Overview
Physiotherapy Assistant Practitioner for In-Patient Frailty Team
The closing date is 10 February 2026
We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 4 role within Frailty. We are looking to recruit an experienced Assistant Practitioner who is looking to progress their career and take on a dynamic, challenging and progressive new role within this busy in-patient team. This band 4 role will have increased responsibility for assessing and treating more complex patients, progressing these patients through pathways of care including comprehensive involvement in discharge planning. Other responsibilities will include service development work, and a role in the support, training and development of students, band 3 colleagues and apprentices.
Main duties of the job
* Provide skilled and insightful aid in the rehabilitation of patients.
* Conduct a full episode of care from assessment to discharge for a specified designated clinical caseload independently.
* Manage a patient caseload and treat appropriately; be able to make alterations when required by assessment of patient progression or regression.
* Work in varied and unsupervised settings, with personal or telephone access to a qualified Physiotherapist.
* Provide non-clinical services to the physiotherapy team e.g. administrative duties, maintaining a safe environment and maintaining equipment.
* Undertake the assessment and discharge of a range of patients.
* Provide educational support to patients, carers, and less experienced staff in unsupervised settings.
* To be able to assess and discharge a range of patients including patients with Frailty, Dementia, Parkinson’s, Complex social history, multiple comorbidities.
* To have a clear understanding of common conditions such as Dementia, Delirium, Parkinson’s, Frailty, Fractures in the elderly, patients with falls history.
* To be experienced in discharge options for elderly frail patients.
* To be responsible for Band 2 apprentices within the team.
* To be prepared to participate in future 7-day service provision if applicable.
About us
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We\'re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Job responsibilities
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds, and any role-specific criteria. For example, applicants for the Senior HCA role must be able to evidence a minimum of 2 years experience in the same role to qualify for sponsorship.
If you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.
Communication
To have active participation in physiotherapy department and team safety huddle i.e. leading discussions and to gain awareness of prioritising and delegating to others.
* Work collaboratively with relevant Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Professionals (e.g. Health Care Assistants, Occupational Therapy, Nursing staff, Doctors) to assist achievement of patient centred goals and maximising the patient’s potential.
* Communicate effectively with patients with a variety of communication difficulties e.g. blind, deaf, dysphasic, learning difficulties, and for people who do not have English as their first language, on a one-to-one level and to enable the patient to integrate in group activities. This will involve the effective use of verbal, written, pictorial, tactile and visual communication tools.
* Communicate effectively, in a variety of adaptable ways to optimise communication with patients with dementia and/or cognitive impairment.
* Educate patients, carers, and relevant MDT staff on a range of topics including covering Physiotherapy techniques, education on patient condition e.g. therapeutic positioning, exercises, mobility activities including using walking aids and indoor and outdoor mobility, and advice and education with regards to patient condition.
* To effectively communicate the individual’s mobility needs and methods you have found of assisting that patient, to the MDT members that will be able to enhance the patient’s mobility and functional needs.
* Use advanced empathetic, tactful, and interpersonal skills to encourage and empower patients and carers to maximise patients rehabilitation potential, giving opportunity for unloading / sharing of concerns and issues and providing informal counselling.
* Ensure that individual practice is patient centred and incorporates patients views into treatment planning whilst following department pathways.
* Assist in relevant areas of induction process for new staff members and students.
* To provide an orientation to the ward to all less experienced staff such as rotational band 5s, students, and non-registered staff.
* Support with work experience students both within the physiotherapy department and wider MDT.
* Attend Handover & MDT meetings to represent current Physiotherapy management with regards to patient progress and potential and be able to make decisions within agreed parameters.
* Liaise with other team members on day-to-day issues and ward management e.g. staff shortages, increased patient caseload.
* Keep accurate and comprehensive documentation of all patient contact. Initiate documentation for assessment, transfer and discharge and be conversant with multi-professional documentation.
* To be able to manage potentially stressful, sensitive, upsetting situations in an empathetic manner and escalate to seniors as appropriately.
* To be able to communicate clearly and efficiently with external organisations regarding staff members under their supervision i.e. linking with college tutors during apprenticeship.
Service delivery and improvement
Comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures.
Actively involved in the evaluation of current practice, discussions, data collection, audit and relevant projects regarding service evaluation and development be able to contribute to suggestions for change.
Identifying and adapting to new work and working in different ways.
People management and development
To have good knowledge of Frailty and associated conditions and to be able to provide basic education to others (staff, patients and relatives) on these conditions.
Participate in the planning, administration and delivery of IST and other relevant courses offered to relevant staff from own and other departments and trusts e.g. band 5 team core in service training, band 3 core in service training, team general training.
Responsible for or contribute significantly to the supervision, training, and appraisal of less experienced staff e.g. physiotherapy technician staff & apprentices.
Responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through continuing professional development activities including reflective practice, review of current research and relevant literature, maintenance of a personal portfolio and the attendance of specialist training courses as identified within a personal development plan.
Responsible for carrying out duties in line with the Trust\'s e-rostering processes, including managing rosters, supporting staff allocation, and contributing to effective budget reconciliation and workforce planning.
To work flexibly across the Frailty wards and other inpatient areas in the physiotherapy department as required.
Involved in the Rehabilitation of patients using knowledge of the patient’s pathology, exercise-based therapy, and other relevant therapy techniques.
Take responsibility for ongoing assessment, treatment, and evaluation of appropriate patients some of which may be more complex in nature.
Assist nursing staff and therapists as required regarding day-to-day care of patients, e.g. toileting needs, transfers, maintaining hygienic environment.
Be able to work holistically with cognitively impaired patients considering their wider needs.
To be able to identify when physiotherapy intervention is not being effective or is no longer appropriate and discuss with MDT and relatives/carers. Identify when require senior support with decisions with more complex cases or complex communication.
Correctly apply various therapeutic aids as appropriate e.g. orthotics, walking aids, resistance bands, sliding boards.
To be able to read and interpret monitored information to ensure Patient and Therapist safety during therapy session e.g. BP, HR, NEWS, Hb, Temperature, SpO2 in the inpatient setting.
To understand, and be able to identify, a deteriorating patient including how to manage these situations e.g. escalating care to a senior for input and support.
Read, monitor and safely manage equipment (02, drip stands, catheters and NG tubes) to enable therapeutic treatment to take place in an appropriate setting.
* To undertake and monitor effect of skilled techniques as indicated e.g. exercise instruction, gait-education and functional transfers with individuals.
* Accountable for all aspects of own work. This will include the management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with national and trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist, to own competency level.
* Work collaboratively with relevant Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Professionals (e.g. health care assistants, occupational therapy, nursing staff, Doctors) to assist achievement of patient centred goals and maximising the patient’s potential.
* Facilitate patient progression through care pathways which may involve cross therapy working following appropriate training e.g. NOF, Stoke or ITU pathways.
* Educate patients, carers, and relevant MDT staff on a range of topics including covering Physiotherapy techniques, education on patient condition e.g. therapeutic positioning, exercises, mobility activities including using walking aids and indoor and outdoor mobility, and advice and education with regards to patient condition.
* Ability to manage potentially complex situations where patients, relatives or colleagues have voiced concerns, or where there is confrontation. To be able to manage situations sensitively and in accordance with trust policies, seeking senior support where required.
Person Specification
Experience/ Qualifications
* Therapy level working experience in an inpatient acute hospital setting e.g. Band 3 physiotherapy technician
* Completion of Band 3 Physiotherapy Technician competencies or equivalent
Skills non-clinical
* Evidence of managing and prioritising own caseload of patients daily
* Evidence of managing complex discussions with patients and relatives
Skills clinical
* Experience of treating Frailty patients and associated conditions
* Ability to undertake discharge planning independently but seeking senior support if needed
People Management and Development
* Evidence of supervision and support of other members of a physiotherapy team
* Evidence of previous experience of involvement in facilitating teaching / IST
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
* Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
* Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Specific Requirements
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
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