Urgent Community Response Assistant Practitioner

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Ferndown; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an Urgent Community Response Assistant Practitioner to join our multidisciplinary team. The role supports rapid assessments and rehabilitation at patients’ homes or care settings, with supervision from qualified staff.

It involves travel across Dorset and working flexibly to meet service needs. We offer opportunities to develop in urgent community care, with a focus on keeping people out of hospital and promoting independence.

Qualifications

• Hold Level 5 qualification or working towards Level 5.
• Willingness to attend further training in support of professional development.
• Flexible to meet the service needs including extended hours and weekend working, with travel between work bases, hospitals and patients' homes as required.

Responsibilities

• Assist with assessment and rehabilitation of patients referred to the team with a 2 hour disposition.
• Provide 2-hour response to health crises in patients' homes or care homes.
• Work with a multidisciplinary team to promote independence and wellbeing.
• Operate under supervision of qualified staff and participate in integrated care.

Skills

IT skills

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Observation of deterioration

Communication skills

Education

Level 5 qualification

Willingness to training

Flexibility with hours & travel

Tools

Systmone

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Urgent Community Response Assistant Practitioner

The closing date is 10 November 2026

This post will also be a key member of our Urgent Community Response multidisciplinary team. To provide a 2-hour response to patients who are experiencing a health crisis with the aim to support them in their own homes (including care homes) rather than being admitted to hospital.

Urgent community response (UCR) team, are part of the Community Services Directorate and working in tandem with the Integrated Urgent Care Services (IUCS), our primary based is at the NHS 111 hub in St Leonards, Dorset.

This is a part time post of 34.5 hours per week. There may be additional hours available depending on the needs of the service.

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the multi-disciplinary team to assist with assessment and rehabilitation of patients referred to the team with a 2 hour disposition. Promoting and sustaining independence/well-being for the individual in the home setting. This should be carried out under the guidance and supervision of qualified staff.

We have a multi-disciplinary team including ACPs, trainee ACPs (MSc pathway), specialist paramedics/nurses, senior physiotherapists/occupational therapists and assistant practitioners and student nurses.

All have different backgrounds and experiences- urology, community matron (specialist knowledge of long-term conditions) ambulance service frontline and management, emergency department, ICRT, long term therapy and vestibular rehab.

Current service hours 8am-8pm, 7 days and week, with four roaming fully kitted vans across Dorset.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of theirlives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a widerange of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or verygood experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference.Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urbanlocations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots ofways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testamenttoour brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe inequal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, whereeveryone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be thebest version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, andteach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better everyday through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidates individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Person Specification

Educational Requirements / Qualifications

• *Hold Level 5 or working towards Level 5 qualification
• *Willingness to attend further training in support of professional development
• *Flexible to meet the needs of the service including extended hours and weekend working, with the need to travel between work bases ,hospitals and patients homes as required

Experience and Knowledge

• *Must have competent IT skills
• *At least 1 year experience within a healthcare setting in Urgent Care or Community Services
• *Experience of using Systmone - patient record system
• *Experience of working generically across a wide range of patient conditions
• *Able to monitor patient conditions, within area of urgent or intermediate care to recognise signs and symptoms of deteriorating health and know when to report findings/concerns to the teams nurses, therapists or medical team
• *Experience and knowledge of integrated multi-disciplinary working

Personal Qualities / Aptitudes

• *Ability to use own initiative, and take ownership of tasks delegated, within the limits of knowledge and expertise, seeking advice as necessary
• *Have a full and valid UK driving licence
• *Be able to cope collaboratively with unpredictable circumstances,

Communications

• *Recognising limitations of remit, and knowledge and asking for guidance from senior staff accordingly
• *Good communication skills, handling a range of situations, with a range of people, and able to receive and share sensitive information appropriately in order to further rehabilitation aims for patients
• *Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively

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.

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Leonards Dorset

Integrated Urgent Care Hub, Acorn Building St Leonards

Integrated Urgent Care Hub, Acorn Building St Leonards