
• When working in the community and domiciliary settings, work as a lone practitioner with telephone support from a senior physiotherapist if required.
• Provide planned and spontaneous specialist advice and teaching to relatives, carers and other professions and agencies involved in the patient's care.
• Train, supervise and performance manage unregistered staff and students, with assistance from more senior members of the physiotherapy team, including formal appraisal documentation.
• Represent the physiotherapy service and/or individual patients at multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team and care meetings, integrating physiotherapy into the treatment programme, including discharge planning and working as a Key Worker where required.
• Be responsible for the safe and competent use of all gym equipment, electrotherapy equipment and patient appliances and aids used by patients. Ensure that more junior staff/assistants attain competency prior to use of equipment.

Professional

• Maintain own competency to practise through CPD activities, and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
• Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence-based practice in the areas of each rotation, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient types.
• Keep abreast of professional and national standards and clinical guidelines e.g. National Service Frameworks, NICE guidelines.
• Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and comply with agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.
• Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraiser, when qualified to do so.
• Undertake measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, individually or with more senior physiotherapists.
• Be an active member of the in-service training programme, including attendance at and participation in in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review, including teaching and contributing to planning training when appropriate.
• Undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects.
• Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as Journal Clubs, CSP Clinical Interest Groups, Peer Review Groups and other professional development activities.
• Provide clinical education and training to physiotherapy students to graduate level, and provide support, guidance and training to assistants, including assessing and evaluating competence.

Organisational

• Be responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of students and assistants on a daily basis.
• Ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meets the required professional standards of physiotherapy practice.
• Be responsible for the safe and competent use of gym, electrotherapy and other equipment by yourself, patients and student physiotherapists, through teaching, training and supervision of practice, and ensure those under your supervision understand their Health and Safety/Risk responsibilities.
• Organise and plan own caseload to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change or arise.
• Take a flexible approach to supporting colleagues in times of caseload pressure, including maintaining clinical cover across the team within the resources available.
• In collaboration with other team members and managers of all disciplines, develop and implement practice changes, policies, protocols and guidelines.
• Contribute to the collection, maintenance and dissemination of performance activity, waiting times and lists, and to methods to most effectively manage caseload pressures.

A full job description is available in the supporting documentation.

Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential

• Demonstrate an understanding of multi-disciplinary team working and individual roles.
• Knowledge and understanding of Clinical Governance.

Desirable

• Extensive knowledge of Physiotherapy in rehabilitation.

Skills
Essential

• Skills in clinical assessment, intervention and evaluation.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to be creative and transpose established treatment methods into a home rehab setting.
• Ability to work in teams.

Desirable

• Experience in applying research to practice.
• Leadership qualities.
• Innovative.

Experience
Essential

• Autonomous practitioner with experience of managing a caseload.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team in a rehabilitation setting.
• Experience of delivering in-service training programmes.
• Evidence of CPD.

Desirable

• Experience of waiting list management.
• Experience of working with staff from other agencies.
• Experienced clinical educator of students.
• Experience of audit projects.
• Experience of supervision of junior staff and/or assistants.
• Experience of teaching.

Qualifications
Essential

• Degree or equivalent in physiotherapy, HCPC Registration (may be pending if recently finished studies).
• Evidence of on-going education and professional development.
• Computer literate.
• Recognised qualification in written and spoken English if this is not first language.
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations, including areas not served by public transport, and to handle and transport equipment that may be large or heavy.

Desirable

• Clinical educator.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development through formal/informal short courses.
• Membership of relevant Special Interest Group.

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.

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 in 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 under Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Livewell Southwest
Address: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Physiotherapy Practice Lead, Jessica Hughes, jessica.hughes27@nhs.net

Date posted: 04 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year pa, pro-rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 6 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: B9832-2026-PTA-1655

Livewell Southwest's privacy notice is available on their website.