Job overview
Perseid school is a school for pupils aged between 3 and 19 years who have severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties, and some pupils who have Autism Spectrum Condition.
There is a well-established health team comprising Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists, who work together to support the children and meet their health needs.
Your role will be to assist the Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists in the school, by working jointly with them, carrying out therapy programmes under the supervision of the Therapists, helping to set up specialist equipment, and liaising with parents / carers and school staff in order to help maintain the smooth running of the service.
Main duties of the job
1. Under the direction of the Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, to deliver Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy treatment for children, and work with parents / carers / school staff.
2. To devise, plan, implement and evaluate delegated therapy interventions for children, individually or in groups and tailored to their individual needs, feeding back to the lead Therapist.
3. To assist the Occupational Therapist with the assessment, provision and review of specialist seating for children within the school environment.
4. To assist the Physiotherapist with the assessment, provision and review of specialist equipment eg. standing frames, walkers
5. To be responsible for the ordering, logging, organisation and collection of specialist therapy equipment.
6. To fit equipment as requested by Therapists following appropriate training from the Therapist.
7. To assist the Occupational Therapist in upper limb treatments including splinting
8. To support parents / carers and school staff in implementing advised therapy programmes as directed by the primary Therapist.
9. To work closely with the multidisciplinary team, school staff and families to plan and provide assessment and treatment.
Working for our organisation
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
10. To support training / education for families and school staff to ensure understanding and need for treatment advised.
11. To be aware of changing trends in treatment and promote Evidence Based Practice within own team, interpreting this into own specialist area of work in order to provide the highest standard of care to service users.
12. To assist with the planning, organisation and delivery of courses and in-service training programmes.
13. To carry out continual professional development as identified through supervision and PDP, including in-service training and courses as agreed, working towards objectives set in PDP.
14. To take responsibility for identifying suitable courses and training programmes to enhance your own professional development, keeping abreast of new developments within relevant clinical fields.
15. To comply with the Sutton Health and Care and Children’s Therapy service mandatory training requirements.
16. To be actively involved in own supervision, peer support and relevant specialist section support groups.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
17. NNEB / Diploma in Childcare and Education (DCE) awarded by CACHE or equivalent qualification such as the Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Early Years or the NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and Education or equivalent level of in-service training provided in a Therapy Assistant post.
Desirable criteria
18. Attendance at training courses relevant to the post
Experience
Essential criteria
19. Minimum of two years working with children within a formal setting, eg. NHS or education
20. Knowledge / experience of working in healthcare or appropriate experience in other childcare settings which brings relevant transferable skills.
21. Experience of working with children with neurological conditions, developmental delay, coordination difficulties and musculoskeletal conditions.
Desirable criteria
22. Experience of training or educating others
Skills / Abilities / Knowledge
Essential criteria
23. nderstanding of basic principles of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy with children and sound knowledge in child development
24. Recognition of own capabilities and limitations and seeking guidance when required
25. Previous experience of working within a Therapy Assistant role
26. Basic IT Skills: word, email, internet
27. Ability to prioritise workload effectively
28. Excellent written and oral communication skills
Desirable criteria
29. Previous experience of using Emis for note recording
30. Creative in delivering activities to children
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
31. Works in a co-operative and collaborative way with others.
32. Team player but able to work independently.
33. Confident in relating to a diversity of people and situations.
34. Trustworthy, confident and approachable.
35. Empathetic to the needs of the children and families
36. Physically fit to carry out mild to moderate physical activities, complying with manual handling guidelines.
37. Evidence of own self development and willingness to learn
Your recruitment team
The NHS South West London Recruitment Hub is your dedicated recruitment team, here to support you at every stage of the process. If you have a query, please contact us:
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Your application
Please ensure your supporting statement clearly reflects the job description and person specification, as shortlisting will be based on these criteria.
Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to draft your application. We value authentic, individual responses that reflect your own experience and communication style.
References
Please provide a minimum of 3 years’ employment and/or education history, including professional email addresses (not personal accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail). If you cannot provide these, please inform the interview panel to avoid delays in pre-employment checks.
Closing date
To help us manage recruitment efficiently, some vacancies may close early once we have received a sufficient number of applications.
Shortlisting
If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be contacted by email or SMS from the South West London Recruitment Hub. Please check your registered TRAC email regularly.
Application feedback
If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.
Safeguarding and DBS Checks
We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
This vacancy may have an application cap, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. Ensure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet the job specifications.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
NameEllie O'NeillJob titleChildrens service managerEmail addresse.Telephone number07385 553153