Assistant Practitioner (Occupational Therapy)

Cumbria,-Northumberland,-Tyne-and-Wear-Nhs-Foundation-Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust in Newcastle upon Tyne is recruiting an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner (Band 4) to join the Acute Inpatient OT Team at the Bamburgh Clinic. The role requires flexible working and autonomous practice within the treatment plan.

You will support OT staff with assessments, plan and deliver individual and group interventions, and liaise with carers, families and the wider MDT to promote patient-centred care.

Qualifications

• Foundation degree in applied social studies or equivalent with diploma-level training.
• Experience in Occupational Therapy or related multidisciplinary setting.
• Ability to work autonomously and follow care plans.

Responsibilities

• Assist in delivering care to service users with diverse needs under supervision of a registered practitioner.
• Work as a lone worker where appropriate, undertaking delegated tasks within competency boundaries.
• Plan and deliver therapeutic interventions to promote leisure, social and occupational activities.
• Promote patients' health and well-being and liaise with carers and the MDT.

Skills

IT literacy

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Autonomy

Moving and handling

Communication

Education

Foundation degree in applied social studies or equivalent

Tools

IT systems

Job description

Employer Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site St Nicholas Hospital Town Newcastle Upon Tyne Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/10/2026 16:00

Assistant Practitioner (Occupational Therapy)

Band 4

Hello!

We are so delighted you are considering coming to work with us at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).

We know the power of looking into an organisation, one you might want to work in, or one where you are going to get help, and being able to say, ‘I’ve seen somewhere I can fit in and be myself.’ We’re on a journey to make the Trust an inclusive employer, representative of the community we serve and we want more of our community to consider applying for jobs with us.

Opportunities for you

Spanning east to west coasts from Northumberland to Cumbria and from the Scottish Borders down to Middlesbrough we’ve got exciting new opportunities available at every level and in every area.

We offer flexible working, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities, or training and development needs and there’s lots on offer in the way of benefits, such as, lease cars, childcare schemes, staff discounts, season tickets for travel and a cycle to work scheme. All this in a vibrant workplace supported by the following staff networks.

• Cultural diversity staff network
• Disabled staff network
• LGBT+ staff network

We also have a number of staff support groups which are open to any staff to attend. These Include:

• Armed Forces and Veterans Staff Network
• Mind, Health and Wellbeing Community
• Menopause toolkit and cafes and staff carer support group

We offer fantastic personal development opportunities through our Collective Leadership Programme and other Organisational Development initiatives. Whatever you are looking for, you will be joining a supportive, friendly team, offering varied and interesting roles, with opportunities for career progression.

We’re always seeking to improve as an organisation. Do you want to be part of that?

Please note that it is a requirement of this Trust that all external applicants pay for their own DBS certification if a DBS check is required for the post. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first monthly pay

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join our Acute Inpatient Occupational Therapy Team at the Bamburgh Clinic. The ability to work flexibly is therefore essential.

The successful candidate will be working with patients to provide occupational therapy assessment and intervention on and off the ward. You will assist the Occupational Therapists to plan, design and deliver interventions within the objectives of the treatment plan. In addition to 1:1 interventions you will have an active role in the provision of group activity sessions. You will be involved in the gathering of information from carers, relatives and the wider MDT, attending meetings and providing feedback from an Occupational Therapy perspective.

You will require the ability to work autonomously, implement and follow care plans, which have been developed in collaboration with service users, families/carers, and inpatients staff. You will need to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, be IT literate and have a flexible approach to the role. You will have responsibility of liaising with appropriate organisations promoting patient community links with social groups, charities, vocational work etc.

Main duties of the job

To assist in the delivery of care to service users who have a variety of needs, diverse presentations and a range of mental, physical health, neurological conditions, cognitive and/or learning disabilities under the direction of a registered practitioner. The overall responsibility for the service user remains, at all times with the registered practitioner.

They will deliver interventions under supervision and guidance from a registered practitioner and as a lone worker where appropriate undertaking delegated tasks within competency boundaries.

They will actively promote service users health and well- being by planning and delivering therapeutic interventions to promote leisure, social and occupational activities, monitoring of physical health, psychological interventions as appropriate to the clinical area. Therefore providing effective person centred care.

Actively engage with the supervision and appraisal process as identified in the trust policy.

They will where appropriate undertake the on-going supervision and delegation of the routine work of support workers guided by standard operating procedures and protocols.

They will provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.

They will support the induction, training, education and assessment of trainee or new assistant practitioners, students and clinical support workers. This may include leading and coordinating a team of support workers.

Working for our organisation

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please find attached job description for full details.

We welcome your application.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Foundation degree in applied social studies or alternative (NVQ/BTEC/QCF) with additional training to diploma level equivalent in the speciality field.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills applicable to the post as detailed in the person specification.

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working in an appropriate care setting
• Experience of supervising/teaching individuals
• Able to follow instructions recognising the boundaries of own competency.
• Previous experience of working in Occupational Therapy
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary setting

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to use IT system
• Ability to establish a rapport with service users
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Flexible
• To be able to demonstrate specific theoretical knowledge as described in service role descriptor
• Experience of moving and handling legislation
• Some anatomical knowledge
• Advanced IT skills

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed.

Please ensure to check out all of the supporting documents linked to this advert, for useful information about working for us, information from our Chief Executive and much more.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.