NHSCT Physiotherapy Assistant Band 3 ref:56021131
Branch: Coleraine/Ballymoney locality
Location: Rathlea House
Directorate: Surgical & Clinical Services Division
Functional Area: Physiotherapy Service-Community
Salary: Band 3 (£24,937 - £26,598)
Contract Type: Permanent
Opening date: 06/11/26
Closes: Fri, 20 November 2026 @ 5:00 PM
Interview Dates: to be confirmed.

Notes: Online and Manual applications accepted. If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week. Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards.

Flexible Working
We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

Apply and Job Description
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Physiotherapy Assistant
Job Description
Team North More Than A Workplace
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) is responsible for the delivery of safe and effective health and social care (HSC) services to the population of the Northern Trust area in Northern Ireland.

We provide compassionate care with our community in our community. In order to do this we require the commitment of a highly skilled and professional workforce that meets the need of the service.

The diagram below outlines our values and our objectives which support the delivery of compassionate care within our community.

The below diagram details the values and associated behaviours that we expect staff working within Health and Social Care (HSC) to display at all times;

HSC Values

• Working Together: We work together for the best outcome for people we care for and support. We work across Health and Social Care and with other external organisations and agencies, recognising that leadership is the responsibility of all.
• Compassion: We are sensitive, caring, respectful and understanding towards those we care for and support and our colleagues. We listen carefully to others to better understand and take action to help them and ourselves.
• Excellence: We commit to being the best we can be in our work, aiming to improve and develop services to achieve positive changes. We deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate care and support.
• Openness & Honesty: We are open and honest with each other and act with integrity and candour.

Job Summary
The Physiotherapy Assistant will undertake duties designated by qualified physiotherapists working in the Department. The post holder will assist individual physiotherapists in the treatment of service users as inpatient or at community levels. He/she will also carry their own caseload designated by qualified physiotherapists and work single-handedly within his/her scope of practice, providing feedback on a regular basis.

Key Result Areas / Main Responsibilities
Clinical

• To support the Physiotherapist in providing a comprehensive treatment programme for inpatients or for community level service users.
• To prepare service users for treatment including the preparation of equipment as required.
• To assist the Physiotherapist in the assessment and treatment of service users referred for physiotherapy, as appropriate.
• Responsible for unsupervised treatment of service users including simple exercise programmes and walking practice as directed by the Physiotherapist.
• To undertake exercise groups in consultation with a qualified physiotherapist as required.
• To undertake therapeutic procedures with individual service users following assessment and instruction by the Physiotherapist.
• To carry own caseload, carrying out, modifying and progressing treatment within agreed parameters.
• To make community/home visits to provide physiotherapy treatment as guided by the qualified Physiotherapist.
• To regularly monitor service users' progress and report to the Physiotherapist any changes in their condition or variation in expected outcome from treatment.
• To measure and provide appropriate walking aids to service users and instruct them and/or their carer in the correct use as guided by the Physiotherapist.
• To attend multidisciplinary meetings on behalf of the Physiotherapist and with direction from qualified staff, report back on service user's progress/treatment and collect appropriate referrals.
• To ensure accurate patient records are kept and to maintain appropriate statistical returns in line with Trust and legal requirements.
• To ensure effective communication with service users, carers and families and multidisciplinary team members.
• To use a range of communication tools to communicate effectively with patients providing encouragement and motivation. This includes patients who have difficulties in communication and understanding e.g. dysphasia, deafness, cognitive impairment, and where English is not the first language.
• To instruct service users, carers/ relatives with exercises as guided by the Physiotherapist.
• Transport service users to and from treatment area as required.

Organisational

• To be responsible for cleaning, storing and checking equipment, maintaining stock levels, and general tidiness of the work area.
• Responsible for reporting and documenting faults to appropriate service and liaising with works and maintenance and contracted service providers to ensure required follow-up action occurs, as required.
• To carry out clerical duties as required e.g., filing, retrieval of patient records, answering telephone, send out appointments, inputting and retrieval of data in manual/computer systems.
• To participate in professional development activities.
• To participate in supervision process and Staff Development and Performance Review.
• To comply with Health & Safety Requirements, Trust and Physiotherapy Service Policies and Procedures.
• To undertake any other duties, which may be reasonably required by the Physiotherapist.
• To work at all times within own scope of practice.

General Responsibilities
Employees of the Trust will be required to promote and support the mission and vision of the service for which they are responsible and:

• At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner
• At all times demonstrate practice the HSC values of Working Together, Excellence, Openness & Honesty and Compassion
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner which assures patient and client safety
• Comply with all instructions in regard to Infection Prevention and Control
• Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them
• Comply with the Trust's Smoke Free Policy
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with health and safety policy and statutory regulations
• Adhere to equal opportunities policy throughout the course of their employment
• Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for HSC Employees which aims to guide staff, managers and employers in the work that they do and the decisions and choices they have to make. Professional staff are expected to follow the code of conduct for their own professions as well as this code.
• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

EHealth
The HSC has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. HSC staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills requires to support their role.

Records Management
All employees of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including (for example) the ICT Security Policy, Data Quality and Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

Salary
Band 3: £24,937 - £26,598 (pro-rata for part-time)

Right to Work in the UK
Please note this role may not meet the requirements for a Skilled Worker visa (including a Heath and Care Worker visa) and the Trust therefore would be unable to employ anyone that requires Sponsorship. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration).

Hours
Normal full-time hours of duty are 37½ hours per week, exclusive of meal times

Medical
Appointment will be subject to a successful pre-employment health assessment.

Holidays
27 days each year; 29 days after 5 years' service; 33 days after 10 years' service and 10 statutory and public holidays.

Pension
The post-holder can participate in the Health Social Care Pension Scheme.

Northern Trust Benefits
You can explore the benefits on offer to you in the Northern Trust by clicking here (https://view.pagetiger.com/NHSCT-Recognition/benefits-brochure-nhsct)

Probationary Period
You will serve a probationary period of normally six months.

Pay Protection
Legacy Trust Staff who apply for a promotion after 1 April 2011 should be aware that they will lose their legacy protection arrangements and will be entitled to pay protection in accordance with circular HSS (JNF)(1) 2011. This circular will also apply to legacy staff who are currently in receipt of protection and who move post on promotion.

Completed application forms should be returned to the BSO Recruitment and Selection Shared Services Centre, on or before the closing date as stated in the advertisement.

Canvassing, either directly or indirectly, will be an absolute disqualification.

We will review this Job Description and it may include any other duties and responsibilities we determine in consultation with the jobholder. We do not intend it to be rigid and inflexible but rather to provide guidelines within which the jobholder works.

Personnel Specification
Title of Post: Physiotherapy Assistant
Band of Post: Band 3

Essential Criteria
Experience and Qualifications/Registration: GCSEs at Grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics or equivalent AND NVQ Level 2 in a Health Care related subject or equivalent AND 12 months practical experience in providing direct patient/client care or rehabilitation within a paid capacity within a health care setting. OR 4 GCSEs at Grade C or above to include English Language and Mathematics or equivalent AND 2 years practical experience in providing direct patient/client care or rehabilitation in a paid capacity within a health care setting. OR Graduate or those within their final year of study of a recognised professional healthcare degree AND GCSEs at Grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics or equivalent.
Other: Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.

Section 2 Essential Criteria
Skills and Abilities: Good organisational, interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team; awareness of own limitations; proficient in the use of computer software packages such as Excel spreadsheets, databases, e-mail, internet and PowerPoint, Encompass or other patient record information systems.
Knowledge: Understanding of the role of the Physiotherapy Assistant within the Physiotherapy team; understanding of the needs of people with disability; understand the need for patient confidentiality; understanding of relevant Health and Safety issues.

Value Based Recruitment
Value Based Recruitment is a process adopted by the Northern Trust to attract and select employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with those of the Trust. It focuses on the 'how' and 'why' people do what they do. Candidates who are short-listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required knowledge, skills, competencies and values to be effective in this new role.

Criminal Offences, Investigations and Charges
Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with the Trust. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences or other information contained on a disclosure certificate. Where it is necessary to obtain an Access NI disclosure the Trust operates in line with the Access NI Code of Practice. As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

The NHSCT is an equal opportunities employer.

Successful applicants may be required to attend for a Health Assessment; can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant and equivalent to the post; have the right to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment, with provisions including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken.