AHP Assistant Practitioner

Sheffield Health and Social Care; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider in Sheffield is seeking dedicated individuals to join their occupational therapy team. This role focuses on delivering high-quality therapeutic interventions to support service users in developing essential daily living skills. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, you will engage in meaningful activities while ensuring the well-being of clients. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of individuals facing mental health challenges. If you are passionate about enhancing the lives of others and thrive in a supportive environment, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in healthcare or educational settings.
• Knowledge of therapeutic interventions for service users.

Responsibilities

• Deliver client-centered therapeutic interventions under supervision.
• Support qualified Occupational Therapists in their professional role.

Skills

Organisational Skills

Communication Skills

Knowledge of Occupational Therapy

Education

Foundation Degree or Equivalent Level 5 Qualification

Degree Level Qualification

Tools

Computer Literacy

Job description

Job summary

Main areaRehabilitation and Specialist servicesGradeNHS AfC: Band 4ContractPermanentHours

Full time

Part time

Flexible working

Job ref457-25-7055118-AEmployerSheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation TrustEmployer typeNHSSiteforest CloseTownSheffieldSalary£26,530 - £29,114 per annumSalary periodYearlyClosing07/04/2025 18:00

Employer heading

NHS AfC: Band 4

About us

At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.

We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: working together for our service users, respect and kindness, everyone counts, commitment to quality, improving lives.

Job overview

The successful applicant will join a well established and skilled occupational therapy team within the intensive Rehabilitation service at Forest close in Sheffield

The occupational therapy team works alongside other supportive and friendly professionals including nursing, psychology, a music therapist, and psychiatry to deliver a high quality service to 30 SU.

You will work under the supervision of an occupational therapist to deliver individual and group interventions with the aim of developing service users skills in the activities of daily living and to develop engagement in meaningful activities. You will also hold administration duties for the occupational therapy team and in the preparation of resources linked to occupational therapy intervention.

Please be advised there is a cap on this post and once reached the post will be closed.

Main duties of the job

Under the direction of a registered Occupational Therapist the post holder will deliver an effective, high quality Occupational Therapy service. • They will use professional and creative skills to assist in the provision of client centred therapeutic interventions for individuals/groups of clients • Under supervision of a qualified Occupational Therapist, facilitate and participate in planned group-work and individual activities, ongoing continuous assessment and adjustment of own clinical interventions based on the fluctuating needs of the service users • The post holder will give support to adults with SMI who have difficulties with Activities of Daily Living, Occupation , Sensory needs, social isolation voice hearing and self esteem and generalised anxiety .

• The post holder will support qualified Occupational therapists to carry out their professional role in a timely and effective manner including the production of some resources and specified administration tasks.

To support qualified clinicians in the planning and implementation of training where appropriate

Working for our organisation

At SHSC, we prioritise the well-being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front. However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

ensure valid informed consent has been gained and to work within a legal framework with clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To adhere to the SHSC code of Conduct for Non-Qualified Staff and all other relevant trust policies and procedures. To form professional relationships with clients and carers and adapt practice to meet individual client circumstances including due regard for cultural and linguistic contexts. To attend relevant training and development opportunities in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge. To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including Mental Capacity Act and other legal frameworks in line with government and local policy. To share information with others as appropriate, observing data protection guidelines. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance. To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to clients. To have due regard for your own personal safety and that of patients/carers

Working together for service users Respect & kindness Everyone counts Commitment to quality Improving lives • The post holder will support qualified Occupational therapists to carry out their professional role in a timely and effective manner including the production of some resources and specified administration tasks. • Under the guidance of a qualified Occupational Therapist the post holder will support carers and relevant others regarding the individual client’s occupation strategies and support the development of environments conducive to occupation • The post holder will ensure the recording of service users’ information regarding screening/ waiting lists and allocation is accurate and up to date • To support qualified clinicians in the planning and implementation of training where appropriate General requirements To ensure valid informed consent has been gained and to work within a legal framework with clients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To adhere to the SHSC code of Conduct for Non-Qualified Staff and all other relevant trust policies and procedures. To form professional relationships with clients and carers and adapt practice to meet individual client circumstances including due regard for cultural and linguistic contexts. To attend relevant training and development opportunities in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge. To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including Mental Capacity Act and other legal frameworks in line with government and local policy. To share information with others as appropriate, observing data protection guidelines. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance. To be responsible for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to clients. To have due regard for your own personal safety and that of patients/carers. To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with SHSC standards. Working together for service users Respect & kindness Everyone counts Commitment to quality Improving lives To review and reflect on your own practice and performance though participation in regular supervision. To work in a manner that is consistent with the values and aims of valuing People and person centered work practice. The post holder will be expected to work some weekends and evenings dependent on service need.

For more details please consult the full job description uploaded

Person specification

knowledge and skills

Good organisational and time management skills and ability to prioritise tasks

Excellent communication skills including good command of written english

Knowledge of the role of an occupational therapist

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of therapeutic interventions for SU who experience negative symptoms

awareness of relevant legislation

experience delivering therapy groups

Experience

experience of working in health care or educational setting

experience of working with needs associated with activities of everyday living

experience of independent working

Desirable criteria

experience of working in an in-patient setting

experience of working with SU who have SMI

training and qaulifications

demonstrate computer literacy

evidence of continued professional development in current role

relevant foundation degree or equivalent level 5 qualification or equivalent

Desirable criteria

successful completion of relevant short course

a degree level qualification

other

commitment to client centred practice

We aim to be an organisation that is diverse and inclusive and to meet this aim we welcome applications from people with a wide range of life experience and whose diversity echoes the diversity of Sheffield, that of the people who use our services, and that of the people who may need to use our services but face barriers to access. Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website .

We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.

Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:

The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group

The Disability Staff Network Group

The Lived Experience Staff Network Group

The Rainbow Staff Network Group

The Staff Carers Staff Network Group

The Women’s Staff Network Group

We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role. The cost of the DBS check (currently up to £48.23) must be met by the successful applicant(s).

When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.

Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.

While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.

Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHSC and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

For example, AI responses…

•usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.

•may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.

•may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.

•may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.

Supporting Statement

The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

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.