Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to recruit a full time Trainee Assistant Practitioner to join our Integrated Stroke Rehabilitation Therapies Team. The position gives you the opportunity to complete a Foundation Degree  Assistant Practitioner via an apprenticeship route. On successful completion of the 2 year course you will move into a band 4 position.

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate, preferably someone who has previously worked within the rehabilitation setting, studied to NVQ level 3 in health and social care or at an equivalent academic level, you should be competent in IT systems.

You will be working across the stroke therapies pathway supporting Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists treating patients on the acute stroke unit at Blackburn Hospital, Inpatient stroke rehab & Community stroke team both based at Pendle Community Hospital. A car driver is essential.

The apprenticeship is a 2 year academic programme including work based learning in partnership with UCLAN. Applicants with develop knowledge and skills through attending University 1 day per week as well as undertaking work based learning, additional study of up to 20 hours per week is required in the applicants own time.

Qualified Assistant Practitioners are encouraged to apply for this position also. 

For further information contact Gemma Gumbley, Operational lead for Stroke & Neuro Rehabilitation Therapies 07944190780.

Main duties of the job

As an Assistant Practitioner/ Trainee Assistant Practitioner you will work as a member of the Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy Team assisting in the delivery of specialist therapy across East Lancashire supporting qualified therapists in assessing and treating patients who had a stroke. 

You will be required to undertake highly skilled and specialised support work supervised by a member of the Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy Team.  This may include gathering information for assessments, implementing treatment programmes, and making recommendations for equipment and minor adaptations.

You will use technical and creative skills in the provision of therapeutic activities for individual patients and will be responsible for evaluating and amending treatment programmes and interventions with guidance from the therapist.

As an Assistant Practitioner you will take responsibility for your own caseload within a broad framework laid out by a qualified therapist.  

The work will take place in a variety of settings including inpatient stroke units, care homes and patient’s own home.  The post holder may work as a lone worker in the community.

The position requires you to work 08.30 to 16.30 currently over 6 days a week including bank holidays but this will extend to 7 days in the future. The post holder will need to be flexible and change base in line with service need and demand.

Working for our organisation

Established in 2003 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. 

Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care.  We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work and achievements. 

As part of the stroke rehabilitation team you will be based at one of our hospital sites which include Pendle Community Hospital and Royal Blackburn Hospital. Our community stroke rehabilitation team work across East Lancashire visiting patients in a variety of clinical settings. Our integrated therapies team has a strong link with UCLAN employing an AHP Professor in neurorehabilitation and stroke as such we are actively involved in a variety of research projects.

We have a robust supervision and annual appraisal structure along with offering in house training to support the clinical development of our staff. We always aim to provide high standard, quality care to all our patients. As a trainee assistant practitioner you will have an assigned mentor who will provide additional training and support over the two year foundation degree programme.