Therapy Assistant

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Chichester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading community health service provider in Chichester is seeking a Band 3 Therapy Assistant to support patients in achieving greater independence. The ideal candidate will deliver tailored rehabilitation programs, assist with daily living skills, and require a full UK driving license. This role offers a salary range of £24,937 to £26,598 per annum pro rata, providing excellent community care with flexible scheduling options.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a caring environment, either in health, social or voluntary services.
• Experience of working within a rehabilitation or therapy setting.

Responsibilities

• Work with a supported and supervised caseload.
• Provide treatment programmes to clients on an individual or group basis.
• Participate in skill sharing and acquisition of clinical competencies.

Skills

Literacy and numeracy

Excellent verbal communication

Ability to follow detailed instruction

Admin skills and IT skills

Ability to work as an effective member of a team

Education

NVQ3 or equivalent level of knowledge

GCSE Maths and English or equivalent

Job description

We're looking for a Band 3 Therapy Assistant to join our Community Therapy Team based Chichester. We covers Chichester, Midhurst, Arundel, Bognor Regis, Selsey and Witterings

We support people in our communities to live as independently as possible, in ways that truly matter to them. If you're enthusiastic, motivated and passionate about delivering excellent community care, we'd love to hear from you!

Our teams work flexibly, providing planned care Monday to Friday 8am-6pm. Together we:

• Deliver tailored rehab programmes to help people regain independence
• Support those with long-term conditions to return to baseline function or adapt to new abilities
• Provide reablement to live more independently at home and in the community
• Offer equipment, advice and practical solutions to support self-management
• Empower patients to set and achieve meaningful goals

Please note: Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role may not be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes - GOV.UK

Health and Care Worker visa: If you'll need to meet different salary requirements - GOV.UK

Main duties of the job

This role involves working closely with patients in their own homes, to assess and improve their skills in activities of daily living, mobility and self-care. The post also includes administrative tasks, ordering equipment, liaising with family members, carers and professionals and to maintain good electronic records.

We are looking for individuals who are flexible, well organised and willing to travel independently across the geographic area covered by our team and work within the operational hours of the service. A willingness to learn and develop is essential along with good communication and interpersonal skills. Your work will be directed and supervised by qualified Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists and you will also work closely with other therapy assistants within the team.

You should have relevant therapy experience and demonstrate a willingness to complete specific therapy competencies and further learning as required.

As we are a community-based service, you will need to hold a full UK driving license and have access to your own car

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief network
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

Our values – Compassionate Care, Working Together, Ach Ambitions, Delivering Excellence – guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities

As a Therapy Assistant, you will:

• work with a supportedand supervised caseload.
• carry out delegated tasks as part of a treatment programme of monitoring and reviewing progress within given criteria andmodifyingtasks within a defined range of choices, using clinical judgement
• provide treatment programmes to clients on an individual or group basis.
• report and document variances in a patients condition or planned pathway of care.
• participate in skill sharing and acquisition of clinical competencies, in line with the competency frameworks.
• maintainhigh standardsof clinical care as defined by the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.
• For further information please see job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ3 or equivalent level of knowledge
• GCSE Maths and English or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of working in a caring environment, either in health, social or voluntary services
• Experience of working within a rehabilitation or therapy setting

Skills and Knowledge

• Literacy and numeracy
• Excellent verbal communication and ability to build rapport
• Ability to follow detailed instruction
• Able to give instructions to people that can be followed and easily interpreted
• Ability to work as an effective member of a team
• Ability to prioritise and plan delegated work from a variety of sources, meet deadlines and perform effectively under pressure
• Ability to record information accurately
• Admin skills and IT skills
• Ability to work with others and independently
• Commitment to professional development and attainment of competencies
• Ability to understand work related boundaries and refer matters of importance to a senior colleague
• Basic understanding of statutory health and social services
• Basic level of theoretical knowledge relevant to clinical setting
• Knowledge of a range of work procedures and practices gained through experience

Other Requirements

• An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
• Car driver (Valid Driving License for use in the UK), unless under the Equality Act
• Access to a vehicle for work purposes
• Willingness to undertake training to develop within the role

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.

£24,937 to £26,598 a yearper annum pro rata