Senior Therapy Support Worker

Job overview

Are you forward‑thinking, proactive, and ready for the challenges of working in an acute hospital?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 3 Senior Therapy Assistant to join our Orthopaedic/Surgical Therapy Team at Bedford Hospital. This is a part‑time role, ideal for those balancing work with family commitments.

As a Senior Therapy Assistant, you will:

• Support, assess, and treat patients to aid recovery and promote a smooth transition back into the community.
• Work closely with our Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy teams, who specialise in complex assessment and discharge planning.
• Be part of the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT), covering wards across the Bedford site.
• Work autonomously, ensuring effective communication and collaboration with both on‑site and external teams.

This role offers the chance to make a real impact on patient care while developing your skills within a supportive and dynamic team.

Main duties of the job

• Patient Care & Assessment Assess patients and, where appropriate, implement activities, treatments, and exercises. Liaise with families and the multidisciplinary team to achieve the shared goal of facilitating safe and effective discharge.
• Ongoing Monitoring Monitor and adjust treatments/interventions as required, ensuring patients are reviewed on a continual basis.
• Professional Support & Training Benefit from high‑quality clinical supervision and ongoing support for professional development. Robust training opportunities are available both within the therapy team and across Bedford Hospital.
• Apprenticeship Opportunities We are pleased to offer internal apprenticeship pathways within the therapy service. This provides staff with the chance to pursue formal undergraduate training to become qualified physiotherapists or occupational therapists (subject to entry requirements). This post may serve as the ideal stepping stone for your career.
• Weekend Working Participate in occasional weekend working on a rota basis. This ensures continuity of care for patients and supports the smooth flow of services throughout the hospital.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities.

To implement patient treatment working within established guidelines for defined client group.

To assess and if appropriate implement activities, treatment and exercises in order to achieve the common goal of facilitating a safe and effective discharge.  To order, deliver and fit equipment, ensuring that equipment is safe prior to provision, as well as ensuring patients and carers are taught how to use appropriately. Independently monitor adjust and review intervention and treatments.

There will be administration duties within the department

You will be on a weekend rota and provide therapy services to the acute setting on additional hours when required.

To assist the therapists in the assessment and treatment of patients and, where appropriate, continue with the implementation and supervision of exercise regimes and transfer / mobility practice, which may include washing, dressing or toileting.

To communicate effectively routine information which requires tact and use persuasive skills with patients to encourage and motivate them towards their therapeutic goals.

To carry out clerical, administrative and departmental duties, in support of clinical work, at the discretion of the therapists.

To be able to recognise and communicate appropriately with the therapists, any changes in patient status, behaviour, ability or response to treatment.

Identify own limitations of knowledge to ensure best practice and safety in the patients treatment.

To work in areas other than usual when the workload demands

To work towards treatment and rehabilitation goals of patients as directed by a qualified therapist and comply with local and national standards of practice.

To give instruction, direction and guidance to patients and educate them about treatments, exercises, manual handling and positioning.

To achieve a therapeutic relationship with clients and the multi-disciplinary team and encourage patient participation.

To monitor all departmental rehabilitation equipment to ensure that it is maintained in safe working order and assist in the cleaning, checking and tracking of equipment.

To ensure effective communication with the patient, family or carers regarding therapy, ensuring valid informed consent is acquired, within the legal framework

To liaise effectively with other members of the MDT and to pass on any relevant patient information as required.

To attend staff or team meetings and participate in these.

To liaise regularly with the Therapists on the demands of the caseload.

To participate in the Trust Appraisal System and developing skills under the appropriate.

Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) associated with this post.

To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation to departmental standards and be responsible for recording statistics.

To be responsible for own time-management, readjusting plans as situations change/arise with guidance from therapists or technical grade staff, whilst ensuring effective delivery of day-to-day services.

To participate in the assistant training programmes and to take every opportunity to learn and develop new skills, knowledge and competencies which will enhance personal development through life-long learning and keep a record of these training and development activities.