Occupational Therapy Senior Support Worker
The closing date is 13 July 2026.
We are looking to recruit a Band 3 Occupational Therapy Senior Support Worker into our Care of the Elderly inpatient OT team at Sunderland Royal Hospital to support the assessment of patients in preparation for discharge from hospital into the community.
The post is part of a busy team of therapists and support workers and is based within a large and friendly Occupational Therapy Department which has purpose built ADL assessment facilities. The acute therapy teams work closely with our community partners as part of the hospital discharge planning process, and this is a great opportunity to help shape future services as part of the therapy teams.
This is a challenging and demanding, but very rewarding post with scope for ongoing personal and professional development. All training will be provided, and you will receive support and supervision by your senior team. Pre‑application/interview enquiries and visits are welcome.
Please note the Trust are not able to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the UKVI threshold requirements. Applicants are requested to consider this when making their application. Please visit Gov.UK for further information.
Main duties of the job
The Occupational Therapy inpatient teams based at Sunderland Royal Hospital and South Tyneside Hospital sit within the Directorate of Therapy Services and provide intervention and assessment for discharge from hospital. As an Occupational Therapy Senior Support Worker, you will support the therapy team with patient assessments and interventions to plan and deliver safe and effective discharges from hospital while working as part of the wider multidisciplinary team. You will need to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be able to document patient notes efficiently and effectively and take part in some aspects of multi‑disciplinary team meetings. Also, due to the need to sometimes visit patients’ homes as part of the discharge planning assessment, you must therefore be able to drive the department vehicles. The post is full time, Monday to Friday, and there will be a requirement to work some bank holidays as part of a rota.
About us
Please add your telephone number to your application form so we can contact you quickly if required.
One Team One Trust – There are many reasons to work at our Trust. From our commitment to putting people first to our accessible services and award‑winning teams. We have a passion for research, innovation and tackling inequalities. We are committed to respect, fairness and civility and promote a compassionate, caring and positive culture and working environment.
We welcome all applications irrespective of peoples race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups. Looking after our workforce health and wellbeing is a priority for us. We also provide access to high quality education, training, career progression and support. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy.
The Trust employs around 8,746 people and provides a range of hospital services to a local community of around 430,000 residents. We also provide a range of more specialised services outside this area. We offer our staff outstanding benefits – Fitness Centre (SRH), libraries at both hospital sites, chaplaincy support and access to a Care Co‑ordinator to help staff with childcare arrangements. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.
Job responsibilities
PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE ROLE.
- To work as an Occupational Therapy (OT) Senior Support Worker using reasoning skills to provide elements of therapy assessment both in and out of the hospital environment.
- To alert Occupational Therapists to cases where there are complex issues requiring OT intervention.
- To complete effective, concise documentation of patients records in line with Trust & department standards.
- To work toward the achievement of specific response time targets.
- To ensure accurate data entry takes place in line with departmental standards.
- To work towards improving quality services.
- To maintain competence through participation in relevant learning activities and self‑learning.
Person Specification
Physical Skills
- Ability to sit at a work station to complete administrative duties related to the role.
- Ability to work in small spaces where there may be a requirement to kneel or bend down.
- Ability to exert moderate effort throughout the day.
- Ability to assist patients with their mobility.
- Ability to participate in moving and handling interventions where there is a need to use equipment such as mobile hoists.
- Ability to drive the department vehicles.
Qualifications
- Functional Skills (Level 2).
- Additional qualifications relevant to post applied for.
- Care Certificate.
Experience
- Experience of working with people with illness or disability.
- Experience of working in a patient/public/customer facing role.
- Experience of using adaptive aids and equipment.
- Experience of using wheelchairs.
- Working in a therapy setting.
Skills and Knowledge
- Organisational skills.
- Knowledge and understanding of Occupational Therapy practice within an acute hospital environment.
- Ability to problem solve.
- Ability to deal with competing demands on time and attention.
- Able to demonstrate appropriate analytical & judgmental skills.
- Skills to prioritise workload and make judgements on priorities.
- Able to present information, written and orally in a clear and logical manner.
- Basic IT skills.
- Knowledge of community and local authority services relevant to Sunderland and surrounding areas.
- Knowledge of adaptive aids and equipment and their indications for use.
- Evidence of attendance at courses relevant to 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.
Employer name
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
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