Charlotte Brookes
Lead Physiotherapist and Clinical Director
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
MCSP & HPC REGISTERED
APPI – MATWORK 1 (Qualified in the teaching of 1;1 Pilates through the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute)
Agile Physiotherapy Ltd was established in July 2012 by Physiotherapist Charlotte Brookes. Charlotte graduated with BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy from the University of Central Lancashire, Preston in 2010 and grew up in Heysham prior before attending Our Ladys’ High School in Lancaster.
Experience
On graduating from University Charlotte moved to Manchester for her first Physiotherapy role located within Intermediate / Community physiotherapy rehabilitation working for NHS Central Manchester. Here Charlotte worked with an elderly client group in rehabilitation centres and out in the community with patients in their own homes aiming to rehabilitate and improve patients quality of life with emphasis on keeping patients active and safe at home while reducing hospital admission and stays where possible. It was here Charlotte worked with what she continues to value as the best multidisciplinary team environment she has worked to date.
Alongside working within the NHS Charlotte approached private Physiotherapist Richard Hulbert at Active Physiotherapy in Total fitness sites Manchester and Bolton and started running clinics in Richards’ absence. Charlotte ran Richards clinic for up to 6 weeks during 2010 with only brief update meetings with Richard, this enhanced her confidence massively as a new graduate Physiotherapist with the responsibility of running an established reputable clinic!
With ambitious aspirations to better he career prospects and outpatient experience Charlotte applied for a challenging Junior Outpatient role working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in early 2011 and became their new recruit working at Chester for eight months on a full time musculoskeletal outpatient role.
This is where Charlotte realised her love for outpatient Physiotherapy treating everything from chronic back pain to post operative knees to acute sporting injuries, solving problems and seeing results! It was here she ran the post operative knee replacement rehabilitation group for people within the area who had had knee surgery and were having post operative Physiotherapy to improve their functional mobility.
Australia
After eight exciting and inspirational months at Chester Charlotte decided to commit to a life long dream and combine a trip of a lifetime with gaining some overseas Physiotherapy experience down under in Australia! Charlotte worked in Melbourne Victoria as lead Physiotherapist of a pain management programme across various aged care facilities and rehabilitation centres for Australias leading Aged Care provider, Regis via Your World. It was here where Charlotte delivered exercise based therapy, group therapy sessions and staff education seminars to clients and staff. In this role Charlotte had responsibility of assessing clients mobility, risk of falls and their need for pain management interventions for up to 200 patients in the largest aged care facility in Victoria. Charlotte also mentored new Physiotherapy employees through their development as pain management Physiotherapists.
UK
After almost a year in Australia Charlotte returned to the UK and rejoined her old NHS team back in Central Manchester. Having gained insight into rehabilitation in elderly care in both the UK and Australia Charlotte was able to apply her knowledge of both settings and practices to her new Physiotherapy role. Throughout 2012 Charlotte continued to return to outpatient Physiotherapy clinics working privately again for previous employer Richard Hulbert at Active Physiotherapy in Total Fitness in Whitefield and Bolton and it was at this time she approached Jane Billson Physiotherapist and Occupational Health expert of private Physiotherapy business Advance Physiotherapy in Manchester for further Physiotherapy outpatient work.
Charlotte worked for Jane at Advance Physiotherapy, running the clinic while at time of annual leave and worked there for over five months running clinics across Manchester and Cheshire and further Salford University for their Occupational Health dept. It was here Charlotte gained further insight into medico legal Physiotherapy working in accident rehabilitation Physiotherapy at St John Street in Manchester on a regular basis. Charlotte remains good friends with Jane to date!
After settling back into the UK and working back within the private outpatient Physiotherapy setting Charlotte decided she wanted to base her roots back closer to home in Lancaster and moved back to the local area she grew up in.
Eager to continue her outpatient Physiotherapy experience she worked at Kendal Physiotherapy Centre where her knowledge developed further and allowed for her skills to increase extensively from the expertise there.
Once settled back in Lancaster and confident to move forward again Charlotte took the plunge and went it alone to set up the running of her own private physiotherapy business and permanent base Agile Physiotherapy Ltd in the Train Together Gym in Lancaster.
