Specialist MSK Physiotherapist - Occupational Health

Go back South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

The closing date is 12 November 2025

Exciting Opportunity for a Specialist MSK Physiotherapist in Occupational Health

One post available 37.5 hours per week, fixed term for 12 months.

Are you an experienced MSK Physiotherapist looking for a new challenge in a dynamic and supportive environment? We have a fantastic opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic physiotherapist to join our busy Occupational Health & Wellbeing Service on a 12-month maternity cover contract.

This is a shared service between South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, also delivering services to a range of external clients. You'll be working as part of a multidisciplinary Occupational Health team, alongside another physiotherapy colleague, where your MSK expertise will be highly valued.

What we're looking for:

• A qualified and HCPC-registered MSK Physiotherapist with strong clinical reasoning and assessment skills.
• Excellent communication and IT skills.
• A collaborative team player who can work effectively with a range of stakeholders across the Trusts.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your MSK skills in a setting that values prevention, early intervention, and staff wellbeing. If you're passionate about making a difference to the health of NHS staff and want to broaden your experience in a supportive Occupational Health setting, we'd love to hear from you.

What makes this role different?

• Diverse MSK caseload: You'll manage a varied caseload of both management & self-referrals, offering face-to-face clinics in Wakefield and Barnsley, as well as virtual consultations.
• Report writing and liaison with the OH multidisciplinary team to case manage & advise on adaptations for work
• No weekend working: Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with the option to adopt a four-day compressed workweek with the choice to work some days virtually from home.
• Preventative and proactive care: Go beyond treatment and contribute to staff wellbeing initiatives & support early intervention strategies.
• Workplace-focused rehab: Use your clinical skills to assess fitness for work, recommend reasonable adjustments, & support staff in returning to or remaining in work safely.
• Professional development: You'll receive training in occupational health systems, including database use and report writing for management.
• Work autonomously as a lone practitioner when working in satellite clinics, being able to adapt treatment modalities accordingly.

Note: While this role meets the eligibility requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship, due to the short-term nature of the contract, the Trust can't offer sponsorship for this post.

We welcome applications from individuals who already have the right to work in the UK or are on a visa route that permits employment without sponsorship.

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we're accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we're run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job summary

This job description outlines the main duties of the post. The post holder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.

The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the post holder when necessary and in line with service developments.

1.1 Care/service/function provision:

To deliver excellent levels of customer service to people, and address or report, in a timely and proactive manner, where these standards have not been met.

To assist with the day-to-day co-ordination and management of a highly specialist Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service at Fieldhead Hospital and other locations, undertaking a complex multi-functional role combining managerial, clinical and professional duties and responsibilities.

To provide highly specialised physiotherapy assessment, treatment and education programs to patients who have complex medical and social needs and advice to their carers and families.

To undertake physiotherapy working autonomously, providing highly specialised advice to other staff and members of the multidisciplinary team.

To work with Team Coordinators, leading in clinical audit, research and devising protocols to evaluate, maintain and develop the Occupational Health Service in the Southwest Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

To support and work closely with the deputy and Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Fieldhead Hospital and to provide support to Managers.

1.2 Working as part of a Team:

As part of a team, deliver person-centred care whilst meeting the service standards and objectives.

To be professionally, legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of highly complex patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your own caseload management and to support more junior staff to do likewise.

To operate in a highly specialist autonomous capacity, accepting both primary and secondary referrals.

To frequently undertake highly specialised physiotherapy assessment of patients, including those with a complex physical and psychosocial presentation. Using advanced investigative and analytical reasoning skills that implement evidence-based practice, to provide an accurate diagnosis of conditions and thereby formulate individualised management and treatment plans/specialised programmes.

To plan, organise and prioritise effectively and efficiently own caseload, and screen for serious pathology.

To frequently respond to emergency/unpredictable demands upon the service whilst working within time constraints and prioritising workloads.

To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions to recommend the best course of intervention and to produce comprehensive assessment and discharge information and plans to appropriate agencies.

To demonstrate highly developed specialised clinical expertise to reassess a patient's physiotherapy needs as their condition progresses/regresses. Developming and changing treatment plans to maximise the patient's potential.

To use advanced clinical reasoning skills that implement evidence-based practice and utilise a wide range of skills e.g. manual techniques, acupuncture and electrotherapy.

To effectively communicate highly complex, often distressing, clinical information to patients and carers, to gain their consent and co-operation to treatment in order to maximise rehabilitation potential, overcoming barriers to communication including patients with complex physical, psychological and social needs.

To provide spontaneous and planned highly specialist advice, teaching and training to patients, relatives, carers and other professionals to promote the understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.

To lead a highly specialist service in the development/organisation and delivery of group classes including content, class numbers, outcome measures and home exercise programmes for Trust employees.

To adapt treatment plans for patients suffering from highly infectious diseases (e.g. MRSA, TB) and maintain own high standards with regard to the national standards of infection control.

To work as a lone practitioner when working in satellite clinics, being able to adapt treatment modalities accordingly.

1.3 Managing Self:

Participate in clinical supervision to develop skills and knowledge of clinical care and practice and apply continuous reflection on own practice.

To undertake own continuous professional development and maintain up to date knowledge in all aspects of relevant physiotherapy through in-service training, research, attendance at post-graduate courses and clinical interest groups. Maintaining a CPD portfolio, reflecting personal professional development.

To undertake the measurement and evaluation of own and team current practices, through audit, evidence-based practice, current research and outcome measures.

To be actively involved in the implementation of clinical governance using government and professional guidelines promoting this within the team and recommending changes to service delivery and clinical practice as necessary.

To maintain HCPC registration, Trust, CSP and departmental standards, guidelines and policies ensuring quality of service and monitor own less senior members of staff's quality of practice.

To promote a culture of effective clinical reasoning and best practice with all team members to ensure a high standard of patient care.

To lead on the provision of clinical education, training and support for therapy assistants, junior and specialist therapists assessing and evaluating competencies and monitoring outcomes within Occupational Health.

To be responsible for the clinical education of undergraduate physiotherapy students to graduate level, whilst maintaining close links with the universities.

To participate in the Trust's appraisal system, as an appraiser and appraisee and the peer review process, in order to plan for the development of the team.

To work as part of MDT in Occupational Health, to ensure the delivery of well-co-ordinated services to patients.

To consistently maintain accurate, legible, comprehensive and up to date documentation in line with legal, departmental and trust policies. To communicate assessment and treatment outcomes to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters and support more junior staff to do likewise.

To consistently demonstrate a sound understanding of risk management and apply to work situations, leading others to do the same.

Ensure a safe working environment for all staff, patients and members of the general public including prompt recording of accidents/incidents.

1.4 Management Supervision and Support:

To assist with the day-to-day co-ordination and organisation of the Occupational Physiotherapy Health team. To ensure service delivery within the team is of a high standard and that all staff within the team are actively involved in all aspects of clinical governance in order to achieve this.

To lead and manage on all aspects of change in working practice of the Occupational Physiotherapy team ensuring when this impacts on the work of other health professionals and services, they are informed and assisted with managing changes to work organisational/service delivery.

To provide a two way link between the ward manager and operational staff regarding all issues of relevant clinical practice.

To be responsible for ordering/maintenance of therapy supplies for patient use.

To ensure all equipment used in the Therapy area is maintained in safe working order.

To represent Therapy services during the planning and implementation of the development of the services.

Use Trust resources efficiently and suggest efficiency savings to more senior staff.

To act in an advisory role in Therapy budgetary issues, but no direct budgetary responsibilities.

Authorized signatory for timesheets, travel etc.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

• Must be able to work effectively to deadlines and time constraints.
• Must be flexible around working times and practices within a typical working week.
• Must be able to undertake travel duties associated with this post including, other hospitals and community venues.
• A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

• BSc in Physiotherapy level 2:2 or above or equivalent.
• HCPC Registration.

• Evidence of continuing professional development and post graduate training in a relevant area.
• Evidence of post graduate courses in relevant areas.

• Substantial relevant post graduate experience at Band 6 level in a relevant area.
• Experience of student supervision.
• Experience of evidence based practice and risk assessment.

• Highly specialised level of clinical reasoning, moving and handling, treatment skills.
• High level of communications skills verbal, non verbal and written.
• Good teaching and supervision skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team, in isolation, and on own initiative.
• Good organisational, interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Awareness of NHS issues.
• Awareness of confidentiality issues.
• Ability to risk assess and awareness of health and safety for own and others work areas and caseloads.
• Membership of specialist interest group.
• Membership of CSP.

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust