Job Summary
Do you have a love for Neuro? Want to develop your skills in Neuro Outpatients? Looking to develop your Leadership and Operational Skills in managing a physiotherapy team? Then University Hospitals Sussex may be the place for you. We are seeking an experienced Band 7 Physiotherapist or someone looking to take on their first B7 role, to join our Neuro Outpatient Service for Maternity Leave cover from April 2026. This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a leadership role within a small, friendly, and supportive team, working with a mixed complexity caseload of patients. You will provide clinical expertise, guidance, and supervision to colleagues, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care. There will be opportunity to work with the wider Neurological Services including Consultants, Speciality Nurses and Community Neuro Services and work with them to develop pathways e.g. into FND care. You will have opportunities for service development, supporting innovation and best practice in the service.
Main Duties of the Job
Provide shared day to day operational management of the Neurological Outpatients Physiotherapy team based at Brighton General Hospital by undertaking a team leader role in planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating the Neurological Outpatients Physiotherapy Service on a day-to-day basis.
To deputise for the Clinical Team Leader if required. Provide shared leadership to the physiotherapy team within a team-based structure at Brighton General Hospital as a specialist within the field of Neurological physiotherapy.
To actively promote and develop equality and diversity practices and strategic management in this area in order to promote equity of access of care for patients and equity of access to job opportunities and development opportunities for staff.
As an autonomous practitioner to carry out advanced assessment and treatment of a specialist caseload of patients within Neurological Outpatients who may have complex and/or chronic presentation, and to determine clinical diagnoses and physiotherapy treatment indicated, and to maintain records.
To provide specialist advice to other professionals both within the Trust and outside agencies e.g. GPs, Occupational Therapists, Orthotists.
To be responsible for teaching, supervision and appraisal of Static Band 6 Physiotherapist, Rotational Band 6 Neuro Physiotherapist and Band 4 Technical Instructor, and undergraduate students to ensure a high quality of clinical care within the specialty.
About Us
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Details
Date posted: 16 March 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: 7
Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 279-7722481-MAR26
Job locations: Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE
Communication
- Adapt communication skills with patients who have communication and understanding difficulties, e.g. dementia, learning difficulties, visual and hearing impairments, non-English speaking patients, and dysphasia. Advise other members of staff on appropriate basic communication strategies where necessary.
- Assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment such as patients who have dementia, learning difficulties or who are acutely confused or have a neurological injury or illness resulting in impaired memory or cognition.
- Persuade, motivate, empathise, reassure, explain and encourage patients in undertaking their treatment programme, ensure understanding of their condition and communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential.
- Demonstrate expert ability to clearly communicate complex and sensitive information to staff, patients and carers. This may include explaining diagnoses or prognoses about long‑term / permanent disabilities or chronic pain, where an educational and counselling role is required to be highly developed.
- Demonstrate expert ability to clearly communicate prognosis and ensure the patients and carers have realistic expectations of the rehabilitation process and outcome.
- Be able to diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients, and relatives using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
- Maintain close links and work collaboratively with all staff and people involved in patient care, student education, research or policy development and promote good working relationships at all times.
- Represent the physiotherapy department on speciality issues within the trust and external agencies, e.g. GPs, steering groups, working parties.
- Ensure timely and effective communication with all physiotherapy staff on professional matters.
- Resolve verbal complaints and report all formal complaints, incidents and accidents to physiotherapy management as soon as possible, document according to trust policy and carry out preliminary investigation.
Service Delivery and Improvement
To be responsible, in conjunction with the Physiotherapy leadership team for policy implementation for the designated area.
To be responsible for identifying and implementing service development within the designated area and to ensure effectiveness of patient care is continually monitored and improved.
To ensure as a team leader that designated staff implement policy and service developmental changes.
To ensure that the service within the designated area responds to national initiatives and policy within the framework of clinical governance including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based health care, managing clinical risk, and research and development.
People Management and Development
Responsible for carrying out duties in line with the Trusts e‑rostering processes, including managing rosters, supporting staff allocation, and contributing to effective budget reconciliation and workforce planning.
- As a team leader and clinical lead be responsible for the day‑to‑day management, supervision and co‑ordination of the Neurological Outpatients Team including allocation of work, staff appraisal and performance management.
- To support the physiotherapy management in matters of grievance and disciplinary action if and when necessary.
To assist where necessary in the interviewing and appointment of new Trust Physiotherapy staff.
Patient Care Delivery
- Have shared responsibility and accountability for the delivery of patient care in the designated area and to influence physiotherapy practice trust‑wide e.g. management of neurological acute and longer‑term conditions.
- Be professionally and legally responsible and accountable, as an autonomous practitioner, for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
- Ensure high standards of clinical care within the designated area and be responsible for ensuring all staff within the team adhere to Trust, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Departmental standards of care.
- Be highly competent in the comprehensive assessment of a wide range of Neurological out and inpatients, including those with a highly complex presentation, using advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, often in situations where conflicting evidence is present.
- Interpret and analyse clinical and non‑clinical facts, which may be conflicting, using underpinning theoretical knowledge and experience to suggest diagnoses, identify main problems and form prognoses in a wide range of highly complex neurological conditions.
- Formulate individual patient management, treatment and discharge plans, using clinical reasoning, current evidence and a wide range of treatment skills.
- Demonstrate highly developed dexterity, coordination and palpatory skills for the assessment and manual treatment of patients e.g. specific soft tissue massage, facilitation of sequences of normal movement, mobilisation, therapeutic handling to alter neurological tone.
- Continuously re‑assess patients in order to progress treatments effectively and advise patients, employers and occupational health departments on the appropriate time to return to work, sports and other activities.
- Co‑coordinate interventions which may include other disciplines through multidisciplinary working/meetings (face to face, written communication, or via telephone) e.g. OTs, Specialist Nurses, Orthotists, Speech and Language Therapists, Consultants, GPs, Continence Nurses, District Nurses.
- Maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times and support peoples equality, diversity and rights.
- Use advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate, in particular for further treatment or specialist consultant opinions and to ensure appropriate referral systems are used by departmental staff.
- Be an active member of the evening and weekend on‑call service and/or orthopaedic service.
- Maintain professionalism in public, ward and rehabilitation areas.
Professional Registration
Essential
- Diploma in Physiotherapy or BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy or overseas equivalent
Desirable
- Evidence of postgraduate management courses or training
Experience / Qualifications
Essential
- Experience of supervising less experienced staff and students
Skills – Clinical
Essential
- Relevant experience, including work at Band 6 level within the specialty
- High level of clinical skill in specialty area and ability to teach those skills (to own and other professions)
Desirable
- Clinical specialist/team leader level within the speciality
Freedom to Act
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously, liaise and coordinate with the Management Team on a day-to-day basis and to take appropriate action as necessary
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer Details
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE
Employer's Website
https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/
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