Senior Therapy Assistant

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Ellesmere Port is seeking a Senior Therapy Assistant (Band 4) on a fixed-term contract for 18 months to support PARALEL’s rehabilitation, relapse prevention and eating disorders services across community and inpatient settings.

You will deliver individual and group therapeutic interventions, work with the multidisciplinary team, and plan and document activity to meet each person’s needs while supporting the development of a new service.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 in a health-related subject
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• ECDL or equivalent IT literacy

Responsibilities

• Deliver and support therapeutic interventions individually and in groups
• Support service users in homes and communities
• Plan, facilitate and document therapeutic activity
• Work with MDT to support recovery and relapse prevention
• Contribute to development of a new service

Skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Therapy interventions

IT skills

Diary management

Education

NVQ Level 3 health-related subject

CPD evidence

ECDL

Tools

ECDL

Job description

Main area Senior Therapy Assistant Grade Band 4 Contract Fixed term: 18 months (until 31st March 2028 due to funding) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Hours: Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 7:00pm (rota basis)) Job ref 373-SMH2754

Site Pioneer House and Springview hospital Town North Road Ellesmere Port Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 30/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

Please note: There are 3 Senior Therapy Assistant posts available within the PARALEL service.

Are you an enthusiastic and motivated individual looking to make a difference? We have an exciting opportunity to join PARALEL, an innovative rehabilitation, relapse prevention and alternative to admission service supporting adults with eating disorders across community and inpatient settings.

What you'll do:

• Work as a Senior Therapy Assistant within a developing community rehabilitation service
• Deliver and support therapeutic interventions on an individual and group basis, including psychoeducation, cooking, shopping, social eating and relaxation
• Support service users in their homes, local communities and within the PARALEL service
• Plan, facilitate and document therapeutic activity, adapting interventions to meet individual needs
• Work closely with the multidisciplinary team to support recovery, independence and relapse prevention
• Contribute to the ongoing development of a new service

The successful candidate will have an understanding of Occupational Therapy, mental health and eating disorders, be able to manage risk appropriately, and be committed to delivering compassionate, recovery-focused care.

Main duties of the job

You'll work with the entire integrated multidisciplinary team (MDT) which include, Occupational Therapists and Senior therapy assistants, experienced Dietician and Clinical psychiatrist to ensure a seamless and supportive care experience for every individual.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a friendly, supportive, new and emerging service.
• Receive dedicated guidance and direction from the experienced Occupational Therapist.
• Benefit from ongoing professional development, including:
  • Clinical supervision
  • Annual appraisals
  • A wide range of training opportunities

Who We’re Looking For:
We’re seeking an individual who is:

• Passionate about mental health and improving lives.
• Has excellent self-management and organisational skills.
• Caring, enthusiastic, adaptable and eager to learn.
• Highly motivated and ready to thrive in developing a new service .
• A team player who can take direction but is also able to work autonomously.

Experience of this type of work is desirable but experience of working with people with eating disorders, aptitude and motivation are considered to be essential qualities in providing the high standards of service that this post demands.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [e-mail] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in a health-related subject
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Evidence of relevant training and competency development
• European computer driving licence (ECDL) or equivalent

Knowledge and Expertise

• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy interventions e.g. Psychoeducational, life skills, anxiety management, meal cookery, community or ward based interventions, sensory awareness both group and 1:1 work and de-escalation techniques etc
• Understanding of recovery focused and person-centred practice.
• Understanding of the Occupational Therapy process and the role of occupation in health and wellbeing.
• Knowledge of eating disorders and the impact on daily functioning and quality of life
• Knowledge of various health conditions
• Awareness of the process of rehabilitation and the professions involved
• Awareness of the process of ageing and means of adapting to the limitations imposed by ageing and disease.
• Adherence to the code of Ethics and Professional standard of college e.g. Occupational Therapy – to follow local standards of conduct
• Ability to obtain, receive and relay written and verbal information accurately and efficiently
• IT Skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and to manage own caseload.
• Evidence of relevant in-service training courses.
• Experience of managing own diary and caseload

Experience

• Significant experience as a Band 3 Therapy assistant or CSW
• Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of supporting individuals with mental health needs.
• Some experience in a relevant community setting.
• Current experience of working in a health/social care setting
• Proven ability to work as a member of the multi disciplinary team
• Previous experience as a Band 4 therapy assistant
• Experience working within and Eating Disorder Service
• Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C’s: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

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.

Name Mandy Eardley Job title Team manager/Occupational Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07500065765 Additional information

Want to Know More?

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more information.

We encourage all applicants to contact Mandy Eardley (Team Manager) to book a visit.

If a visit cannot be arranged, a phone call is welcomed for an opportunity to find out more information about the role.

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [e-mail] or telephone [phone]

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. The Trust has over 14,500 members and employs more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including:

• Allied health professions - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy
• Medical - including psychiatry and general practice
• Pharmacy
• Clinical support roles
• Estates and facilities
• Support services roles - including HR, communications, ICT,finance and more

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you’re at in your career journey, you’ll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?

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