Job summary
- Main area
- Therapy Assistant
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity cover.)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 409-7329375
- Employer
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ormskirk & Southport
- Town
- Ormskirk, Lancashire
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 Per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/08/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 29/08/2025
Employer heading

Therapy Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 3
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Job overview
- Working as part of the medical / Surgical therapy team, to provide quality care through the delivery of specified assessment and treatment programs. As directed by the senior therapists in line with competency sign off.
- This will involve working unsupervised and at times will involve working with both qualified and unqualified staff including therapy assistants.
- To assess, treat and progress treatment of patients in line with competencies set, assessed, and signed off by senior therapist.
- To provide clerical and administrative support to qualified staff and students.
- To undertake delegated housekeeping and stock control tasks.
- To participate in audit/ data collection as directed by the service in line with governance and Trust process.
Main duties of the job
Clinical:
Following appropriate training and demonstration of competency to a specified level, work unsupervised in a range of wards. To assess patients, plan and undertake assessments and onward treatment management as directed by the qualified member of staff.
Working for our organisation
The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:
- CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
- SAFETY that is of the highest standards
- COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
- SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
- PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients
Our achievements include:
- Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To accurately assess range of movement, muscle power, sensation, sitting and standing balance and transfer abilities.
- To safely assess a patients ability on the stairs and correct technique as appropriate.
- To assess and progress patients mobility which may include issuing, training and the progression in using walking aids.
- To deliver specified treatments with empathy under the management of a therapist.
- Using own knowledge and reasoning to analyse the patient’s condition and needs and modify treatment accordingly.
- To monitor the effectiveness of the treatment plan and use clinical knowledge to progress the treatment programme within defined protocols while keeping the supervising physiotherapist informed of the patient’s progress.
- To identify the need for on-going rehab / support and liaise with the team to recommend appropriate ongoing management/ continuing rehabilitation.
- To maintain using accepted protocols accurate and contemporaneous treatment records including valid consent appropriate to the intervention.
- To ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.
- To be aware of own limitation of knowledge in relationship to physiotherapy and to refer back to the supervising physiotherapist when appropriate.
- To work contracted hours within specific speciality.
- To participate in the weekend service/ 7 day service – as service requires.
Communications:
- To communicate effectively with patients, to maximise rehabilitation potential through verbal and nonverbal methods. This may require explanation, instruction, motivation, negotiation and reassurance – face to face and virtually.
- To manage barriers to effective communication e.g. hearing loss altered perception, confusion, anxiety etc.
- To use written information/ diagrams/ models, to reinforce the understanding of the patient’s condition, and their involvement in the treatment process.
- To liaise with the designated Physiotherapist regarding the workload of the area.
- To liaise with Physiotherapy staff regarding all individual patients.
- To liaise with other health care professionals regarding patient care.
- To liaise with other physiotherapists and health care professionals regarding the ongoing care and rehabilitation of the individual patient.
- To liaise and where appropriate advice patients, carers and relatives regarding patient care.
- To liaise with members of the team and attend meetings as appropriate.
- To liaise with Community Equipment Stores and / or the Equipment Stores Person on behalf of individual patients and the service to ensure that appropriate equipment is available when needed.
Education and Training:
- To be appraised by the therapist or more senior therapy assistant, agree personal objectives and personal development plan.
- To complete all required mandatory and compulsory training and maintaining 100% compliance as per trust requirements.
- To be responsible, with guidance, for maintaining own competencies through a range of relevant CPD activities and maintenance of an appropriate portfolio.
- To attend relevant-service training programme.
- To participate in training by the occasional delivery of presentations to fellow assistants.
Organisation and Management:
- To prioritise and manage own patient workload, whilst keeping the supervising physiotherapist aware of any changes in workload.
- To be kept informed of and comply with Professional, Trust and Departmental policies.
- To propose ideas for developing the service.
- To maintain a safe environment at all times for patients, visitors and staff.
- To ensure safe use of all mechanical and electrical equipment or orthoses and appliances used in the care of patients.
- To act immediately to rectify any unsafe practices or environments witnessed and report adverse incidents or near misses according to Trust policy.
- To provide statistical information regarding own workload as required for managerial purposes
- To provide administrative support to the team e.g. appointment booking, stock control, monitoring the loan of equipment and data collection.
- To be responsible for maintaining a tidy working environment and ensuring that there is a satisfactory level of cleanliness in the designated area.
- To ensure appropriate quantities of mobility aids and PPE are maintained within the department.
Professional:
- To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with Clinical Governance.
- To work within the Assistant Rules of Professional Conduct of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
- To share responsibility for maintaining own competence through reflective practice.
- To be legally accountable for all aspects of own work.
- To assist occasionally with research, audit and service development projects as required
Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application.
Person specification
Qualifictations
Essential criteria
- NVQ or equivalent
- Willingness to undertake NVQ in health related subject if required
Knowldge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience within a personal care setting
- Awareness of confidentiality and data protection procedures in relation to the recording of patient information
- Knowledge of stock control and referral processes for therapy equipment
- Demonstrate a commitment to personal development and the development of others
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Understanding of information technology and administrative systems
- Good interpersonal skills with effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to demonstrate problem solving approach but seeking guidance as required
- Demonstrate a professional approach to their duties
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Adelle Cheetham
- Job title
- Clinical Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01704 705115
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