Children's Therapy Assistant Practitioner

NHS Jobs; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work and NHS Discounts

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

NHS in Stevenage seeks a dynamic Children’s Therapy Assistant Practitioner to support Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy teams across Danestrete Clinic and surrounding areas. You will assist in clinics, workshops and therapeutic interventions for children and young people, with CPD opportunities, supervision, and induction.

You will work within a 3-tier service model, providing assessment support, equipment advice and partnership with families.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children or as a therapy assistant delivering physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
• Formal knowledge and training to NVQ level 4 or equivalent relevant to role including movement and anatomy.
• Understanding of Health and Safety, manual handling and risk awareness and their impacts on work.

Responsibilities

• Support OTs and PTs in service delivery, clinics, workshops and therapies.
• Deliver interventions to children and young people and assist in home assessments and equipment/adaptations where appropriate.
• Collaborate with wider multiagency teams to support families and achieve outcomes.
• Observe and shadow team during induction period and participate in CPD and supervision.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

NVQ level 4 or equivalent

Job description

Children's Therapy Assistant Practitioner

We are looking for dynamic, enthusiastic and creative Therapy Assistant Practitioners to be a part of our well-established Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT) team. This role involves supporting OTs and PTs in the service, and the delivery of clinics, workshops, and therapeutic interventions. This post is based at Danestrete Clinic covering Stevenage and North Hertfordshire.

You will be joining an innovative and forward-thinking CYP Therapies (CYPT) service that is dedicated to providing high-quality interventions to transform lives. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust provides integrated Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our CYPT service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning amongst each profession.

Our service is commissioned by health, social care and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway from early years through to home, school and further education settings, to enable a child to meet their full potential in participating in activities of daily living.

*Interviews will be on 9 October 2026 in Welwyn Garden City.*

Previous applicants from the last 6 months need not apply.

Main duties of the job

Children's Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy is based on a 3 Tier model of service delivery, with provision at Universal, Targeted and Specialist tiers. We offer assessment and treatment to children and young people with a wide variety of conditions, including cerebral palsy, autistic spectrum disorder and developmental coordination disorder. We also carry out home assessments and advise on equipment, housing adaptations and rehousing. The team works closely with colleagues in the wider multiagency team supporting children, young people and their families to achieve their maximum potential.

Continuing Professional Development is actively supported through access to training, regular supervision, peer support meetings and staff appraisal scheme.

We can offer:

• Regular supervision, managerial supervision and a well-established appraisal system
• CPD opportunities, including in-service masterclasses
• Opportunities to work alongside other therapists/assistants to deliver intervention to children/young people requiring support
• An initial induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow your team.

About us

We're delighted that you're exploring a career with HCT. As an organisation, we're committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and rewarding work environment -- one where you'll feel valued and empowered to make a real difference.

At HCT, we put patients, their families, and carers at the heart of everything we do. Our vision is simple yet powerful:Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities. Our dedicated staff take pride in beingCaring, Pioneering and Inclusive, working together to turn this vision into reality.

Working with us comes with a host of benefits designed to support your wellbeing and work-life balance:

• Generous annual leave(27 days rising to 33 with long service)
• Flexible working arrangementsto help balance personal and professional life, including up to 5 days of carers leave (pro rata)
• Employee Assistance Programmeoffering 24/7 confidential support for personal or work-related issues
• Cycle to Work and Car Lease Schemes
• Blue Light Card and NHS Discounts
• Health and wellbeing support, including free flu jabs, Physiotherapy referrals, eye care vouchers
• Enhanced sick payabove statutory entitlements

We celebrate diversity and actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds, ages, and communities to apply.

You've taken a fantastic first step by considering HCT. We're excited about the possibility of welcoming you to our team and taking the next step in your journey with us.

Job responsibilities

Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.

The successful candidate will have experience of working with therapists and/or with children, and must be computer literate and able to demonstrate good working knowledge of a variety of computer systems and programmes. They will need to be enthusiastic and motivated, and have good communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills. They must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of patients.

Please note: If there is high interest in this role, we may close applications earlier than the advertised deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud

The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment.

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

Person Specification

Qualification and knowledge MAX 300 WORDS

• What is your specific, relevant experience of working with children or as a therapy assistant practitioner delivering physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• Documented evidence of formal knowledge and training to NVQ level 4 or equivalent relevant to role including knowledge in movement and anatomy, normal child development, and disorders and delays of child development.
• Demonstrate your understanding of Health and Safety, manual handling and risk awareness and the impacts of these on your work

Experience - MAX 350 WORDS

• Describe experiences you have in working with other professionals to support a child/young person
• Tell us how you have used patient record systems, programmes and computer systemsin your work
• Describe what experience you have in assisting with carrying out therapeutic techniques as delegated by the qualified therapist, including using medical equipment
• What is your experience of handling children and babies in a therapeutic manner, including using manual techniques

Skills and Abilities - MAX 200 WORDS

• Tell us how you have adapted your communication skills in order to work effectively with children, families or professionals
• Describe how you manage your workload and prioritise tasks
• Describe how you use problem solving skills to reach an appropriate solution or manage a situation.

Additional

• Have you previously worked within an NHS or educational environment? (YES/NO)
• Hold a full, valid UK driving licence and have access to a car unless the staff member has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010

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.

£28,392 to £31,157 a yearper annum (pro rata)