Assistant Practitioner

Cambridgeshire Community Services Nhs Trust; Kempston; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health provider in England is seeking an enthusiastic assistant practitioner for Stroke and neuro rehabilitation. The role involves working with a multidisciplinary team to deliver clinical care and support diverse patients. Candidates should possess relevant therapeutic qualifications and skills in patient handling. The position emphasizes flexible working, ongoing support, and professional development. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to contribute to high-quality care delivery in the community.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Ongoing professional development

Supportive multidisciplinary environment

Qualifications

• Relevant therapeutic qualifications, preferably in Stroke and neuro rehabilitation.
• Experience in patient handling and mobility tasks.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver direct clinical care and therapy interventions.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team for patient assessments.
• Maintain accurate patient records and provide feedback on client progress.

Skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Patient handling

Time management

Education

Relevant therapeutic qualifications

Tools

Clinical assessment tools

Patient care equipment

Job description

Job overview

Driven by our Trust values: Honesty, Empathy, Ambition, Respect; the Trust's vision is to provide high quality care to the diverse communities we serve to make their lives better.

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Our cultural diversity, long term conditions and disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ staff networks are a key part of this commitment, creating positive change and helping build an inclusive culture across the Trust.

Different ideas, experiences and backgrounds make us stronger and more creative and applications from all walks of life are welcomed – our processes ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.

Options for flexible working are considered for all roles within CCS, including job share opportunities, compressed hours, annualised hours, tailored working patterns and more. If you are interested in flexible working, please talk to the recruiting manager for this vacancy.

Please note, the selection processes at Cambridgeshire Community Services are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills. Please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored, we remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills.

Advert

We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic and caring individual who is passionate about Stroke and neuro rehabilitation. If you are keen to work in the community and make a difference in people's lives with rehabilitation, then this post is for you.

The post holder will work autonomously and closely with other therapists within the neurotherapy team. The post holder will be well supported by the multidisciplinary team including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, Speech and Language therapists, Psychologists and other assistant practitioners.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

(Please note that should we receive a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close the advert at any point after 24.12.25)

The post holder will be accountable to senior multidisciplinary members of the Bedfordshire Neurotherapy service providing support for a variety of therapeutic and clinical interventions. The post holder will participate in the assessment, planning, implementation and individualised therapeutic interventions under the guidance of the multidisciplinary therapy team. Post holder will work autonomously and undertake lone working in the community. Post holder will be responsible for identifying and providing appropriate assistive equipment for patients to facilitate safety in their chosen environment. Post holder may be expected to work a variety of shift patterns which include weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis in the future.

Working for our organisation

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Nature of work

Post holder will be part of multidisciplinary therapy team including Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Speech & Language Therapists, Clinical Psychologists and other Assistant practitioners.

• Post holder will be responsible for delivering direct clinical care and delegated therapy interventions for service users referred to Neurotherapy service.
• To involve patients and carers in the planning of care/rehabilitation programmes and encourage self‑management where appropriate.
• To communicate effectively with all members of the Neurotherapy service and the wider Bedfordshire Community Health Services. To support and promote team working generally.
• To maintain accurate patient records, which include patient held records.
• To provide written reports and verbal feedback to the team regarding clients performance/progress in areas of self‑maintenance, productivity and leisure.
• To act as named person for the client to contact within the department and to feedback relevant any issues to senior staff.
• To have a basic level of knowledge of support services within the community.

Planning

Plan and implement daily work within the team and wide geographical area in the knowledge that this can be unpredictable and may change to meet the demands of the service and the changing priorities of clinical/health needs.

• Participate in team planning, by organising new referrals as to who needs to be assessed within an agreed service time frame, and ongoing work allocations, to enable the team to work effectively and efficiently.
• To support other members of the multidisciplinary team in planning and managing their own caseload particularly in the event of absence.
• To attend caseload meetings and multidisciplinary therapy meetings as appropriate and ensure information on individual patients is fed back to the team for planning purposes.
• To be responsible for prioritising and managing own workload, expecting some conflicting demands on your time.

Patient contact

• To promote the team philosophy that embraces a holistic approach to patients, carers and relatives.
• To carry out initial screening and assessment of clients on behalf of multidisciplinary therapy team.
• To review and re‑assess interventions delegated by the multidisciplinary team, keeping relevant clinical staff informed of any progress/concern.
• To undertake clinical procedures/ therapeutic activities within a mutually agreed goal orientated programme under direction from a variety of multidisciplinary team members.
• To feedback all relevant information regarding clients to the appropriate clinician/therapist, including any changes in the condition and circumstances.
• To be responsible for fitting and demonstrating equipment to client's and their carers.
• To order equipment from the community equipment Store and use the PIN number provided responsibly.
• To be an advocate for patients i.e. making team members aware of any concerns if it is in the patient’s best interest.
• To identify areas of shared assessment with other team members.
• Identify other agencies whose intervention the patient would benefit from, liaise with them and refer to accordingly.
• Actively promote good health and development and participate in Public Health Initiatives.
• To carry out any other clinical duties under instruction from senior staff within the Neurotherapy service covering other staff across the localities to meet patient needs.
• To safely travel between patients’ homes and other venues on a daily basis adhering to relevant policy and guidelines e.g. mobile phone policy, and the Highway Code.
• Regularly undertake the moving and positioning of patients and equipment adhering to the Trust Moving and Handling Policy.
• Provide updates and reports as required related to service users’ needs and care both written and verbal.
• Work within Trust Policy in all matters related to communication of clinical risk, including the need for information sharing.
• Clearly understand the issues surrounding confidentiality.

Important relationships job holder must maintain

Internal:

• Leadership team
• All members of Neurotherapy service
• Discharge Planning Team
• Specialist Nurses i.e. Safeguarding leads, Tissue Viability etc.

External:

• Hospital nursing and therapy staff
• Patients, relatives and care agencies
• Local Authorities including adult social care
• General Practitioners
• Emergency Care Practitioners
• Clinical Commissioning groups

The nature of the issues the job holder must communicate on and to whom

To form professional relationships with clients and communicate condition related information to them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture. Where barriers to understanding exist staff will need to use tact, motivational negotiating and reassurance skills. Information received and given may be sensitive and will need to be handled in a empathic and professional manner maintaining confidentiality within Trust Policies and professional codes of conduct.

Communicate and work together with other teams within the provider services, and other providers to ensure optimum patient centred care. Using various methods of communication, this will include oral, written, electronic or other verbal or non‑verbal methods.

People Management

Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.

Complete relevant stroke competencies as required for the post.

Develop own clinical knowledge and participate in the development of clinical knowledge for others.

Maintain up to date skills and knowledge and maintain an awareness of professional issues.

Research & Development Activity

To contribute to meetings about clinical governance and service development.

To participate in the delivery of the Neurotherapy service development plan.

Group Model Information

On April 1st 2025, the Boards of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust will come together to deliver services as a group, with a singular board operating across both organisations. Both trusts are high performing specialist community health and care providers working in the East of England. Both have a strong track record, with the highest ratings from the Care Quality Commission, best in class NHS staff survey outcomes, and a decade of experience in innovation and clinical development.

The group model provides health and care services to a population of 3.2 million in their homes and neighbourhoods. We provide care that supports people from the very beginning to the very end of their lives.

We will remain 2 separate employers until further notice and the specific role being advertised will be in employed by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.

Certificate of Sponsorship

For roles that are eligible for sponsorship, applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker Visa to work in the UK are welcome, and will be considered alongside all other applications. You are strongly advised to visit Check if you need a UK Visa website and familiarise yourself with what is required which should assist you in your understanding of the process.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here.

Clinical and Practical Requirements

• This role requires regular participation in patient handling and mobility tasks, including transfers, gait training, passive exercises, and use of hoists and other equipment. Staff must be able to safely support patients with significant physical impairments as part of rehabilitation programmes.
• Significant part of Assistant Practitioner's responsibilities involve physical/manual handling activities, requiring stamina, safe moving and handling skills, and the ability to work in varied home and community environments.
• Undertake clinical procedures within own scope of competencies utilising a variety of clinical interventions and equipment safely and precisely.
• To competently demonstrate and advise on a range of equipment to clients and relatives.
• To have adequate keyboard skills and knowledge of IT systems provided by the Trust.
• To develop and deliver enhanced skill in a specific therapy domain.

Communication

Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex, sensitive information to a wide variety of professionals in a variety of methods.