Job summary
An exciting opportunity to join the SMASH Care Community has arisen. Come and join our amazing, friendly and supportive team! Your role will be to assess, manage and provide treatment to a caseload of patients with complex and/or multiple therapy needs. You will be working closely with the MDT and providing supervision to therapy assistants, junior staff, apprentices and students. There will be an expectation to work between multiple sites in the organisation, including other care communities and within the discharge to assess beds. You will also be expected to join the 7-day, urgent community response rota on a rolling basis which will cover the 5 care communities. This is a permanent post.

Main duties of the job
We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and flexible physiotherapist to join our friendly, supportive and dynamic team in the SMASH Care Community within CCICP. We provide a rapid, unplanned and planned response, we facilitate early discharge from hospital and aim to reduce hospital admissions. We also cover discharge to assess beds. There is a varied caseload and you will need to demonstrate knowledge, experience and relevant clinical skills with patients with complex / long term conditions, falls, orthopaedics, general mobility problems and neurological conditions. The successful candidate will work as a member of our integrated multidisciplinary team alongside District Nurses, Advance Nurse Practitioners, Complex Case Practitioners, MacMillan Nurses and will be responsible for supervising junior members of staff, apprentices and students. There will be associated administrative duties and you will need to be computer literate with a good knowledge of Microsoft packages and have accurate keyboard skills. Our team utilises digital technology to support remote working and accommodate a flexible working approach where possible and is supported to do this with access to a laptop and mobile phone. You are required to be a car driver and have access to your own vehicle.

About us
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of local hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester boroughs (population 357K).

The Trust provides high quality planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care as well as child health, maternity services, and intermediate care across our sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,100 members of staff.

An extensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance.

We have played, and continue to play, a proactive role in the development of Integrated Care plans across Cheshire & Merseyside and our local Cheshire East and Cheshire West Place-based systems. We believe, and it is the cornerstone of our five-year Trust Strategy, there is the opportunity to progress innovative, responsive and effective care in the best setting for the patient, be it in the hospital or out in the community.

At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.

Job responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Practice Health and care professionals working at the level of specialist should be able to:

• Manage a clinical caseload with autonomy, work without direct supervision
• Undertake comprehensive physiotherapy assessment, provide a therapeutic diagnosis (using investigative and advanced analytical skills, specialist listening, physical and observational skills, interpret clinical findings and documentation) and implement agreed treatment plans if appropriate, including the treatment of complex service users with multiple pathologies in a manner that respects peoples privacy dignity and individuality
• Provide individual or group therapy as appropriate to setting
• Implement monitoring and evaluation of treatment in order to measure progress and outcomes to ensure effectiveness of interventions and service delivery
• Develop programmes of care to support discharge from service
• Be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice
• Record, maintain and store accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and local requirements.
• Communicate outcomes of assessments/intervention to appropriate disciplines in form of letters/reports/discharge summaries
• Arrange appointments (as applicable), work closely with MDT, attend case reviews/case conferences/variety of MDT internal and external meetings/forums
• Contribute to the safeguarding of our Service users/families as appropriate
• Assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with service users including those service users who lack capacity to consent to treatment, within your organisations policies.
• Be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of Service users under your care
• Maintain professional registration with HCPC
• Work within organisation, HCPC and CSP guidelines
• Have a working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and others quality of practise against these
• Work as part of a team to ensure effective communication and delivery of care
• Provide and receive, with care and integrity, sensitive information about service users from the service user, carer and other professionals and to manage sensitive or contentious information appropriately
• Work in an empathic manner in partnership with service users, carers and families, where there are barriers to understanding and differences in the way the service user communicates e.g. sign language. To alter approaches to a relevant level for the service user to be as actively involved in their own care.
• Communicate effectively with service users and carers/relatives to progress specific rehabilitation and treatment programme. Providing and receiving complex information using a range of verbal/non-verbal communication skills, persuading/influencing
• Use appropriate communication skills to overcome significant barriers to acceptance of sensitive information.

Leadership and Management
Health and care professionals working at the level of specialist should be able to:

• Communicate effectively with a range of professionals both within the organisation and with external agencies, including primary care, social service and voluntary organisations
• Provide the Band 7 Physiotherapists / Managers with information to assist planning and development of the service, to assist team leader in planning of longer term strategic plans to develop the therapy service.
• Assist the Managers in achieving the departmental objectives and supporting an open style of leadership
• Actively participate in the professional development programme of the therapy service
• Provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals
• Be involved in the daily management of workload allocation within the specialist area.
• Participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within your team, leading on delegated projects
• Undertake any other duties that might be considered appropriate by senior staff and deputise in their absence as required.
• Be aware of the financial impact of clinical decisions
• Support therapy team in ensuring adequate levels of stock are available as required in line with your organisations stock management policy

Education
Health and care professionals working at the level of specialist should be able to:

• Organise and lead in-service training programmes for Band 5 Therapists and Assistants under the guidance of Band 7 staff when required.
• Critically evaluate current research and apply to practice.
• Demonstrate an understanding and application of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact of service provision.
• Train, supervise and support less experienced therapy staff, therapy assistants and students. This may include formal staff appraisals.
• Maintain own competency to practice, through participation in internal and external development opportunities evidenced by a professional portfolio for Continuing Professional Development.
• Demonstrate acquired specialist skills and knowledge of professional practice in order to maintain fitness to practice as a Physiotherapist.
• Work within organisation and department policies and comply with HCPC Code of Conduct.
• Keep up to date with all mandatory training requirements within the organisation.
• Participate in the evaluation of clinical practice and disseminate across relevant areas.

Research, Audit and Governance
Health and care professionals working at the level of specialist should be able to:

• Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures.
• Provide representation at local meetings/ specific interest groups and attendance at national meetings, under guidance of more experienced staff.
• Make recommendation for change and to implement change under supervision.
• Undertake audit and contribute to regional/national level as appropriate.
• Support research activity with the service.
• Disseminate findings from audit and evaluation results to relevant areas

Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Degree in physiotherapy

Registration
Essential criteria

• HCPC registered

Desirable criteria

• CSP registered

Experience
Essential criteria

• Previous experience of working in the NHS
• Experience of working in a community setting

Desirable criteria

• Completion of band 5 rotation
• Student educator or experience of having students
• experience of audits

Communication
Essential criteria

• Good written and verbal communication skills

Desirable criteria

• good IT skills

Key Messages
Please let us know if you require an adjustment to our recruitment process.

• We are a flexible working employer, so please talk to us about any flexible working requirements.

All correspondence will be sent to the email address you have registered as your TRAC account. Selection is based on the Trust's values, and the criteria outlined in the Job Description for the role. Secondments will be considered for fixed term positions when both parties agree. Candidates should seek approval from their current line manager before application. Appointments are subject to a 6-month probationary period. LED Doctors are subject to a 3-month probationary period. Please provide a contact email address for referees. We will not request references until after you have been made a formal job offer. You will be required to pay for your DBS disclosure (where the post requires one). This will be done via 3 monthly instalments from your pay. We encourage applicants to join and remain registered with the DBS update service. We do not reimburse travel to interview expenses. Some posts may have implications on existing NHS Pension Scheme arrangements. For further information please visit the NHS Pensions Agency website:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-pensions Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their employees have a right to work in the UK. If you intend to seek permission to work in the UK via a Skilled Worker visa, please be aware that the UK Government set eligibility requirements e.g. minimum salary requirement and skill levels. Not all NHS roles are eligible for sponsorship. We recommend that you use the information on theHome Office websiteto check if this role will be eligible.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• degree in physiotherapy

Desirable

• band 5 rotational experience

Registration
Essential

• HCPC registered

Desirable

• CSP registration

Experience
Essential

• Previous experience working within the NHS
• Experience working within the community setting

Desirable

• Completion of band 5 rotation
• student educator
• Experience of supervising/appraisal of junior members of staff/apprentices

communication
Essential

• good written and verbal communication skills/documentation

Desirable

• good IT skills
• evidence of communication skills in complex scenarios

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).

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

Employer details
Employer name
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address
Alsager Medical Centre
Sandbach Road South
Alsager
ST7 2LU
United Kingdom

Employer's website
https://www.mcht.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
SMASH Therapy team leader
Sue Griffiths
Susan.griffiths3@mcht.nhs.uk
01270278440

Details
Date posted
12 August 2026

Pay scheme
Agenda for change

Band
Band 6

Salary
£39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum pro rata

Contract
Permanent

Working pattern
Part-time

Reference number
412-COMM-7854251-A

Job locations
Alsager Medical Centre
Sandbach Road South
Alsager
ST7 2LU
United Kingdom

Supporting documents
Privacy notice
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)

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