Verified Skilled Worker sponsor

Therapy Assistant – Specialist Palliative Care

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Hexham, NE46 1HN £25,760 – £27,476 a year Permanent Posted 12 September 2026 Apply by 27 September 2026

Home Office register entry: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the specialist palliative care team in the community mainly based in the West area. The applicant will be someone who enjoys working with people and has some experience of physiotherapy, occupational therapy or similar discipline as a support worker/assistant.

Whilst experience is desirable it is not essential and the successful applicant will be supported to develop in the role, we have clear structured competencies for the new post holder to work towards during their probationary period.

The role involves working with people at the end of life or approaching the end of life usually in their own homes; we strive to help people to live well for as long as possible and help them to achieve life goals.

The successful applicant will have a positive, caring approach and be able to work well in a multi-disciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to:

To be responsible for own caseload.

To assist the qualified Therapists with providing ward and home-based assessments and treatments to patients with complex and highly complex needs with cancer and other life threatening illnesses of limited prognosis.

To provide administrative support to the Therapists to obtain resources and maintain information on resources.

To undertake appropriate training as indicated by the Therapist.

To perform any other reasonable duty as directed by the Therapist.

About us

We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, covering one of the largest geographical areas of any NHS trust in the country. Leading in innovation and quality - opening a state of the art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. Do you want to work in one of the best performing NHS organisations in England? Work in an organisation that supports its staff and focuses on staff experience as much as it does the experience of its patients? You can live and breathe in an area that has the cleanest air, cost effective living, great nightlife, some of the best schools with a wealth of history available on your doorstep. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn't, this is what you get when you work for Northumbria Healthcare, this is the Northumbria Way! Please read 'applicant guidance notes' before submitting your application.

Date posted

12 September 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£25,760 to £27,476 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

319-8213289LH

Job locations

Dene Park House

Hexham

NE46 1HN

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Assist the Therapists to assess patients with complex palliative care needs in hospital and their own home including the fitting of appropriate items of equipment.

Carry out assessments and other tasks that have either a) been screened by an OT or physiotherapist or b) where the work boundaries are clearly defined (excluding complex assessments) with direct and indirect supervision of a registered Therapist.

Undertake appropriate training specific to client group

Assist qualified staff in administrative tasks including requisitioning resources and maintaining updated resource information

Liaise and feedback to other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).

Review and reflect on your own practice and performance through regular participation in supervision and appraisal.

Assist in the development of Therapy service provision in palliative care.

Participate in quality improvement projects as allocated by the Therapist or Operational Management Team.

As part of a team, incorporate up to date techniques and ideas of positive practice into your interventions.

To participate in team audit projects and evaluation activities as agreed with supervisor.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

oNVQ Level lll or equivalent experience
oEducation to GCSE level or equivalent
oWillingness to participate in in-service training.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

oPrevious experience working in an adult health or social care setting

Desirable

oSome experience of working within an Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy Team

Other Requirements

Essential

oIt is an essential requirement of the role that the post holder has a valid driving licence and is either a car owner and able to use the car for work purposes, or has a Trust personal lease vehicle which may be used for the role. However, the Trust would consider making reasonable adjustments to the role, if necessary, to enable a disabled person to undertake the role.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.