Specialist therapy assistant | North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare foundation in Tees Valley is seeking a Physiotherapy service member to support people in improving mobility and facilitating safe hospital discharges. The successful candidate will work under the direction of qualified therapists, assist with rehabilitation interventions, and manage their own caseload in community and clinical settings. The role requires good communication and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work independantly.

Qualifications

• Ability to manage own caseload within hospital and community settings.
• Confidence and ability to work unsupervised in children's homes.
• Good standard of literacy and numeracy.

Responsibilities

• Implement planned interventions in hospital or community settings.
• Perform simple environmental assessments.
• Communicate with community services to support discharge planning.
• Prepare patients for therapy sessions and monitor compliance.
• Manage own caseload in various settings.

Skills

Good communication skills

Organisation skills

Interpersonal skills

Confidence to work unsupervised

Basic knowledge of paediatric clinical conditions

Job description

Overview

This post is within the Physiotherapy service to support people to improve their mobility and function enabling safe discharge out of hospital to either their own home or appropriate community services. The post holder will work under the direction of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists to implement planned interventions either within the hospital or in the appropriate community setting. The post holder will communicate effectively with community services to assist in the planning of safe and effective discharge. This post is within the Physiotherapy service to support people to improve their mobility and function enabling safe discharge out of hospital to either their own home or appropriate community services.

In the Outpatients Department, the post holder will support delivery of physiotherapy interventions for patients attending with musculoskeletal, orthopaedic, or post-operative rehabilitation needs. This includes preparing patients for therapy sessions, supporting group classes, setting up and maintaining equipment, and monitoring patient compliance with exercise programmes under the guidance of a registered physiotherapist.

Responsibilities

• Work under the direction of qualified therapists to implement planned interventions in hospital or community settings.
• Perform simple environmental assessments and, where within competence, prescribe simple equipment or practice specific therapeutic interventions/techniques.
• Communicate with community services to assist in discharge planning.
• Assist therapists with administrative duties associated with service delivery.
• Deliver pre-set therapy programmes following assessment by a state registered physiotherapist.
• Undertake basic assessment of each patient’s condition prior to, during, or after treatment and report significant changes to the primary therapist.
• Support delivery of physiotherapy interventions for musculoskeletal/orthopaedic/post-operative rehabilitation in Outpatients.
• Prepare patients for therapy sessions, support group classes, set up equipment, and monitor exercise programme compliance.
• Organise and prioritise delegated tasks, be flexible to service needs, and work unsupervised where appropriate in children/young adults’ homes or educational settings.
• Participate as lead or co-facilitator in group treatments as directed by a qualified therapist.
• Manage own caseload as delegated by the Therapist in hospital and community settings.
• Provide rehabilitation programmes to children and young adults in homes and educational settings, including handling and positioning as needed.
• Assist in training/mentoring of support staff and teachers in schools to support therapies/strategies.
• Demonstrate equipment after assessment and ensure safe use; fit and demonstrate to children and young adults as needed.
• Report changes or difficulties regarding patients’ therapeutic programmes to the therapist and other agencies as appropriate.
• Liaise with other disciplines/agencies regarding the rehabilitation plan.
• Participate in CPD, personal and service development, and maintain good customer relations and administration tasks within the service area including data collection.
• Maintain a clean therapeutic environment and monitor stock levels of equipment where appropriate.
• Be familiar with referral procedures, Patients Charter and documentation used by therapists; comply with Health & Safety, Fire, CPR, COSHH and Manual Handling.
• Engage in audit/clinical governance and evidence-based practice and abide by Trust Policies and Procedures.
• Work with agencies, carers and professionals involved in delivering services to children and young adults; work as part of the extended multi-disciplinary team and with educational support staff and teachers.
• Enhance and develop relationships with other services associated with the service.

Qualifications and Skills

• Good communication, organisation and interpersonal skills with a reasonable standard of literacy and numeracy.
• Confidence and ability to work unsupervised in children/young adults’ homes following prescribed programmes of treatment or within educational settings; ability to mentor/train staff in educational settings.
• Basic knowledge of paediatric clinical medical conditions and how they may present.
• Ability to manage own caseload within hospital and community settings; flexible with workload and duties.

About the Employer

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust form University Hospitals Tees, and staff may be required to work at any site across both Trusts. The organisation aims to be the best place to work with inclusive, supportive workplaces and opportunities for personal and professional development. We recruit for values and are committed to diversity.

Closing

This advert closes on Thursday 18 Sep 2025