Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

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An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced B7 Occupational Therapist/Physiotherapist to join our Medicine for Older People (MOP) team at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) and lead the second pilot of our innovative GRACE (Geriatric Rehabilitation and Care Enhancement) project.

GRACE is a service development initiative focused on enhancing rehabilitation provision for older adults in the acute setting, preventing deconditioning by earlier and more frequent therapy intervention, and improving patient outcomes and flow.  

We are looking for a skilled and dynamic OT/PT to provide senior clinical and strategic leadership of the GRACE pilot, alongside a B6 Physiotherapist and B4 Therapy technician. You will have robust experience in acute care and proven leadership across the MDT as well as experience in service development and delivery of project outcomes.  

You will work as part of a combined therapy service team delivering patient care across a 7-day service, including weekends and bank holidays, on a roster basis.  

This post is part of the wider Therapy Services department. You will have many opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 300 Therapy staff, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff.  

Please ensure you take note of the relevant JD/PS for your specific discipline. 

This post in for internal applications only.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast. 

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients. 

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and experienced Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist , who wishes to develop their Clinical Effectiveness skills, whilst leading the next phase of the GRACE (Geriatric rehabilitation & Care Enhancement) pilot. 

A fixed term post for 6 months will involve the delivery of enhanced therapeutic services to 2 inpatient older adult wards.

You will work alongside the Medicine for Older People Therapy and Proportionate Care Teams, providing rehabilitation to a small cohort of patients, collecting clinical outcome and trust metric data as well as valuable qualitative data. 

We are looking for someone who is/has: 

-    Proven clinical experience in the assessment and treatment of patients within acute care 

-    Enhanced leadership skills to work alongside the multi-professional team 

-    Solid foundation in audit, research, personal and service development 

-    Confident educator of staff and peer professionals 

There is regular clinical supervision as well as peer support. This is an opportunity for involvement in research & service development, as we strive for new & innovative ways of working. 

Attached you will find the person specification document, which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role; however, you also need to demonstrate the following specific skills and knowledge: 

Essential: 

Postgraduate experience of working in the acute hospital setting, including working with older adults with complex frailty syndromes.  

Proven senior experience in acute early rehabilitation of patients with complex needs 

Clear expressed desire and reasons for leading this project 

Evidence of specialist personal development within acute therapy, to support enhanced skills and decision making 

Robust knowledge and understanding of NHS systems 

Postgraduate experience in supervising other staff and students 

Desirable: 

Evidence of providing teaching to therapy staff and students 

Demonstrable leadership skills 

Experience of assessing complex functional abilities. 

Experience of assessing, recommending, and ordering complex equipment to support patient independence and safe discharge. 

Postgraduate experience managing inpatient respiratory patients (physiotherapists) 

Experience participating in acute respiratory on-call services (physiotherapists) 

Please note: 

•    Interviews will be face to face.  

•    As part of the interview involves a practical assessment, please wear smart, comfortable clothing. 

•   As this is a fixed term/secondment opportunity, please discuss your application with your current manager before applying 

We actively encourage all potential applicants to contact us to ask any questions they may have.