For this series of Q&As, we strike up a chat with a member of our wonderful leadership team so you can get to know them and learn about the fantastic work they do for our team and, ultimately, our clients.

This time we met up with Alex Scott. Alex leads the Physiotherapy team alongside Amy Neve. She has been with IRS for 9 years, and in the leadership role since 2020 where she has made a fantastic impact in the Physio team and IRS as a whole.

Alex has been working on a new webinar series, Supervisions in Pain, alongside fellow Physio, James Morley. This series, tailored for clinicians working in the neuro and disability sectors, is designed to untangle the complexity of managing persistent pain. Launching late February 2026, expressions of interest are still open – find out more here.

Now let’s get into our chat with Alex…

  1. To start, we’d love to hear a bit about your journey. What drew you specifically to the field of neuro physiotherapy, and what is it about this area that keeps you passionate?

I discovered the incredible world of community neuro physio whilst working in London in 2013. I would travel to clients on foot and buses and trains. It was a great way to see London and I had the opportunity to work with clients and clinicians from all over the world. Working with clients in their own homes, meeting their family and understanding who they were outside of their diagnosis was a revelation to me. It allowed me to deeply appreciate their struggles and their strengths. I could clearly envision their goals and the path to achieving them. Unlike the hospital setting, we could problem solve together, and agree on a therapy plan that is realistic, flexible and effective.

  1. We believe in celebrating success. Could you share a story about a time your physiotherapy team had a truly meaningful ‘win’—perhaps achieving a fantastic client outcome, mastering a difficult caseload, or bringing a successful new initiative to life?

Oh I have so many!

Some memorable wins include supporting a client to prepare for her wedding dance, and later start a family. Supporting a client to become a Tai Chi master and compete in China. Supporting a client to renovate her house and build a vegetable garden. Supporting a client to continue working as an artist and exhibit her work.

  1. Effective collaboration is key in rehabilitation. Can you walk us through how you’ve worked with the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT) to craft genuinely holistic, person-centred plans? How do you ensure the vital physiotherapy perspective is heard and woven seamlessly into everyone else’s goals?

We physios couldn’t do our jobs without OTs and Speechies! 

One recent example is a client whose goal was to walk to her local cafe, order a coffee, and chat with the staff. This goal required OT, SP and PT to collaborate and target mobility, balance, road safety, upper limb function, communication. The client now visits this cafe every day and the staff know her coffee order by heart.

  1. Leading a team is a rewarding but demanding role. We care about the well-being of our leaders. How do you personally look after your own energy and resilience? What are your key strategies for managing a busy workload and prioritising self-care?

I’ve learnt the hard way to incorporate self care into every single day. Especially since having a baby, when time is precious!

My main strategies at the moment are to ride my bike to work, to sit amongst my beautiful colleagues and talk rubbish and have a laugh. The ultimate salve after a tough day is a walk around the park and debrief… followed by cuddles with my daughter. Getting into the garden. 

Also as a Physio, I am obliged to say exercise, which is hugely protective for me.

  1. We know that complex rehabilitation is both emotionally and physically taxing on staff. What supportive strategies would you put in place as a leader to actively monitor and nurture your team members’ work-life balance and mental health?

Everyone is different, and so I try to meet each individual where they are at, and be guided by them on what support looks like at that given time. 

The work we do is complex and at times really tough, and that is why we love it, we would be bored in other settings. To work in this space, you need perspective, persistence and resilience, if you work on these things you can derive immense satisfaction in the work. It is not for everyone, but I find those who stick at it and excel, have high emotional intelligence, are firm on their boundaries, and are guided by their personal values.

  1. Since our team members often work autonomously in the community, feeling connected and supported is vital. What systems would you create to ensure they always have a clear avenue to debrief, seek guidance, and feel truly part of the team, especially when facing complex or challenging situations?

We encourage our teams to connect with each other in all sorts of ways, we have a really great culture of picking up the phone to have a chat or work through a problem. Our Physio group chat pops off with silly memes and banter. We get together to have dinner and drinks every few months. I try to come into the office on most work days, I struggle to work from home these days. Maybe it’s a hangover from COVID but I need to feel connected to my team. 

  1. Looking back on this year, what moments truly stand out for you and the physiotherapy team? What are the achievements or experiences that you’ll carry forward?

I came into this role incredibly green, my god it was a steep learning curve. I found I had to do a lot of personal work to understand myself as a leader and be effective. I’ve always been fairly motivated to learn and grow, and am fortunate to have had exceptional mentorship from my supervisors and Kate and Nat. They are the best humans and leaders I know,  and everyday I try to embody their ethos and values in my leadership work. 

One of my favourite leadership jobs is supporting clinicians to work towards grade transition, often a challenging road and a big moment in their career. 

Thank you so much Alex! It’s so interesting hearing how you got to where you are today. We are so impressed with your growth over the years and feel privileged to have you in leadership at IRS.

We’re staying tuned to see what you achieve next with your team!