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Job summary

Main area
Trauma & Orthopaedic
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
318-26-T0090
Employer
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Both Cheltenham and Gloucester
Town
Gloucester
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Therapy Support Worker

Band 4

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.

With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, bringing together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver. Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.

We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another. You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to fill our Therapy Support Worker vacancy joining our Trauma and Orthopaedic therapy team. You should have relevant experience within T&O; working in a healthcare setting in the UK, knowledge of Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy, or equivalent roles in supporting discharge planning. You will have the opportunity to work with T&O patients on the wards supporting assessment, discharge planning and rehabilitation.

The successful applicant will join our experienced integrated therapy team, working alongside occupational therapists, physiotherapists, therapy support workers and the wider multidisciplinary team.

We are looking for an individual who is motivated, enthusiastic and flexible in all areas of care and their approach to work. The ability to work well with all members of the multi- disciplinary team is essential.  You will need to have excellent communication skills, have a positive attitude, compassionate, and be able to work as part of a team. Being able to motivate and encourage patients in an active way to regain and maintain their independence is important. This senior therapy support worker post will initially be based at Cheltenham General Hospital, but will involve cross site working between Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal hospital.

You will be required to contribute to the orthopaedic weekend/extended working hours rota. Being able to drive to support with access and Home visits is desirable.

Main duties of the job

•    To use the principles of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy in an integrated and client-centered way, to promote independence, improve function and facilitate safe discharge. This will be achieved by implementing treatment plans and facilitating rehabilitation within agreed limitations through exercise, physical modalities and the use of occupation. 

•    The post holder will expect and be willing to work across both hospitals sites and off-site locations, as required.

•    To assess patients, identifying patients’ problems, potential complications and contraindications and escalate for assessment by a registered practitioner/MDT, when necessary.

•    To identify and organise/undertake appropriate treatment within a delegated framework of responsibilities, reporting back to a registered practitioner/MDT and referring on to other agencies, when necessary.

Working for our organisation

Join a forward-thinking, compassionate, and high-performing integrated Therapy Service at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exceptional opportunity for a passionate and skilled individual to make a meaningful impact within a supportive and collaborative environment, while developing a fulfilling career.

As a member of the Therapy Service, you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care across a range of specialties.

What sets the service apart is our strong multi-disciplinary team culture and collaborative working with other colleagues. You’ll benefit from excellent professional development opportunities, including access to structured supervision and educational frameworks, and the chance to be involved in innovative service improvement projects that shape the future of care.

By choosing Gloucestershire Hospitals Therapy Service, you are joining a team that truly values its people. We are proud of our supportive and inclusive culture through our compassionate leadership and our ongoing investment in staff wellbeing and development

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·         To use clinical reasoning skills to agree functional goals and develop and evaluate the treatment plan. To implement and progress treatment programmes in order to promote physical / functional independence. To include the instructing of patients on functional exercise, the assessment and issuing of equipment for activities of daily living in hospital and in the home. Assessing and instructing patients in the safe use of mobility aids and equipment for activities of daily living, and practice activities of daily living such as mobility, safety on the stairs, dressing and bathing.  

·         To provide a collaborative assessment and treatment approach to reduce repetition of information and provide a seamless pathway of rehabilitation from assessment through to discharge, with appropriate follow up intervention post discharge. To improve the discharge planning process by communicating as a key member of the multidisciplinary team. 

·         To exercise autonomy in the management of the caseload in the clinical area, to include making decisions about allocation of work to other staff, both registered and non-registered. To undertake specific unaccompanied work and organise own caseload comprising of patients with predictable and unpredictable conditions.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • GCSE Level C/4 or equivalent Maths and English
  • Completed or working towards a Foundation Science degree (or equivalent); or NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) with CPD evidence demonstrating clinical reasoning, professional conduct, initiative, and leadership.
Desirable criteria
  • Valid full UK Driving License

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Proven experience as a physiotherapy or occupational therapy support worker working in the NHS or other care setting in the UK, and demonstration of skills by evidence e.g. portfolio
  • Working knowledge of basic software packages e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of providing training to other healthcare workers

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and non-verbal and written when interacting with staff, patients, relatives and carers
  • Excellent organisation skills, time management and prioritisation skills.
  • Produce accurate and legible documentation of treatments
  • Form professional relationships with clients who may need motivating and encouraging, in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.
  • Manage appropriately in difficult emotional or physical environments e.g. upset patients/relatives and difficult physical environments e.g. home circumstances
  • Evidence of initiative and leadership
  • Work flexibly in response to the changing demands of the service.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesWorkplace Wellbeing Charter LogoArmed Forces Covenant Gold Awardcorporate covenantStep into healthArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Ani Pillai
Job title
Clinical Lead Physiotherapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0300 422 8592
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