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Job summary

Main area
Therapies
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
153-SP05776
Employer
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Poole Hospital
Town
Poole
Salary
£24,937 - £26,598 Per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/04/2026 23:59
Interview date
22/04/2026

Employer heading

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Therapy Assistant

Band 3

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce. 

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Therapy Assistant to join our dynamic and friendly Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy team, working on the inpatient Trauma wards at Poole Hospital UHD. As a team we are passionate in ensuring that any adults presenting to our acute hospital receive the highest quality care from clinicians with a holistic and rehabilitative approach.  

 This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with some background knowledge of Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy within a health or social care setting.  

For the full duties of the post – please see the attached job description. 

The successful candidate will need to possess: 

·        Previous employment in a health or social care setting (or equivalent) in a care/ facilitation/ support role 

·         A GCSE (or equivalent) pass mark in English 

·         Good written and verbal communication skills 

·         Ability to work independently within a supportive environment 

·         Flexibility and to be able to work as part of a team 

·         Excellent personal organisational skills including time management 

The department offers excellent support, clinical supervision and a collaborative working environment.  

This post involves weekend working, and there will be an expectation that the successful candidate moves to the Bournemouth site with the service early 2026. 

 Base Site: Poole Hospital, with an expected move to Royal Bournemouth Hospital early 2026. 

Interview Date: 22nd April 2026 

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert 

Please note this post includes 7 day working. The post holder will be expected to participate in regular weekend working. 

You will work alongside qualified Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists to deliver combined therapy treatment programmes, undertake essential non-clinical roles to support the smooth running of the inpatient Trauma Therapy service and support service users who have sustained traumatic injuries out of hospital.  

If you are successful, you will be supported to achieve the competencies for the role through induction, ‘on the job training’ and teaching sessions. 

 

 

 

Working for our organisation

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

This service has a planned move from Poole site to Bournemouth site in 2026.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Qualification

Essential criteria
  • GCSE Grade C or above in English Literature/Language

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Previous employment in a health or social care setting (or equivalent) in a care/ facilitation/ support role
Desirable criteria
  • Previous Occupational Therapy Assistant/ Physiotherapy Assistant/ Speech and Language/ Dietetic Assistant or Rehab Assistant or Healthcare Assistant experience
  • NHS experience

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good communication skills (both written and verbal) with real life examples
  • Good personal organisational skills including time management with real life examples
  • Ability to work under pressure with real life examples
Desirable criteria
  • Management of a caseload

Language Requirement

Essential criteria
  • Ability to speak English as necessary to undertake the role

Other requirements

Essential criteria
  • Possession of a clean UK driving licence
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to travel to all Trust locations to carry out post

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Disability Confident - two yearsUHD ValuesApprenticeships logoArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into health

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Anna McHillier
Job title
Therapy Lead for Trauma and Orthopaedics
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
03000198179
Additional information

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

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