Assistant Practitioner - Willow Therapy Unit

East Of England Community Health And Care Nhs Trust; Norwich; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is recruiting a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner for the Willow Therapy Unit in Norwich. The post involves autonomous work across Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, with a 7-day shift pattern including Bank Holidays.

Interviews are face-to-face only, and sponsorship is not available. The role supports reablement, aims to promote independence, and coordinates care for a named group of patients within a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• NVQ 3, or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Foundation degree programme, or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and skills acquired through training and experience.
• Good general education.
• Experience of working in a health or social care setting.

Responsibilities

• To contribute in the delivery of high standards of health care to inpatients by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To work within a reablement philosophy, using strengths-based assessments and actively promoting independence for the patients.
• To support an environment where all team members are responsible for a reablement ethos using a positive risk-taking approach for patients, their carers and families.
• To support patients being as independent as possible within their functional limits.
• To work as part of a multidisciplinary team within a quality framework to ensure that the highest standards of care are met.
• To support and deliver innovation within discharge practice and pathways.
• To work with system partners including the voluntary sector to ensure that patients experience a seamless transfer of care both into and onward from the unit.
• Be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of care to a named group of patients.
• Work proactively within the team to achieve unit and trust goals and objectives.
• Work with and promote recognised policies, protocols, and guidelines.

Skills

Good communication skills

Highly motivated

English language communication

Education

NVQ 3 or equivalent

Foundation degree or equivalent

Good general education

Job description

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner within the established Willow Therapy Unit Therapy Team. The team provides inpatient reablement across a 48 bedded unit. If you are passionate about working collaboratively with patients towards agreed goals, promoting independence and supporting discharge from hospital, this role could be for you. Assistant Practitioners work autonomously within the team to support and assess patients needs across both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy disciplines. Please note this role includes shift working across a 7 day service including Bank Holidays. Regrettably we are not able to offer sponsorship for this post. Interviews will be conducted face to face only.

Main duties of the job

• To work within a reablement philosophy, using strengths-based assessments and actively promoting independence for the patients.
• To support an environment where all team members are responsible for a reablement ethos using a positive risk-taking approach for patients, their carers and families.
• To contribute in the delivery of high standards of health care to inpatients by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To support patients being as independent as possible within their functional limits.
• To work as part of a multidisciplinary team within a quality framework to ensure that the highest standards of care are met.
• To support and deliver innovation within discharge practice and pathways.
• To work with system partners including the voluntary sector to ensure that patients experience a seamless transfer of care both into and onward from the unit.
• Be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of care to a named group of patients.
• Work proactively within the team to achieve unit and trust goals and objectives.
• Work with and promote recognised policies, protocols, and guidelines.

About us

Please note, the selection processes 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.

With effect from the 1st April 2026 Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust has merged with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust to form a new organisation: East of England Community Health & Care. The new Trust will provide a wide range of community health and social care services to over 4 million people, with a budget of circa £380 million and a workforce of over 7,000 people.

Details

Date posted: 30 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 4

Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 839-8326365-GP

Job locations: Norwich Community Hospital, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To contribute in the delivery of high standards of health care to inpatients by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To work within a reablement philosophy, using strengths-based assessments and actively promoting independence for the patients.
• To support an environment where all team members are responsible for a reablement ethos using a positive risk-taking approach for patients, their carers and families.
• To support patients being as independent as possible within their functional limits.
• To work as part of a multidisciplinary team within a quality framework to ensure that the highest standards of care are met.
• To support and deliver innovation within discharge practice and pathways.
• To work with system partners including the voluntary sector to ensure that patients experience a seamless transfer of care both into and onward from the unit.
• Be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of care to a named group of patients.
• Work proactively within the team to achieve unit and trust goals and objectives.
• Work with and promote recognised policies, protocols, and guidelines.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 3, or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Foundation degree programme, or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and skills acquired through training and experience
• Good general education
• Experience of working in a health or social care setting

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people
• Experience of working in a reablement setting
• Literacy skills
• Evidence of ongoing learning

  Desirable

  • Experience of working in people's homes.
  • Experience of working within the NHS.

  Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours

  Essential

  • Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses
  • Good communication skills
  • Highly motivated

  Desirable

  • Knowledge of multi-disciplinary team roles
  • Experience of working in a community setting.

  Communication

  Essential

  • Tact & diplomacy
  • Empathy & sensitivity
  • Ability to use own initiative
  • Able to communicate effectively using the English language in both verbal and written forms

  Person and People Development

  Essential

  • Ability to manage stressful situations
  • A team player
  • Awareness of own limitations
  • Good organisational skills
  • Open to change and development

  Personal Attributes

  Essential

  • Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
  • Able to show initiative
  • Assertive
  • Good listening skills.

  Other

  Essential

  • Professional appearance
  • Kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments
  • Manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
  • Manoeuvre patients using handling aids
  • Be reliable

  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 details

  Employer name: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust

  Address: Norwich Community Hospital, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom

  Employer contact details

  For questions about the job, contact:

  Clinical Lead Physiotherapist

  Katy Boyles

  [e-mail]

  01603272500