Therapy Assistant
The closing date is 17 May 2026
Are you passionate about care of adults with frailty and mobility needs? Do you like working with people in their own homes? Are you looking to develop a career in rehabilitation or already experienced in that field? Then this post is for you!
We are looking for a Therapy Assistant to join our well respected Community Therapy Team. The successful applicant will work with patients at home and in group classes in NHS settings across Gosport and Fareham area, working with other physiotherapists, Physiotherapy Associate Practitioners and independently.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about rehabilitation and enabling people to live their best life. You will need to be a car driver with access to a car for work purposes at all times. You should have experience in health or social care and ideally have worked within the field of physiotherapy or exercise provision/instruction before.
Main duties of the job
To organise and deliver therapy activities as part of the agreed intervention plan for patients under the supervision of a therapist.
To assist the Therapists in carrying out interventions and to ensure the smooth running of the service.
The post holder works under the supervision of a therapist to carry out interventions with a defined group of patients, ensuring work is within the scope of their competency and meeting Trust and professional standards. Guidance should be sought when needed.
This role will provide support in management of risk, developing therapeutic relationships, and supporting people to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Act as a role model for team members, supporting new or less experienced colleagues.
This role will demonstrate excellent communication skills, using them to engage, persuade or negotiate with clients with complex, at times challenging needs to ensure they receive the most appropriate care and support.
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.
Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person’s care.
We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.
Job responsibilities
* Undertake evidence‑based Therapy interventions with patients, as agreed with a therapist, to ensure good clinical outcomes. The post holder will gather information, highlight the need for further assessment, and complete a clinical record of the intervention including the outcome.
* Actively promote recovery‑focused care with patients, in conjunction with other health professionals, including achievement of set goals.
* Support patients with their rehabilitation and recovery, respecting them as individuals, supporting them and understanding their right to express their needs.
* Facilitate and lead patient‑focus groups and activities.
* Use appropriate approved conflict resolution and management of aggression techniques (e.g., PMVA) to de‑escalate challenging situations as required for the role.
* Undertake clinical and environmental risk assessments and document key risk areas, seeking guidance from more senior staff when dealing with cases indicating a high level of risk.
* Raise incidents appropriately via the reporting system in an accurate, objective and concise manner.
* Provide information on improving health and wellbeing and signpost to other agencies as appropriate.
* Be aware of own limitations, seek support when the need arises, and maintain professional boundaries at all times.
* Communicate effectively with patients, carers and colleagues to motivate patients to engage in the intervention.
* Communicate with patients’ carers and clients where motivation may be low and engagement is difficult, applying motivational and persuasive skills where there may be barriers to understanding.
* Manage clinics with supervision close by.
* Travel between sites as required, with a car driver having an appropriate vehicle suitable for business use.
Qualifications
* Healthcare qualification Level 2, 3 or working towards gaining an equivalent level.
* A* – C / 9 – 4 GCSE in Maths and English or equivalent.
Experience
* Experience in either a hospital or community healthcare setting.
* Working within a multidisciplinary team.
* Excellent communication skills (written and oral); requirement to receive routine information with patients/clients which may need tact, reassurance, persuasion where there may be barriers to understanding. Good verbal and written skills.
* Basic knowledge of Health and Social Care issues.
* Ability to recognise a deteriorating patient and to escalated concerns.
* Ability to manage own time; plan and prioritise work efficiently and effectively.
* Ability to show empathy and deal empathically and tactfully when communicating with patients, carers and clients.
* Ability to act on own initiative e.g. responding to an emergency.
* Can work independently when on visits, demonstrating sound thought process for basic problem solving.
* Confident in dealing with difficult situations e.g. when faced with aggressive behaviour.
* Good organisational skills.
* Shows flexibility and ability to work within a demanding and changing environment.
* Basic computer skills e.g. Word, Outlook, SystmOne.
* Ability to prioritise workload.
* Can work as part of a team.
* Basic knowledge of disability and underpinning philosophy of rehabilitation.
* Basic knowledge of equipment for independence and management of moving and handling.
Additional Criteria
* Understanding of the importance of promoting independent living.
* Understanding of Health and Safety responsibilities.
* Understanding of Data Protection issues and the need for confidentiality to be maintained.
* Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, especially in a health setting.
* Understanding of Safeguarding policy and procedure.
* Demonstrate and understand the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion and how they apply to staff and patients in a healthcare setting. Able to demonstrate personal commitment to challenging discrimination and promoting equalities, at an appropriate level for the post.
* Legal right to work in the UK.
* Capability to work with children and vulnerable adults.
* For posts which require a professional registration, postholders hold a valid up‑to‑date registration with their professional body.
* Previous knowledge of client group.
* Preferable a car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the trust, to meet the needs of the service.
* For posts where postholders are required to drive as part of their role, they hold a valid full driving licence which enables them to drive in the UK.
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
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
£25,760 to £27,476 a year. Please note for part‑time hours the salary will be pro rata.
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