Job summary
- Main area
- Senior Therapy Assistant
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 190-0466-DIR
- Employer
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Northern General Hospital
- Town
- Sheffield
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 pa/pro rata for part time staff
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/08/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 15/08/2025
Employer heading

Senior Therapy Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 3
We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated so whilst you care for our patients and clients, we’ll take care of you. We offer many different ways of helping staff including career development opportunities, flexible working, good annual leave and pension schemes , health and wellbeing packages and financial support systems. Joining the Trust also allows you access to a number of saving options via our salary sacrifice schemes and a wide range of discount opportunities with retailers and service providers.
Job overview
Are you a dynamic and enthusiastic Therapy Assistant (Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy) or Clinical Support Worker with Inpatient experience? Do you feel like a new challenge or change of direction?
What is the opportunity?
An opportunity has arisen for a Senior Therapy Assistant to join the Respiratory Medicine team at the Northern General Hospital site. The team covers five respiratory wards where the caseload includes predominantly patients with long-term respiratory conditions. Applicants must have the ability to manage a caseload independently, provide advice, education and support for patients, families, carers, and their Multi-Disciplinary Team colleagues.
The role of a Senior Therapy Assistant is key within our integrated Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Teams, enabling us to deliver the right care to each patient. We support and train our assistant staff to have the right skills to deliver treatment that meets individual patient needs, support patients to remain independent and mobile within the hospital environment and support the planning of a smooth and timely discharge from hospital. You will receive regular supervision, health and wellbeing support and a formal education programme to support you in your role.
The post holders will be expected to assess and treat patients independently within agreed caseloads and complete treatments with the registered Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy staff and fellow Therapy Assistants.
Main duties of the job
Applicants wishing to be considered for this post must have a GCSE grade 4 (Grade C) or equivalent in English and provide evidence of continuous development.
They must also have relevant experience as an Occupational Therapy and/or Physiotherapy Assistant or Clinical Support Worker and must demonstrate understanding of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy practice within an acute inpatient environment within their application.
Applicants must also be willing to perform a mix of clerical, domestic and patient related tasks.
You must be able to demonstrate: -
· Current knowledge and skills within a relevant inpatient or therapy speciality.
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
· Collaborative team working skills.
· Competency in Therapy or Clinical Support Worker practice.
· Ability to deliver professional, patient-centred care.
· Ability to maintain confidentiality.
· Ability to act on own initiative, organise work and manage multiple tasks.
· Calm approach to changing work situations.
· Ability to maintain accurate written records & statistics.
· Sound IT skills to facilitate daily contributions to communication and equipment ordering.
· Ability to motivate and teach patients.
Working for our organisation
The role will involve assessing the mobility and functional ability of patients who have been admitted for a variety of medical reasons with the aim to enable patients to maintain or improve.
The post holders will also contribute to planning safe and timely discharges, considering discharge pathways, links to community services and ordering of equipment for use at home.
You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- GCSE Grade C /4 or equivalent in English or equivalent experience.
- Technical qualifications to level 3 e.g. QCF3, BTEC, A Level in relevant health/healthcare subject OR Evidence of continuous development through formal and/or informal training in health/healthcare equivalent to Level 3
Desirable criteria
- GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent in Maths
- Health & Safety
- Risk Assessment
- First Aid
- City & Guilds 7307 (teaching) or equivalent qualification/experience
Further Training
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with therapists as part of patient centred care
Desirable criteria
- Current knowledge & skills in therapy practice relevant to speciality
Experience
Essential criteria
- Relevant experience as an Occupational Therapy and/or Physiotherapy Assistant including successful completion of associated competencies Or Experience as a Clinical Support Worker/Health Care Assistant including successful completion of associated competencies
Desirable criteria
- Working in elderly/ rehabilitation/ medicine/ surgery/orthopaedic/ neurology specialities.
Special Skills/Aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal and team working skills
- Able to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing
- Able to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to act on own initiative, organise work and manage multiple tasks
- Calm approach to changing work situations
- Ability to maintain accurate written records & statistics
- Teaching ability
- Able to motivate patients
Desirable criteria
- Comprehensive understanding of occupational therapy and physiotherapy in line with the role
- IT literate
- Competency in therapy practice
Other Factors
Essential criteria
- Flexible and reliable approach to working practices
- Positive attitude to patient care and teamwork
- Ability to demonstrate commitment to the Senior Therapy Assistant role
- Willing to work flexibly as service requires including evening/weekend
Desirable criteria
- Full clean UK driving licence
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
- Danica Bowers
- Job title
- Lead Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0114 2715060
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