Why work in Physiotherapy at DCHS?
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust employs Physiotherapists and non-registered support workers who work alongside them, in a range of settings including, community hospitals, intermediate care units, outpatient clinics, and people’s own homes, or the place they call home.
Physiotherapists assess function and impairment and work with their patients to develop treatment plans to facilitate recovery from illness, surgery and to support the management of long-term conditions. They can work as an important part of a wider multi-disciplinary team to improve functional independence. Functional movement is a key part of what it means to be healthy. This means that physiotherapy plays an important role in enabling people to improve their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
The Trust's Physiotherapy services provide comprehensive assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions as well as treatments of multi-pathology from simple decreased mobility to head injuries, respiratory and neurological conditions.
Physiotherapists provide a range of services to adults working within:
- Physical health
- Older people’s mental health
- Learning disabilities
The Trust employs physiotherapists who work across a variety of teams including:
- Outpatient Musculo-skeletal (MSK) teams
- Community hospitals
- Integrated community teams (can include nurses, OT`s, SLT)
- Mental health teams for older adults
- Falls Prevention
- Stroke services
- Adults with developmental disabilities
- Respiratory teams
- Neurological rehab services
- Cardiac Rehab
- Respiratory and Pulmonary Rehab teams
- Post Covid
The physiotherapy teams work with other clinical disciplines and support services to provide rehabilitation services to patients, including Occupational Therapy, in the most appropriate environment to meet their individual needs.
In DCHS there are opportunities in some of our services for rotational and static posts within Physiotherapy with career progression opportunities available into some specialist roles.
All vacancies at DCHS are advertised on the NHS Jobs website and our vacancies page View our current vacancies : DCHS
To practise as a physiotherapist, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To register with the HCPC, you first need to successfully complete an approved degree level qualification in physiotherapy. This may be a full or part-time course, or a degree apprenticeship in physiotherapy. Full time degrees take three years. Part time degrees vary from four to six years.
The NHS Health Careers website has information about training requirements for becoming a physiotherapist.
Yes, work experience or shadowing is not just for external students. Staff can enquire with other teams to experience work in a different area from your own.
DCHS offers a range of apprenticeships for physiotherapy. In addition to this, DCHS supports our Physiotherapists to develop into First Contact Practitioners, Enhanced and Advanced Clinical Practitioners. Physiotherapy also leads to opportunities to progress your career in non-clinical leadership and management.
Existing DCHS staff may be eligible to apply for Physiotherapy training via our apprenticeship scheme. We currently work with universities who offer a Level 6 BSC apprenticeship programme which lasts 3 years.
- Evidence of achievement of GCSE A to C (9 – 4) or Level 2 Functional Skills in English and Maths before applying.
- Evidence of studying to level 3 study and above.
- Ability to study at level 6.
- Manager and budget holders’ approval to undertake apprenticeship programme.
- Ability to travel to university & placements to complete the learning outcomes of the apprenticeship programme, these maybe based up to 90 mins travel time from base area.
- 100% completion of statutory & mandatory training.
- Up to date DBS is required as a mandatory requirement for this programme.