Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner in Stroke Rehabilitation: Sponsorship Available

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to cover maternity leave on a fixed term contract. The post would suit an experienced, motivated and passionate Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join our highly regarded stroke therapy team.This dynamic team is looking for someone who is confident to deliver high quality therapeutic assessments and interventions within the therapy team which includes: Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists. Contribution to support innovation and service development is encouraged from all team members.

The successful candidates will join this well-established service to support, deliver and develop this service for the local Health Community. University Hospitals Plymouth is committed to providing both quality care to the local population and supporting our staff. You will be given opportunities to develop your clinical skills and knowledge through in-service training.

The successful candidates must have experience in rehabilitation and stroke or neuromedical care as a therapy assistant working in the NHS or similar environment. Excellent inter-personal skills, strong values-based patient centred care and effective team work are essential to the post.

The mix of therapy assessments and interventions you will deliver may vary over time, and require supporting the other therapy disciplines depending on the patient’s needs. This may need delivering both in the inpatient and community setting.

 

Main duties of the job

To work independently, under the direction of the HCPC registered Occupational Therapists to perform specific tasks for an individual or group of patients, as part of their assessment, rehabilitation and therapeutic care programmes

To work within protocols and competencies specific to this post. To act as first contact in specific situations.

  • Patient management includes assessment and information gathering to identify patient needs; development of personalised treatment and care plans collaboratively with the registered therapy staff and review of progress and ongoing needs at regular intervals
  • Treatment activities might include following exercise and mobility programmes; and educating & advising patients and their families about their situation and options for the future; and community based assessment and treatment
  • Care tasks might include facilitating the patients to be independent with washing and dressing, drink and meal prep, engaging with social situations, enabling better access to the community, using and ordering appropriate equipment to promote optimal independence
  • Supervision takes the form of observation of practice, regular formal and informal training.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Broad range of healthcare experience involved directly in patient care and rehabilitation
  • Demonstrate awareness of own scope limitation and when to refer to more Senior staff for support
  • Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role

Desirable

  • Experience working in rehabilitation of stroke and neurological conditions
  • Knowledge of exercise prescription
  • Demonstrable evidence of goal setting ability with patients
  • Experience of working in a community setting

Qualiifcations

Essential

  • Foundation degree or NVQ level 3 /diploma in healthcare or equivalent subject or significant experience working in relevant settings.

Desirable

  • Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as science or other healthcare profession
  • Level 5 diploma for assistant practitioners
  • Attendance at appropriate professional courses

Aptitude and Values

Essential

  • Clearly demonstrates a patient centred approach in their previous work
  • Can demonstrate effective organisational skills with clear evidence of this.
  • Sufficiently Computer literate to be able to utilise the Trust’s electronic patient record, as well as other basic computer programes such as MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
  • Able to self direct own work and be proactive

Desirable

  • Evidence of personal leadership
  • Healthcare values based education and training
  • Demonstrable evidence of caseload prioritisation skills

Disposition

Essential

  • Evidence of working in a diverse professional team
  • Can take instruction and direction where required
  • Evidence of problem solving skills and creativity
  • Evidence of working in line with UHP values

Desirable

  • evidence of flexibility
  • Evidence of respectful assertiveness where required
  • Evidence of self motivation
  • Evidence of effective Emotional Intelligence

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 06 October 2025

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.