About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to make adifference in the lives of children & young people with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions.
In addition to your clinical work, you will be leading a small team of Therapy Technical Instructors & helping them to co-ordinate their workload within a community setting.
You will be part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, working alongside experienced Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists while developing your own clinical knowledge and skills. You will be supporting children in the Child Development Centre and the wider community, including mainstream and special schools, nurseries, children's centres and children's homes.
Every day will be different. You will work directly with children and families, helping them develop their abilities, increase their independence and achieve meaningful goals in their everyday lives. Your work will have a direct impact on children's participation, confidence and quality of life.
We are looking for someone who is caring, enthusiastic, reliable and committed to providing high-quality, child-centred care. You should be able to communicate well with children, families and professionals, work effectively independently and as part of a team, and have the confidence to work within agreed clinical protocols and your own scope of practice.
If you're passionate about supporting children to reach their potential and want a role where your work truly matters, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
Leading a small team of Therapy Technical Instructors which will include supervision, appraisal and caseload support.
Working in the community independently across a large geographical area which includes the Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall localities working in mainstream and special schools, nurseries, children's centres and children's homes.
To organise your own workload schedule across these settings and support Band 3 colleagues with this.
To organise staffing, resources and content for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy groups where a number of children attend with their parents/ carers and lead on the running of these groups.
Be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the tidiness and resources of the department to ensure optimal running of the service.
To deliver therapy programmes as directed by the therapists to children with Neurological and Neurodevelopmental conditions and feed back to therapists on the child's progress. To supervise Band 3 TI's on their clinical work with support from qualified therapists.
To engage children and their families in therapy activities to facilitate this being carried out in their everyday life.
Proposed Interview date - 14th October 2026
**Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Job description Job responsibilities
Leading a small team of Therapy Technical Instructors which will include supervision, appraisal and caseload support.
Working in the community independently across a large geographical area which includes the Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall localities working in mainstream and special schools, nurseries, childrens centres and childrens homes.
To organise your own workload schedule across these settings and support Band 3 colleagues with this.
To organise staffing, resources and content for occupational therapy and physiotherapy groups where a number of children attend with their parents/ carers and lead on the running of these groups.
Be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the tidiness and resources of the department to ensure optimal running of the service which will include delegating responsibility of tasks to others.
To deliver physiotherapy and occupational therapy programmes as directed by the therapists to children from 0-19 with Neurological and Neurodevelopmental conditions and feed back to therapists on the child's progress. To supervise Band 3 Technical Instructors on their clinical work with support from qualified therapists.
To engage children and their families in therapy activities to facilitate this being carried out in their everyday life.
To model professional behaviour and interactions with colleagues and patients and their families.
To work within the Trust's values.
To work within scope of practice of the role and to be proactive in seeking support from qualified staff when needed.
To work with the Trust's electronic patient records system to maintain documentation.
SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE
To actively participate in the Trusts Personal Development Programme (PDP) and have a positive approach to continual professional development.
The post holder will demonstrate skills and knowledge regarding specific patient conditions and specialist therapy beyond that of a Technical Instructor. These skills and knowledge can be gained through experience or formal training.
Organisational:
To complete mandatory trust updates and training and attend in-service training sessions where appropriate
To abide by the Trust Code of Conduct
To comply with Trust and departmental policies and procedures. To be aware of the Health and Safety aspects of your work and abide by policies including the prompt recording and documentation of incidents and accidents.
Participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies. To participate in the appraisal system and Personal Development Programme.
Any other duties which may be considered appropriate by the qualified staff or the Therapy Lead. To undertake as directed the collection of data. Be responsible for the safe and competent use of postural management equipment by patients, through teaching, training and supervision of practice.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Demonstrable experience in working with children. Demonstrable experience of working in a healthcare or childcare setting. Demonstrable experience of supervising colleagues. Demonstrable experience of safeguarding practices. Proven evidence of Continuous Professional Development & values based learning. Proven awareness of current NHS and Health priorities.
Desirable
Previous work in physiotherapy/ occupational therapy department. Proven knowledge and demonstrable experience of exercise prescription / rehabilitation for a wide variety of clients. Proven knowledge and demonstrable experience of disabilities/ conditions affecting children. Demonstrable experience and proven understanding of goal setting principles. Demonstrable experience of audit/ outcomes and quality improvement projects. Demonstrable experience working within a multidisciplinary team.
Aptitude and Abilities Essential
Ability to communicate with children. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Professional and patient focussed approach acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members. Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time, prioritise and plan timed activities. Ability to carry out manual work during clinics. Ability to lone work for long periods of time. Computer literate. Legible and concise handwriting.
Desirable
Proven evidence of personal leadership. Healthcare values based education and training. Demonstrable experience of use of Excel and Word.
Qualifications Essential
Foundation degree or equivalent. Minimum NVQ / diploma in healthcare or equivalent level 3.
Desirable
Attendance of additional professional courses. Level 5 diploma for assistant practitioners. Care certificate.
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).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Address Child Development Centre
N/A
Plymouth
PL2 2PQ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)