Go back Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Assistant Practitioner/Technical Instructor
The closing date is 19 May 2026
This role is not eligible for sponsorship.
Are you looking for a new challenge?
An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as a Band 4 Technical Instructor/assistant practitioner within the acute care services of Urgent Community Response, Virtual Ward and Home First which are well‑established teams made up of Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Technical Instructors.
With a focus on reducing hospital admissions and supporting discharges from the acute hospital by providing a therapy assessment within a time‑limited window to patients in their home environment following the principles of the discharge to assess model. The service provides support for individuals within their own home to facilitate a prevent hospital admissions and allow early supported discharge and enables patients to return to independent living and reduce the need for admission or re‑admission.
You will improve the experience for patients and their families in relation to admission avoidance and the discharge process; promote continuity of care by supporting an integrated approach. Enable patients to recover within their home environment after assessment of needs within their usual place of residence and reduce the risk of re‑admission by utilising community services to support patients at home.
Therapists and technical instructors will encounter varied and often fast moving situations.
Main duties of the job
Part of the Technical Instructor role encompasses carrying out assessments of patients who have been discharged from the acute and prescribing appropriate equipment in their own home to facilitate their independence. Also, carrying out equipment reviews and following up patients that have been discharged home within their first seven days to ensure they are safe and well supported to remain at home and prevent re‑admission.
We are looking to appoint an adaptable and enthusiastic Technical Instructor to join our existing service. With excellent communication skills who can demonstrate sound assessment skills and has the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team. Technical instructors are well supported by experienced therapists within the team and will work closely with other members of the team to further enhance their experiences and knowledge.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS Disclosure.
The service works over 7 days 8am till 8pm.
Part time hours will be considered for this post.
* To maintain effective communication between individuals, relatives, carers and the multidisciplinary team, enabling planned activities to be effective and seamless patient management. This will include:
* Communicating and recording information accurately, sensitively and appropriately using the systems and documentation within the rehabilitation service
About us
LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under‑represented groups. If youd like to discuss your application, please ask.
We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.
LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi‑time.
The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.
Explore our full wellbeing offer here: Keeping our workforce well
Job responsibilities
* Working in a collaborative manner across teams, agencies and organisational boundaries to ensure the delivery of a high quality, seamless integrated service through effective communication.
* Providing information and advice to individuals and their carers on a range of services that are available locally provided by Health, Social care and Voluntary agencies to meet patients needs.
* To take an active role in the MDT meetings feeding back patient progress, goals, problems and caseload management.
* To liaise with a range of family and professionals involved in the patients intervention, such as Community Matrons, District Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, GPs, Social Services etc.
For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
* Assistant Practitioner Qualification or equivalent
* NVQ level 3 or equivalent
* Evidence of continued professional development
Knowledge
* Knowledge of long term conditions
* Knowledge of mental illness and disability
* knowledge of the cultures and religions of the area communities and to work across those cultures
Experience
* Experience of rehabilitation in the community
* Demonstrates the ability to work with minimum supervision
* Previous experience in the field of community working
Skills and Ability
* Proven problem solving and clinical reasoning skills
* Demonstrates good written and verbal communication skills
* Able to adapt communication style to suit different people, including use of verbal and non‑verbal communication
* Be physically capable of carrying out the duties required, including the manual handling of equipment or household items
work related circumstances
* Ability to comply with the travel requirements of the post
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.
Employer name
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
£28,392 to £31,157 per year, subject to confirmation (pro rata for part time hours).
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