Senior Therapy Assistant

Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Christchurch; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is looking for a Therapy Assistant to join their Interim Team in Christchurch. The role involves providing care and rehabilitation to patients discharged from the hospital, working under the clinical supervision of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. Responsibilities include assisting with assessments, providing supportive services, and ensuring a therapeutic interaction with patients to help them regain independence. This role requires working in a community setting, with a focus on improving patient outcomes post-discharge.

Qualifications

• Passionate about caring for others.
• Ability to work in a community setting under supervision.
• Knowledge of rehabilitation methods.

Responsibilities

• Provide care and rehabilitation to discharged patients.
• Work in the community under clinical supervision.
• Support the Interim team with administration tasks.

Skills

Understanding of assistive equipment and techniques

Therapeutic patient interaction

Teamwork and collaboration skills

Job description

Are you passionate about caring for others?

We are looking for a Therapy Assistant to join our Interim Team.

The Interim Service was set up in 2013 and over the years has grown from a tiny team based at one desk, to a large and highly effective service supporting hundreds of patients home every year.

We support patients home under a pathway known as “ICAT”, which stands for Interim Care Assessment Team. This means that we complete our own assessment of the patient’s care needs using a rehab approach. Once a patient is assessed as either needing further rehab (with reablement and Intermediate Care), long term POC or will achieve independence in a week. If a long term POC is required this information is gathered through assessment & fed back to the Social Workers by the senior members of staff, to put a future plan in place for on‑going support, or to continue to support the patient back to independence.

As part of our assessment we often deliver and fit equipment, assess mobility and transfers and observe patient safety and abilities in their activities of daily living.

The Interim Team play an important role in aiding flow through the hospital and limiting harm to patients that is caused by prolonged hospital stays. We are in a good position to provide short‑term assessment and to be able to signpost to other services if needed.

Base Location: Christchurch Hospital

Responsibilities

• To provide care and rehabilitation and fitting of equipment to patients discharged from UHD to enable patients to leave the acute hospital as soon as they are suitable to.
• To work in the community under the clinical supervision of the team Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.
• To ensure each patient contact is therapeutic and as per the care plan to ensure patients are supported through their recovery and enabled to regain their independence.
• To have a knowledge and understanding of assistive equipment, techniques and supportive services available to support our patients and their families.
• To support the Interim team with administration tasks, service improvement projects and our education and training programme.
• To work over a 7 Day rota period in order to meet the demands of the service.
• To support end of life patients when required.

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service‑specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, DEN, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

Additional Information

The Senior Therapy Assistants (STA) provide a 7 day service 7am-10pm to enable patients from the acute hospital to return home through a discharge to assess approach.

The STA can visit each patient from OD to QDS depending on their care needs. They assess, support and rehab patients in activities of daily living which include personal care, meal preparation, transfers, toileting and medication.

The first visit, meet & greet, is usually completed by a STA where they check they are presenting as referred, settling at home and checking medication.

They are supervised and supported by an MDT which includes Occupational Therapists, nurses, Therapy Assistant Practitioners and coordinators.

This advert closes on Sunday 25 Jan 2026