Job summary
- Main area
- Neonatal Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed Term)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 323-AHP2027-ED
- Employer
- Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Peter's Hospital
- Town
- Chertsey
- Salary
- £51,657 - £58,785 per annum inc. HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/04/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 07/05/2026
Employer heading
Neonatal Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
We are looking for a neonatal therapist (a physiotherapist or occupational therapist) to join the team in our Level 3 Neonatal Care Unit to cover a 1 year fixed term post to cover maternity leave.
We are a friendly, dynamic and supportive unit where the successful candidate will have the privilege of providing highly specialist care for premature and sick babies from the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Network as well as supporting their families and the MDT with advice and management support.
The post holder will provide specialist assessments, early intervention, family integrated care to support babies and their families on the unit as part of a wider MDT approach.
Flexible and part time requests will be considered.
Interviews will be held 5th - 7th May.
Please contact Gemma Frisby, Clinical Lead for Children’s and Neonatal Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy if you have any questions via email [email protected]
Main duties of the job
To achieve and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence based practice; keeping up to date with clinical developments; analysing current research; supporting change in clinical practice.
To support audits and projects developed within the services, NHS initiatives and the Neonatal Working Groups.
To supervise junior staff and students when appropriate
To provide specialist assessment and early intervention for sensory, motor, attention, regulation and play development to support the infant to reach their development potential
To support the parent-infant relationship, helping parents to understand and respond to behavioural cues and signs of stress, helping infants to regulate their body systems.
To be responsible for supporting the infants and their families in participating in developmentally appropriate and meaningful co-occupations, using an individualised approach to assessment and intervention.
To support timely discharge and provide anticipatory guidance to ease transition to home. Teaching and training alongside the AHP team to the wider unit forms part of this post. They will support developmental MDT clinics and support the paediatric wards and colleagues when needed.
Please read the job description and personal specification for a details list
Working for our organisation
Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North-West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.
Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter's, Chertsey, Surrey.
We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country. There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at ASPH. We are committed to providing continuous professional development and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.
We are expanding our theatres at Ashford Hospital and moving towards this becoming our dedicated elective centre. We want to create a state-of-the-art centre for excellence for planned surgical procedures.
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- On-site Nurseries
- On-site staff cafes
- On-site parking
- Support in career development
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including wage stream, lease cars, Cycle to Work schemes and home electronics
Adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.
For more information about a career at ASPH please visit:
www.asph-careers.org
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In addition to the below summary, you need to familiarise yourself with the full job description document attached to the advert
To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical caseload and use excellent clinical reasoning to utilise a wide range of treatment options and skills to formulate a specialised programme of care including onwards referrals
To be able to manage potentially stressful and upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.
To supervise junior, senior staff, therapy assistants, students and apprentices where appropriate
To communicate effectively with all disciplines involved in a patient’s care, both those from within the organisation and those outside to ensure efficient multidisciplinary working.
To carry a designated clinical caseload including highly complex and diverse patient groups and prioritise that work efficiently, taking into account clinical and service priorities using specialist knowledge to underpin decisions.
Apply an enhanced level of understanding of the effect of preterm birth, perinatal problems and congenital disabilities on the development of infants and make appropriate recommendations for intervention and support.
Support discharge planning and transitions to paediatric, outpatient and community services for caseload, providing relevant information to unit discharge team and internal paediatric and community teams.
Taking the lead role in MDT ward rounds in turn with other members of the team promoting Family Integrated and Developmental Care principles to facilitate parental involvement.
To be responsible for setting and monitoring of standards, policies and evidence based guidelines for clinical practice for the neonatal occupational therapy service and evaluate outcomes.
To be able to manage potentially stressful and upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner.
To communicate effectively with all disciplines involved in a patient’s care, both those from within the organisation and those outside to ensure efficient multidisciplinary working.
Person specification
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of disabilities on patient, families and carers
- Knowledge and experience of child development, common neonatal and paediatric conditions and in-depth knowledge of developmental disabilities and factors influencing early infant development
- Knowledge and experience of a range of assessment and interventions/approaches in neonatal and paediatric care.
- Awareness and self-care strategies to manage emotional stress
- Knowledge and experience of a range of assessment and interventions/approaches in neonatal and paediatric care
Desirable criteria
- Experience in leadership, service development and education
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience as a band 6 in neonatal or paediatrics within in the NHS
- Knowledge of developmental models and core skills
- Experience of managing babies with complex needs
Desirable criteria
- Band 7+ experience in neonates and/or paediatrics
- Experience as a band 6 in neonatal and paediatrics within in the NHS
- Broad range of acute and community clinical experience
- Knowledge and experience of using a wide range of different infant assessments and interventions
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy leading to inclusion on HCPC register
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
Desirable criteria
- MSc or post graduation equivalent study
- Specialist neonatal post grad training
- Member of appropriate special interest group
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Gemma Frisby
- Job title
- Clinical Lead for Children's Physiotherapy
- Email address
- [email protected]
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