Assistant Practitioner (Physiotherapy)

Job summary
The Secure Care CBU is a regional service offering care and treatment to individuals who have mental health, personality disorder or learning disability diagnoses and have come into contact with the criminal justice system. The service works across medium and low secure inpatient wards, the community and prison.

We are looking for a highly motivated, dynamic, and enthusiastic individual who has a definite interest in working within our Secure Care Physiotherapy Inpatients Team.

This diverse role involves providing support to a Band 8a Physiotherapy Lead working in our Medium and Low Secure Mental Health Units, providing physiotherapy assessments under set protocols and parameters and delivering both 1:1 and group-based treatment sessions.

The role is flexible and you will work closely with the physiotherapy lead and other members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

Main duties of the job
Physiotherapy has a very important role to play in helping those with mental health diagnoses and individuals with a learning disability. We provide physiotherapy assessments and treatment for musculoskeletal and neurological presentations, also for balance and mobility issues and occasionally respiratory problems.

Our assessments identify the physiotherapy requirements for these patients. Individual patient centred treatment plans are then formulated and appropriate treatment is provided.

Main Duties are as follows:

• To assist in the delivery of physiotherapy care to service users who have a variety of needs, diverse presentations, and a range of mental health, learning disabilities and /or neurological conditions under the direction of a registered physiotherapist. The overall responsibility for the service user remains, at all times with the registered physiotherapist.
• To implement and evaluate physiotherapy programmes within a prescribed framework ensuring that high quality, individualised treatment is delivered. These programmes should promote recovery and wellbeing and maximises independence.
• To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team
• To provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.
• To actively engage with supervision and appraisal process as identified in Trust policy.
• To support the induction, training, education and assessment of trainee or new assistant practitioners, students and clinical support workers.

About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will have excellent communication, prioritisation, and delegation skills. You will be supported to complete our in-house local competency training framework which will enable you to manage your own delegated caseload, delivering interventions under the supervision of the qualified Physiotherapist.

You will receive regular professional and management supervision and will be supported to develop enhanced skills in this specialist area.

Please find attached job description for full details.

Advertising date : 1st October 2026
Closing date : 15th October 2026

We welcome your application.

Please note - this vacancy may close early once a suitable number of applications are received.

Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential

• Please find attached job description for full details. Advertising date : 1st October 2026 Closing date : 15th October 2026 We welcome your application. Please note - this vacancy may close early once a suitable number of applications are received.
• Maths and English Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills applicable to the post as detailed in the person specification.

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in an appropriate care setting
• Able to follow instructions recognising the boundaries of own competency.
• Experience of supervising/teaching individuals

Desirable

• Previous experience of working in Physiotherapy
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary setting

Skills and Competencies
Essential

• Ability to use IT system
• Ability to establish a rapport with service users
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Flexible
• Time management skills
• Experience of moving and handling legislation

Desirable

• Some anatomical knowledge
• Risk Assessment skills
• Advanced IT skills

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.