Clinical Development Lead for Occupational therapy and Physiotherapy
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation TrustJob overview
Are you passionate about shaping the future of Occupational therapy & Physiotherapy services and supporting colleagues to deliver the very best patient care?
At Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, a recognised leader in healthcare innovation, we are looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking Clinical Development Lead to join our team.
This exciting role offers the opportunity to make a real impact on both staff and patient experience. You will be central to building a workforce that is well-led, skilled, and inspired—fostering a culture where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to provide safe, effective, and compassionate care.
Working clinically with patients and in collaboration with Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and wider stakeholders, you will drive our workforce strategy across recruitment, retention, education, and innovation. By role modelling the behaviours and culture we aspire to, you will help create an environment where staff thrive and patients experience the very best outcomes.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and positive leader with excellent communication and negotiation skills, someone who can champion change and bring people along on the journey.
If you are motivated to influence the future of therapy services and want to be part of a Trust that leads with innovation and compassion, we would love to hear from you.
Join us, and help shape a workforce that delivers outstanding care today and for the future.
Advert
The Clinical Development Lead will play a pivotal role in ensuring safe, effective, and therapeutic patient care by advancing clinical practice within physiotherapy and occupational therapy services. Working under the guidance of the professional heads of service, the postholder will lead on initiatives relating to education and innovation to strengthen and grow our workforce.
A key focus of the role is the development of a well-led, skilled, and motivated workforce. The postholder will foster a positive and supportive working environment where staff feel valued, engaged, and empowered to deliver the highest standards of care.
The role will involve direct clinical practice with patients, as well as collaborative working with Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and wider internal and external stakeholders, including the People Directorate and Quality Improvement teams. In doing so, the postholder will play a central part in delivering the Trust’s Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Workforce Strategy.
To succeed in this role, the postholder will need to demonstrate:
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Excellent communication and negotiation skills,
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Strong leadership qualities,
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A proactive and enthusiastic approach,
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A commitment to education and development,
This is a highly influential role requiring both clinical expertise and leadership capability, with the opportunity to shape the future of therapy services and make a lasting difference for both staff and patients.
Working for our organisation
The postholder will be joining over 220 Physiotherapists and over 100 Occupational therapists across inpatient, outpatient, specialist and extended scope clinics, four community hospitals, outpatient teams, and community teams. The postholder will be working closely with the Professional Practise leads and local team leads to support clinical practice through recruitment, retention, education, and innovation across both physiotherapy and occupational therapy services.
At Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, we are proud to invest in our staff and provide a supportive working environment. In joining us, you will benefit from:
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Professional development – access to ongoing training, education, and leadership development opportunities to support your career progression.
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Innovation and improvement culture – the opportunity to work in a Trust recognised nationally for its forward-thinking and integrated approach to care.
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Supportive networks – strong links with therapy, nursing, medical, and wider multidisciplinary teams, alongside leadership and mentoring opportunities.
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Work-life balance – flexible working options, staff wellbeing initiatives, and the chance to live and work in the beautiful surroundings of Torbay and South Devon.
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NHS benefits – including a generous pension scheme, annual leave entitlement, and access to a range of staff discounts and health and wellbeing services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role will focus on developing and implementing our Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy workforce strategy working closely with our patients, wider leadership teams and clinical teams through:
· Supporting direct clinical delivery to patient care in post holders registered profession contributing to team rosters.
· Work alongside learners in practice to support their ongoing clinical development.
· Providing direct clinical supervision to new Band 5 staff in post holders registered profession
· Work alongside team leads to ensure all newly appointed staff are integrated smoothly into roles
· Creating and Standardising competency frameworks.
· Education & Development (across the 4 pillars of practice) – directly supporting clinical delivery with staff
· Wellbeing, Retention and Culture
· Recruitment & innovative models of working
· Digital innovation and efficiency
· Career Pathways and Development
· Supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
· Professional practice and consistency.
You will be managing direct clinical delivery alongside a portfolio of projects running concurrently and will need excellent organisational and prioritisation skills to drive effective change.
The post holder will need to be highly motivated and able to work well under their own initiative. Being methodical is a fundamental skill for this post, as well as being able to work to strict deadlines.
You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.
If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply promptly.
- Please read the job description carefully and tailor your application to reflect the requirements of the role.
- Applicants who identify in their application form they are a part of the Armed Forces community will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the minimum essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification for the role. Step into Health guidance can be found on our NHS Employers website.
- Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly.
- Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band.
- If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
- It is your responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of appropriate references.
The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.