Senior Children's Physiotherapist

NHS; Torquay; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health services provider in Torquay seeks a Senior Children's Physiotherapist to deliver high-standard care to children with varying physiotherapeutic needs. The successful candidate will assess, develop treatment plans, and work with families and other health professionals. This role requires a strong background in child development and neurological care and involves managing caseloads. Benefits include a competitive salary and the opportunity to work in a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive paediatric or neurology experience of 2 years post-graduate.
• Experience of hydrotherapy treatment skills and rebound therapy treatment skills.
• Post-graduate training in paediatrics or neurology.

Responsibilities

• Assess children and develop physiotherapy management plans.
• Work closely with families and healthcare professionals.
• Manage own caseload and maintain accurate records.

Skills

Physiotherapy Degree or Graduate Diploma

Sound knowledge of child development

Experience of assessing and treating normal gait

Management of long‑term neurological disability

Clinical supervisor for physiotherapy students

Education

Physiotherapy Degree or Graduate Diploma

Job description

Go back Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Children's Physiotherapist

The closing date is 28 December 2025

Children and Family Health Devon is the place to be! We are developing an innovative, integrated model of children's community services and looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our friendly and dedicated locality and county-wide professional teams.

As a large community service, you will be joining a strong, enthusiastic and supportive group of professionals.

You will provide a high standard of Physiotherapy to children, their families and carers. Acting as a source of expertise on the assessment and management of children who have physiotherapeutic needs within The Child Development Centre, Paediatric Physiotherapy, Developmental, MSK, Neuromuscular and Neurological care pathways.

Working within a team to provide training with an aim to support patients, carers, GP's, Consultants, other Health Care Professionals, Students, and those working within Social Care, the Independent and Voluntary Sectors to gain a better understanding of the Physiotherapy needs of children and young people.

Important Information Regarding Service ChangesWe are currently entering into a formal consultation process to move all Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) staff to a single provider. As part of this process, staff currently employed by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust will transfer to Devon Partnership NHS Trust on 1 April 2026. Please note that this may result in some differences in recruitment documentation and processes during this transition period.

Main duties of the job

To assess child and parent/carers understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid formal consent and jointly agreed goals. To work within legal framework and Trust policy regarding consent to treatment for minors.

To work with children who may have significant barriers to understanding and need advanced communication methods to impart and understand communication, such as signing, symbols, gesture, electronic communication aids. An ability to use positive behavioural support approaches to working with children with challenging behaviour.

As part of the Children and Family Health Devon Physiotherapy Team the post holder will carry out their work at John Parkes Unit, within local Special Schools, and within the community. The post holder will work closely with Child Health staff and TSDFT Physiotherapy.

Use their specialist knowledge of normal child development and pathology to assess, develop a rationale for treatment, advise and devise therapeutic support plans; and deliver information and treatment in a child-focused and family-friendly way.

Will determine priorities for work area, balancing other patient‑related and professional demands, ensuring that these remain in accordance with those of the service as a whole.

About us

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an Alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon, including;

• Torbay and South Devon FT
• Royal Devon and Exeter FT
• Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
• Livewell South West

CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people across physical and mental health which are provided by Torbay and South Devon Foundation Trust and Devon Partnership Trust. We are working closely with other organisations and providers to ensure we deliver locality and county-wide based integrated access to all of our services, based on the i-Thrive Framework, in response to consultation with our service users and communities. Our integrated care and treatment has been developed and refined in partnership with children, young people and their families/carers.

"We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non‑patronising and non‑judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure".

Job responsibilities

• Physiotherapy Degree or Graduate Diploma
• Management of long‑term neurological disability
• Being able to assess and treat children and to play at their developmental level
• To be able to delegate tasks and supervise non‑registered or junior staff as well as being able to seek supervision and elevate situations appropriately to the team lead or manager

Person Specification

Essential and Desirable

• Physiotherapy Degree or Graduate Diploma
• Registration with HCPC
• Sound knowledge of child development
• Extensive paediatric or neurology experience 2 years post‑graduate
• Post‑graduate training in paediatrics or neurology
• Clinical supervisor for physiotherapy students
• Experience of assessing and treating normal gait and developmental variants, neurological and orthopaedic conditions
• Experience of hydrotherapy treatment skills and or rebound therapy treatment skills

Essential

• Being able to assess and treat children and to play at their developmental level; to be able to engage children, families and supporting staff in understanding and delivering a physiotherapy management plan
• To be able to analyse assessment findings, and develop goals, a treatment plan and appropriate outcome measures able to engage children, families and supporting staff in understanding and delivering a physiotherapy management plan
• To manage own caseload, note‑keeping, correspondence, calendar and appointments

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.

£38,682 to £46,580 a year pro rata