Junior Band 5

My role as a physiotherapist maximises people’s functional potential that makes a real difference to their quality of life following illness or injury.

Becoming a physiotherapist has offered me the opportunity for a challenging, rewarding and satisfying career. I had the desire for the profession since the age of 10, due to seeing physiotherapists working with my Dad following an accident. It inspired me to see how physiotherapists helped my Dad improve his quality of life and regain his function.

On leaving school, I mainly worked in administrative posts in healthcare and it was not until after a spell travelling and raising a family that I decided to take the plunge into university. I completed an access course to gain the entry requirements into University, and started my BSC physiotherapy course in 2017.

My University course gave me the foundational skills for the role with excellent opportunities on practice placement to develop my clinical skills. The theory aspects of the course have provided me the knowledge and evidence base to support my decision making in practice.

These skills helped me to secure a Band 5 rotational physiotherapist post at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS FT.

The role of a rotational physiotherapist can provide developmental opportunities in all of the specialities of physiotherapy including respiratory, acute care, musculoskeletal, neurology and paediatrics.

The role can also provide further opportunities to work with and learn from experienced staff and a wider multidisciplinary team. Further educational development may be in the form of in-service training events and specialist training courses.

The Physiotherapy service has a range of B5 rotations including respiratory, elderly care, cardiac, musculoskeletal, neurology, paediatrics and women’s health; each is led by an Expert Physiotherapist. This is offered across Sunderland and South Tyneside in various settings including hospital wards, hospital outpatient clinics, GP clinics and the community. This means that we can ensure that service users are provided with the most effective treatment for their problem in a place most suited to meet need.

The role of a Band 5 Physiotherapist is to work as an autonomous practitioner using clinical reasoning skills to provide physiotherapy assessment, diagnosis, treatment and advice to an independently managed caseload. This is achieved through building upon undergraduate skills and continuous professional development under the guidance of specialist physiotherapy colleagues. You are encouraged to support service delivery through safe, quality and innovative practice.

In house training: 

Preceptorship Programme: All newly qualified Physiotherapists are required to complete a 6-month, in house, mandatory Preceptorship Programme. For more information please follow the Hyperlink Link to Preceptorship staff Intranet

Preceptorship : South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Intranet (stsft.nhs.uk).

Appraisal: When you start work you will be assigned an appraiser who will provide yearly appraisals. This will support core values, behaviours, knowledge, and skill required to fulfil the requirements of the post and career development.

Clinical: You will be provided with the opportunity to consolidate your knowledge and skills through rotational placements. At the start of each rotation, you will set objectives and a personal development plan which is reviewed regularly during the placement. Your learning will be supported through in house training, clinical supervision, and peer support.

Leadership qualities are recognised as core skills to improve clinical outcomes; there are a range of in-house leadership courses available to support you. For more information, please click here.  

Research and audit opportunities are provided through placement projects, links with local Universities and links with Physiotherapy Research Champions.

External training:

The service provides support through time and funding for courses external to the Trust; requests need to be discussed with your line manager.

Clinical Educators Course: STFT is a teaching hospital; to support student placements there are opportunities to attend clinical supervisors’ courses which are provided by local Universities.

Please speak to your line manager to discuss and agree learning plans. The workforce team may be able to offer further signposting at the email address below for stsft.cpd@nhs.net