Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Stroke Therapy Assistant Practitioner
The closing date is 19 November 2026
Job summary
Working 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday (with one additional weekend day shift per month)
We have an exciting opportunity for a suitable candidate to join our Stroke Therapy Team working in the Acute Stroke service i.e. HASU / ASU across Spruce and Ebony ward

The role is:

• To provide an Assistant Practitioner role to the Integrated Stroke Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT) services, and other specialties as delegated like Speech and Language Therapy and Dietetics service within Stroke Therapy Multidisciplinary Team working at Darent Valley Hospital.
• To manage and prioritise a designated integrated Stroke therapy caseload, working without direct supervision, carrying out assessment and treatment planning of patients who have not previously been assessed by a qualified therapist. However, a qualified therapist will always be available for advice and guidance when necessary.
• To hold a defined area of responsibility within the Stroke OT & PT services and the ability to support the extended Stroke Therapy team when the need arises.

All relevant training (additional to what is required within Job Specification) will be provided.
The Stroke service includes a 7 day working and hence this job requires to cover one day of the weekend, in a month as part of its remit.
Main duties of the job
We can offer you:

• An excellent working environment in a newly established Acute Stroke Center.
• A supportive management structure
• A positive and well-established appraisal and development system
• Encouragement to develop clinical skills

Clinical leadership is through the established structure of Senior Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapist.
Candidate - see JD too

• To fully assess patients on admission, be able to create SMART goals, to be able to plan and carry out intervention appropriate to the patient's needs under indirect supervision.
• To support the team in meeting current and relevant SSNAP criteria.
• To prioritise and create a new patients list according to SSNAP criteria for OT/PT.
• To work unsupervised with identified patient caseload with OT/PT integrated Therapy goals and report appropriately.
• To progress patient in rehabilitation intervention by following appropriate assessment and follow up sessions, and discussion with the qualified therapists. This may include provision of appropriate walking aid or use of transfer equipment and modifying treatment recommendation for Stroke rehabilitation.
• To deliver and fit equipment in patients' homes and instruct them in its safe use.
• To carry out Access assessment visits to patients' homes either alone or with another member of staff.
• To carry out Home Visits either as the lead or as '2nd person'.

About us
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we've achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients.
Details
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £29,812 to £32,715 a year incl HCAS per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 252-8255710-B
Job locations: Darent Valley Hospital, Darenth wood road, Dartford, DA2 8DA, United Kingdom
Person Specification
Education/Training

• Essential: Good standard of general education, including Maths and English; Education to NVQ level 3 or equivalent or relevant working experience; Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio.
• Desirable: ECDL or equivalent level computer skills.

Knowledge and Skill

• Essential: Relevant knowledge of Stroke Rehabilitation and the role of Therapy in stroke recovery; Awareness of data protection and confidentiality requirements within a hospital environment; Able to deal effectively with colleagues and outside bodies; Able to prioritise and organise own workload; Able to work under pressure and balance conflicting priorities; Good computer skills; Good communication skills and ability to liaise with patients and staff at all levels; Ability to pass own knowledge onto others; Ability to work on own initiative as well as within a multi-disciplinary team; Ability to travel to patients' place of residence in a timely manner.
• Desirable: UK Driving licence; Able to carry out measurements accurately and use relevant equipment (training can be given).

Experience

• Essential: Previous work experience in the NHS/experience of disability/working in a therapy environment; Experience of working in face to face contact with the general public; Experience of self-directed working and ability to prioritise tasks; Experience of managing own workload without direct supervision to ensure deadlines and standards are met; Experience of working effectively as a member of a team and in a busy department; Ability to work under pressure.
• Desirable: Experience of working as a Therapy assistant in a rehabilitation setting.

Personal Attributes

• Essential: Ability to travel independently between sites and patients homes; Personable, approachable, caring, flexible and polite and able to adapt and accommodate change; Confident and assertive approach; Able to deal with people in difficult situations, and responding to people with respect and sensitivity; Self-motivated and enthusiastic; Ability to work as a team member; Reliable; Ability to remain calm and focussed when working under pressure; Appreciation of need to maintain confidentiality when handling patient/staff information; Adapt to unpredictable nature of job; Willingness to learn new skills.
• Desirable: Ability to be flexible with the hours worked.

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: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Address: Darent Valley Hospital, Darenth wood road, Dartford, DA2 8DA, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/working-for-us
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: AHP Stroke Clinical Lead, Hamsapriya Ganapathy, hamsapriya.ganapathy@nhs.net, 07361479031
Apply via the company portal.