Pulmonary Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant Practitioner: Sponsorship Available

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

This is an exciting time for the pulmonary rehabilitation team as we work towards gaining service accreditation. Are you an experienced Therapy Assistant, Healthcare Assistant or Level 3 Advanced Fitness/Gym Instructor with Referral Programme Consultation qualification? Do you feel you can make a difference to people living with long term health conditions? We are recruiting for a full time Band 4 position to support us in the pulmonary rehabilitation team. The role will involve working alongside clinical staff in assessment clinics and supporting our respiratory patients through their rehabilitation course in a group environment.

The successful candidate will be based at Dorset County Hospital but required to work in different sites across the county to meet the needs of the service.

We are a supportive and friendly team and can offer you a competency based learning structure, continuing professional development with regular clinical supervision and an opportunity to help shape the future of our service.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work under the supervision of qualified Therapy staff providing assessment and treatment programmes for patients in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service.

The Therapy Assistant Practitioner is able to carry out a full episode of care from assessment to discharge for a specified and designated clinical caseload identified by a qualified clinician. This will include working in a wide variety of settings including gym, community venues, outpatients, telephone appointments and occasionally visiting patients in their own homes.

The postholder will assist in the administration and clerical duties for the team and department.

The postholder may be asked to work at any site within the trust or used for the delivery of the pulmonary rehabilitation service.

 

Person Specification

Education, Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • BTEC/HND/NVQ Level 3 or o Level 3 Advanced Fitness/Gym Instructor with knowledge to diploma level and Referral Programme Consultation/exercise referral qualification or equivalent experience in relevant subject
  • Foundation degree (or willing to work towards foundation degree within first 2 years in post)

Desirable

  • CSP/RCOT associate member
  • Relevant healthcare courses

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate an intermediate level of knowledge of respiratory conditions, including COPD
  • Awareness of clinical governance and it’s implications for therapy
  • Significant experience in health or social care or exercise prescription setting
  • Experience and ability to work collaboratively within MDT
  • Experience in delivering and developing therapy or exercise plans
  • Experience of working with people with long term conditions

Desirable

  • Awareness and understanding of the NHS Structure
  • Knowledge of local service
  • Previous experience of working within a therapy rehabilitation area, therapy assistant or equivalent
  • Experience of an NHS environment

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • Willingness and ability to undertake competency based skills programme
  • The ability to identify and act upon potential clinical risks
  • Able to communicate complex information to patients, carers and within the MDT
  • Positive interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work effectively in a team environment
  • Good time management skills and ability to organise and prioritise
  • Proactive approach to learning, demonstrated in a CPD portfolio
  • Able to provide a good standard of clear, concise, written and verbal reports in English
  • IT skills including word processing, email, spreadsheets and databases
  • Ability to manage own stress and work in a stressful and unpredictable environment
  • To show empathy and fairness to give support to others
  • Ability to work autonomously

Desirable

  • Demonstrate good motivational skills

Other

Essential

  • Self motivated
  • Be able to demonstrate flexibility and reliability
  • Able to use own initiative
  • Work in a flexible manner and adapt to changing environments
  • Physically fit and able to comply with the trusts moving and handling guidelines, therapeutic handling
  • Professional manner and appearance
  • Available for altered work patterns where clinically appropriate
  • Car driver

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: 30 August 2026

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