Go back East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Therapy Assistant Practitioner
The closing date is 07 June 2026
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our Integrated Occupational and Physiotherapy team. This position will be based in older people's services (OPS). The role will consist of rehabilitation and reablement of older people, which may have cognitive impairments such as dementia. The acute OPS team aims to support discharge of patients from the acute to the community in a timely manner.
We are seeking someone with experience of working as a Therapy assistant or a similar level in a related field of health or social care. The successful candidate will support Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists and also work independently in assessment and safe discharge planning of patients from hospital.
The role requires demonstrable experience of delivering tailored rehabilitation and care for a wide variety of patients, including carrying out assessments and provision of appropriate equipment. Experience in an acute hospital setting would be beneficial.
Schedule:
* Monday to Friday;
* If opting for a 4‑day week: 08:00 – 16:00 (30 min lunch) with either Tuesday or Thursday as a non‑working day.
* Weekends on a rota basis (approximately 1 in 5)
Main duties of the job include:
* Managing and organising a designated caseload of patients and own professional activities across the older people's wards.
* Providing skilled support to registered therapists with technical therapy interventions to patients in a variety of settings.
* Using an evidence‑based, person‑centred approach in planning, implementing, evaluating and monitoring agreed interventions following guidelines and protocols to promote functional fitness and aid timely discharge.
* Working flexibly over a 7‑day service rota.
* Communicating complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, using persuasion, motivation, explanation, negotiation and empathy; addressing barriers such as hearing loss, speech difficulty, anxiety, fear and depression.
* Working with patients and carers to identify therapy goals for safe, timely discharge, using specialist, standardised assessment tools to assess their skill deficits and functional needs.
* Collaborating with patients to plan and implement a programme of interventions using treatment techniques to meet the patients' needs for safe, timely discharge, applying professional, theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills.
About us
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes. We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. We support our staff with training, development, flexible working options, a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments where applicable, 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and a range of NHS discounts.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Intermediate level of theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills at NVQ Level 3 or equivalent.
Experience
* Experience as a Therapy assistant or a comparable level in health care, health and fitness or social care.
* Demonstrable experience of delivering tailored personal care.
* Completion of Integrated Therapies assistant core and/or specific competencies or equivalent.
* Experience of rehabilitation and reablement of patients.
* Knowledge of community resources and a whole‑systems/pathways approach to care.
Knowledge
* Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision.
* Ability to maintain clinical records and complete basic reports.
* Knowledge of basic medical conditions and the impact of illness and disability on individuals and families.
* Knowledge of the roles of the MDT, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and of various agencies and services across health and social care organisations.
* Knowledge of discharge assessment models and progression of goals and treatment plans.
Skills
* Good written and verbal communication skills.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 per annum pro‑rata.
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