Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant Practitioner / Trainee Assistant Practitioner

The closing date is 03 November 2025

Job summary

Are you passionate about helping people regain independence and improve their quality of life? This is an exciting opportunity to join our Community Physiotherapy Team, where you'll play a vital role in supporting rehabilitation across Paignton and Brixham.

This role offers varied, fast-paced, and highly rewarding work within a supportive multidisciplinary team.

We're looking for:

  • An established support worker ready to take the next step in their career, or

  • Someone with the relevant qualifications to join us as a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner.

If you're starting as a Trainee Assistant Practitioner, you'll begin at Band 3 and be uplifted to Band 4 upon successful completion of your foundation degree and required training.

What we offer:

  • A clear, supported development pathway

  • Hands-on experience within the community

  • A collaborative and caring team environment

Please note: You must be able to travel efficiently around the Bay area to carry out your duties.

If you're ready to make a real difference and grow your career in physiotherapy -- we'd love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

You will be joining a team which aims to rehabilitate and support patients in their own homes, care home & community hospital settings. Our Health and Social care team is an integrated professional team which includes Social Care, Community Occupational Therapy, Community Physiotherapy, Urgent Care Response, Intermediate Care, Community Nursing, Pharmacy, Dietetics, Support Workers and Paramedics. We also link closely with other teams such as the Frailty Virtual ward. The team are proactive and have a forward-thinking core that promotes a positive and a 'can do' attitude. The successful candidate will be dynamic and key in managing patients to remain in their own home.

The Community Physiotherapy team are based at Kings Ash House in Paignton. This role will be predominantly based in Paignton & Brixham but also involves support the therapy team at Birxham hospital, it may also require the postholder to support the wider Team in the Paignton & Brixham locality. The community team has a hard-working, flexible and patient centered approach. The team are supportive and friendly, adapting to the ever-changing demands on the service.

The working hours cover 8.30-4.30 service. However, you will be required to cover, as part of the Brixham hospital bank holiday rota will at times be required.

About us

Why work with us - we passionately believe that the best way to care for people is by focusing on what matters to them, putting them at the centre of everything we do and integrating services around them. Please see link above for more information.

Details

Date posted

22 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £30,162 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

388-7525810-FC&I

Job locations

Kings Ash House

Paignton & Brixham Health & Social Care, King's Ash house,

Paignton,

TQ3 3XZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • You will work as part of a team on a daily basis, ensuring excellent patient care.
  • To maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records of care given.
  • To record activity on a clinical data base(s) as required
  • You will take responsibility for the daily care and support of delegated patients, escalating any concerns about patients to an appropriate professional.
  • To implement treatment and care to patients under the guidance and supervision of a registered professional. e.g. dressings, injections, monitoring etc.
  • To work independently and autonomously, providing assessment, support, care, treatment and advice to individuals, within guidelines and protocols identified for the role
  • You will plan your day autonomously, taking into account the priority needs of the patients under your care.
  • You will organise your day to provide maximum productivity, planning tasks and travel routes etc to maximise time spent face to face delivering patient care
  • To adhere to local and national policies as well as statutory and legislative frameworks.
  • To carry out lone working in accordance with the local policy and procedures.
  • To ensure that the health and social care setting is responsive to the individual needs of patients.
  • To contribute to the improvement of services.
  • To make constructive changes to their own work within agreed timescales, seeking support as and when necessary.
  • Participate in service developments to enhance the range and scope of services provided to patients and their career
  • Equipment provider, therefore you will take responsibility for appropriate use of this resource and that eligibility criteria is met.

    You will maintain any equipment loaned to you to perform your role in good condition and report any defects or concerns as soon as possible.

  • You may assist with induction of new team members, demonstrating working practices and procedures.

  • Be competent in the use of IT for data capture, client records and activity recording

    Knowledge of data protection legislation and implications of consent and data sharing

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • You will work as part of a team on a daily basis, ensuring excellent patient care.
  • To maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records of care given.
  • To record activity on a clinical data base(s) as required
  • You will take responsibility for the daily care and support of delegated patients, escalating any concerns about patients to an appropriate professional.
  • To implement treatment and care to patients under the guidance and supervision of a registered professional. e.g. dressings, injections, monitoring etc.
  • To work independently and autonomously, providing assessment, support, care, treatment and advice to individuals, within guidelines and protocols identified for the role
  • You will plan your day autonomously, taking into account the priority needs of the patients under your care.
  • You will organise your day to provide maximum productivity, planning tasks and travel routes etc to maximise time spent face to face delivering patient care
  • To adhere to local and national policies as well as statutory and legislative frameworks.
  • To carry out lone working in accordance with the local policy and procedures.
  • To ensure that the health and social care setting is responsive to the individual needs of patients.
  • To contribute to the improvement of services.
  • To make constructive changes to their own work within agreed timescales, seeking support as and when necessary.
  • Participate in service developments to enhance the range and scope of services provided to patients and their career
  • Equipment provider, therefore you will take responsibility for appropriate use of this resource and that eligibility criteria is met.

    You will maintain any equipment loaned to you to perform your role in good condition and report any defects or concerns as soon as possible.

  • You may assist with induction of new team members, demonstrating working practices and procedures.

  • Be competent in the use of IT for data capture, client records and activity recording

    Knowledge of data protection legislation and implications of consent and data sharing

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Must hold or be willing to undertake Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Health & Social Care Practice (this is a two year course).
  • To be eligible to enrol on the course you will require 48-60 UCAS points, from at least one of the following: A Levels, BTEC Nationals, Access to Higher Education Diploma, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualifications. Level 2 English and Maths are also essential.
  • Previous experience of working within a healthcare/caring environment

Desirable

  • Experience within designated clinical area

Knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Ability to undertake and interpret a range of patient observations as required in clinical area
  • Ability to assess, plan implement and evaluate patient care
  • Ability to undertake a range of procedures relevant to area of works
  • Detailed knowledge and experience of professional roles within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Experience of working in a care setting
  • Experience of supporting other workers
  • Delivering patient focused care

Desirable

  • Experience of community working, preferably within Health and Social Care
  • Experience of working under distanced supervision
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Must hold or be willing to undertake Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Health & Social Care Practice (this is a two year course).
  • To be eligible to enrol on the course you will require 48-60 UCAS points, from at least one of the following: A Levels, BTEC Nationals, Access to Higher Education Diploma, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualifications. Level 2 English and Maths are also essential.
  • Previous experience of working within a healthcare/caring environment

Desirable

  • Experience within designated clinical area

Knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Ability to undertake and interpret a range of patient observations as required in clinical area
  • Ability to assess, plan implement and evaluate patient care
  • Ability to undertake a range of procedures relevant to area of works
  • Detailed knowledge and experience of professional roles within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Experience of working in a care setting
  • Experience of supporting other workers
  • Delivering patient focused care

Desirable

  • Experience of community working, preferably within Health and Social Care
  • Experience of working under distanced supervision

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kings Ash House

Paignton & Brixham Health & Social Care, King's Ash house,

Paignton,

TQ3 3XZ


Employer's website

https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kings Ash House

Paignton & Brixham Health & Social Care, King's Ash house,

Paignton,

TQ3 3XZ


Employer's website

https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Paignton & Brixham Community Physiotherapy Lead

Rachel Steer

rachel.steer@nhs.net

01803697314

Details

Date posted

22 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £30,162 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

388-7525810-FC&I

Job locations

Kings Ash House

Paignton & Brixham Health & Social Care, King's Ash house,

Paignton,

TQ3 3XZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)