Job summary
Are you someone who is passionate about providing high quality patient care?
Are you looking for a new challenge to extend your experience in healthcare support work?
If the answer is yes, then you are the person we are looking for to come & join the over 70 members of staff currently working within the Occupational Therapy Service at NNUH who share your passion.
Due to departmental restructuring, we are looking for an enthusiastic & motivated Occupational Therapy Assistant to join our large and multiskilled workforce and help us ensure that we meet the Trust's vision to provide the best care for every patient.
We will support you to develop current/ new skills with access to in-service training and professional development. You will receive supervision and annual appraisal; have access to peer support and encouragement to take an active role within your own continuing professional development.
If you are enthusiastic, forward thinking and wish to deliver high quality patient care, then we would love to welcome you into our team.
If you would like to find out more about this or other opportunities within the Occupational Therapy service then please get in touch - contact Emma Dix, Therapy Lead on 01603 646073, emma.dix2@nnuh.nhs.uk
or Sallyann Palmer, Therapy Lead on 01603 288697, Sallyanne.palmer@nnuh.nhs.uk
Main duties of the job
As post holder, you will:
o be seeing your own list of patients either alone under the direction of a qualified OT or working with another qualified member of the team
o carry out day to day non-clinical tasks as needed to facilitate the smooth running of department processes
o maintain your own professional standards of intervention with patients and staff alike, adhering to our PRIDE values at all times
o gain knowledge of a wide variety of different acute conditions and how they impact on peoples' day to day lives
You will have:
- exposure to and the opportunity to learn to work with diverse patient groups across various specialisms, with support and training to develop.
- access to regular and culturally embedded supervision with more experienced members of the therapy team, as well as very close working and learning links with the MDT and other professionals within and without the Trust.
- the potential to work across both inpatient and outpatient areas as part of a large multiskilled department.
Full and Part time hours available
Interview Date: 30th April 2026
About us
Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!
The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.
We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
- Flexible working hours
- Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi Faith prayer room
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH site
- Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
- On-site Nursery
- On-site cafes offering staff discounts
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description
Job responsibilities
The following skills and experience will be required and are essential for the successful candidates:
- Undertake delegated work to assist the Occupational Therapists in providing therapy within the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct of the College of Occupational Therapists.
- To assist Occupational Therapists on the wards, in the OT department or in the patients home as necessary.
- To work to set protocols or written treatment programmes
- To have a basic understanding of clinical conditions and terminology
- To demonstrate an awareness of patient consent.
- To establish and maintain appropriate therapeutic relationships with patients and carers incorporating motivation encouragement and confidence building
- To communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, carers and families and to show and awareness in relation to sensitive issues and to deal with difficult situations as appropriate.
- To be aware of barriers to effective communication, e.g. hearing loss, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, dementing illness, cognitive impairment, memory loss, aggression and anxiety, pain and fear and to use clear and effective verbal/ non-verbal communication as appropriate.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Please note due to high volume of applications for some posts, this post may close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role asap.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The following skills and experience will be required and are essential for the successful candidates:
- Undertake delegated work to assist the Occupational Therapists in providing therapy within the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct of the College of Occupational Therapists.
- To assist Occupational Therapists on the wards, in the OT department or in the patients home as necessary.
- To work to set protocols or written treatment programmes
- To have a basic understanding of clinical conditions and terminology
- To demonstrate an awareness of patient consent.
- To establish and maintain appropriate therapeutic relationships with patients and carers incorporating motivation encouragement and confidence building
- To communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, carers and families and to show and awareness in relation to sensitive issues and to deal with difficult situations as appropriate.
- To be aware of barriers to effective communication, e.g. hearing loss, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, dementing illness, cognitive impairment, memory loss, aggression and anxiety, pain and fear and to use clear and effective verbal/ non-verbal communication as appropriate.
Please refer to the Job Description for the full specification of responsibilities and requirements for this post.
Please note due to high volume of applications for some posts, this post may close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role asap.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ III (or other relevant qualification)
- Basic numeracy and literacy skill
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of working within a healthcare or social setting
- Basic understanding of Occupational Therapy
Skills
Essential
- Basic IT skills
- Good communication skills (written/ verbal)
- Good interpersonal skills
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ III (or other relevant qualification)
- Basic numeracy and literacy skill
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of working within a healthcare or social setting
- Basic understanding of Occupational Therapy
Skills
Essential
- Basic IT skills
- Good communication skills (written/ verbal)
- Good interpersonal skills
Attitude, aptitude
Essential
- Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH's PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
- Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
