Therapy Assistant -Acute Stroke

Job summary

The Dorset County Hospital Therapy Team is looking for an enthusiastic, reliable team player to join the Stroke therapy team as a Senior Therapy Assistant.

The successful candidate will work on our Stroke unit at Dorset County Hospital, treating patients on the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) with the support from registered therapists.

The unit has recently been refurbished and we have developed the team to take an increased bed base.

We are looking for a therapy assistant who has NHS experience and who is committed to developing the service along with the rest of the Multi Disciplinary Team.

Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will assist in treating a wide variety of clinical conditions and work alongside registered Occupational Therapists, Speech therapists and Physiotherapists, delivering timely assessment and rehabilitation as well as assisting in the safe and timely discharge of patients.

We provide supervision within the team and have training provided for therapy assistants. You are encouraged to develop through appraisals and CPD.

Experience in rehabilitation and stroke care ideally as a therapy assistant is required. Basic IT and administrative skills essential. Car drivers only as part of role will be supporting home visits.

About us

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

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 candidate's 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.

Job responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Good level of education to GCSE Level, including Maths & English (Grade C or above).
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level in healthcare or be willing to work towards.
• To be able to drive a car.

Experience

Essential

• Relevant experience (minimum 1 year) of working as a therapy/nursing assistant or similar post.
• Experience of working with direct contact with the public.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• To have ability to work on own initiative and to be confident to work without direct supervision.
• To have ability to learn new skills to deliver patient care as instructed by qualified members of staff
• To be able to work within the multidisciplinary team.
• To be able to prioritise own workload.
• To be aware of own limitations.
• To partake in data collection
• Experience with IT systems.

Desirable

• Ability to complete allocated projects and meet deadlines.