Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist

Go back University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 01 October 2025

We are looking for an initiative-taking and experienced physiotherapist with a minimum of 2 years postgraduate experience to join our team. This post gives an excellent opportunity to gain experience in working as part of a specialised integrated therapy team delivering in-patient and out-patient care. This is a fixed term post covering a minimum of 9 months secondment cover from October 25.

The post-holder will rotate between the paediatric teams to work with children with medical, musculoskeletal, neuro-developmental, orthopaedic, and other conditions. The post includes assessment and intervention to children aged 0-19 years living in the Poole, Bournemouth, and East Dorset areas.

Services are delivered in a variety of settings, including paediatric wards, nurseries, schools, and out-patient settings across all University Hospitals Dorset Trust sites.

We collaborate closely with the multi-disciplinary paediatric team and colleagues working in social care, health, and education services. We are committed to delivering high quality services for the children and families we work with in a child friendly manner.

Applicants must have access to a car for community visits.

Base Location: Poole Hospital

Interview Date: TBC

To be part of a team of therapists providing a highly specialised Physiotherapy (PT) assessment, treatment and advice service to children, 0-19 years and their parents/carers referred to the service, covering Bournemouth, Poole, and East Dorset.

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

To work as a member of the MDTs providing in-patient and out-patient physiotherapy services to children with orthopaedic, musculoskeletal, respiratory, medical, and neuro-developmental conditions, which affect their physical performance.

To be responsible for the clinical supervision and development of other members of the Paediatric Therapy Teams and to be a clinical educator for undergraduate students.

To provide advice and liaise with other professionals (e.g. consultants, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, orthotists) and disciplines (e.g. the community nursing team, Learning Disability Team, Occupational Therapists working in Social Care and Health, Education Staff etc), as well as networking with therapists in other departments and NHS Trusts.

To participate in continued professional development to support the development of the Paediatric Therapy service.

To provide training to colleagues, multi-disciplinary team and staff working in educational settings.

To be professionally autonomous and accountable for all aspects of professional activities related to patient management for children in the Poole, Bournemouth & East Dorset area.

To be a specialist physiotherapist with detailed knowledge of normal childhood development, childhood conditions, disease processes and prognosis.

To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy and to adhere to departmental equipment policy, including competence of all staff to use equipment, including but not limited to, patients, parents, carers, and other health professionals.

To report all complaints, accidents, and equipment defects as soon as possible, document accordingly and ensure appropriate action is taken by those responsible.

To work across paediatric therapy teams to gain experience in assessing and treating a wide range of conditions.

The split across teams will mainly be on a rotation basis but will also be flexible in accordance with fluctuating priority service needs.

To participate in extended hours, on-call and weekend working as required to ensure efficient therapy provision in line with the Trusts priorities.

To undertake any other clinical duties as may be deemed necessary and be prepared to work at any location across all the Trust sites and other areas where clinics may be held.

• 
  
• Degree/Diploma in Physiotherapy
  
• HCPC Registered
  
• Post graduate training in paediatrics
  

• 
  
• 2 years post grad - experience in MSK, respiratory, orthopaedics & neurology
  
• Supervision of student
  
• NHS experience
  
• Working in a school environment
  

• 
  
• Communicating & engaging with children
  
• Assessment & provision of equipment
  
• Therapeutic Handling of children
  

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.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Poole

University Hospitals Dorset, Longfleet Road

£38,682 to £46,580 a yearper annum/pro rata

Fixed term

9 months

Full-time

153-CO04886-A

Poole

University Hospitals Dorset, Longfleet Road