Newcastle Falcons are recruiting for the role of senior physiotherapist.

Salary: In the region of £40,000 per annum, depending on experience.

Hours: Full-time (including evenings and weekends).

Reporting to: Head of medical services.

Based at: Kingston Park Stadium, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 8AF.

About us:

We are Newcastle Falcons, North East England’s only Gallagher Premiership Rugby team. We are setting our sights on a new, exciting future and are looking for an experienced sports physiotherapist who is organised, enthusiastic, self-motivated and with excellent inter-personal and communication skills to join our medical services team.

The role:

As senior physiotherapist you will deliver elite-level clinical management to first-team players at training and fixtures as part of an experienced multi-disciplinary team. You will ensure consistently high standards of medical care and player welfare by providing comprehensive physiotherapy support, pro-actively engaging in injury prevention strategies and providing excellent levels of care during injury rehabilitation processes to return players to optimal health, fitness and well-being.

Key responsibilities:

• Work alongside other medical experts in the department to meet agreed objectives and KPIs, and in conjunction with other departments as part of a multi-disciplinary team to drive performance standards.
• Make accurate injury assessments and clinical diagnoses based on sound medical and ethical judgement to support the health, fitness and well-being of players.
• Adopt a pro-active approach to player welfare, including reducing injury risks by considering risk factors such as injury history, physiological markers and performance tests to inform decision making.
• Report to the head of medical services on a daily basis to provide updates on injured players and to consult with any new injuries that may require further investigation via the club doctor.
• Deliver screening and injury prevention measures as well as attending external medical appointments as required by the head of medical services.
• Plan, deliver and review comprehensive injury prevention and rehabilitation programmes for players that are aligned with their individual needs, based on objective markers and have accurate return-to-play time frames.
• Provide pitch-side medical cover for players at fixtures and through the week for training sessions, making critical decisions regarding player fitness and availability and providing accurate triage assessments.
• Work closely with athletic performance staff and coaches to transition injured players safely back into training, modifying activity where appropriate, handing over programmes and directing any ongoing modifications.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date medical notes on the central database for each player, communicate these to relevant staff in a timely manner and support the head of medical services with administrative duties.
• Contribute and engage with in-service training to ensure high levels of performance and adherence to minimum standards.
• Uphold and promote adherence to all PRL, RFU and World Rugby regulations, standards and ethical practices to represent the club professionally and transparently, including any industry-specific regulations.
• In addition to these duties which this job normally entails the employee may from time to time be required to undertake reasonable additional or other duties or participate in research and development projects.

Key performance indicators:

• Improvements towards reducing the number of training days missed through injury.
• RFU and PRL Medical Audit feedback, including quality of medical notes on Kit Man Labs.
• Development of sustainable practices across the medical department.
• Feedback from players / stakeholders on the quality of service provided.

Essential requirements:

• BSc (Hons) degree in Physiotherapy.
• Must be HCPC and CSP registered.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience working in elite sport, preferably rugby.
• Full UK driving licence and access to own car.
• Ability to work unsociable hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Eligible to work in the UK.
• Enhanced DBS clearance.

Desirable requirements:

• RFU Level 3 PHICIS qualification.
• Currently working within a full-time sporting environment.
• Previous experience working in elite-level rugby.
• UK Anti-Doping Clean Sport Advisor certification.

Safeguarding:

Newcastle Falcons takes safeguarding very seriously and is committed to ensuring the safety of all children and adults when engaging in club activities or services. The club has safeguarding policies and best practice guidelines to support this and expect all employees to adopt such policies and procedures at all times. We adhere to strict guidelines and policies in our recruitment process and expect all staff to undertake safeguarding training appropriate to their role and share our commitment to safeguarding.

Equal opportunities:

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of sex, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin.

• The post holder’s duties must be carried out in compliance with the club’s Equal Opportunities Policy, with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and subsequent Health and Safety Legislation.
• This post requires an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS). This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). Information on all convictions including spent convictions must be declared, in line with the new Government Filtering System.

If you wish to see our candidate privacy notice, click here.

Employment is subject to satisfactory professional references, the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK as well as a successfully cleared enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check and clearance of RFU safer recruitment procedure.

Please apply with a CV and a cover letter to:

Mark Laycock (Performance Manager) at mark.laycock@newcastle-falcons.co.uk .

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Sunday September 1, 2024. Candidates must be available to attend an interview in the week commencing Monday September 9, 2024.