Therapy Assistant

**Therapy Assistant**

York

Salary: £38,000 plus £1 per hour location allowance

Hours: Flexible working hours available

We're looking for a Therapy Assistant to join our friendly service, Kerwin Court.

Working in brain injury rehabilitation is different to other kinds of support work. You’re there to encourage and guide individuals, helping them gain the skills and confidence to live independently.

You will share the journey with these inspiring people as they overcome hurdles, achieve milestones, and reach the goals they’ve set. Many of the people we support only stay for three months before they are ready to move on. You can make a massive difference in that time.

**Why join us?**

**The Disabilities Trust is a leading UK charity** that works alongside people with an acquired brain injury, autism, and learning or physical disabilities to help them live as independently as possible. Our teams across the UK support people to move forward with their lives. It’s a special feeling to share their individual journeys and play a part in the progress they make. Our employees are incredibly passionate about the jobs they do - you’ll find a strong team spirit across our services and amazing colleagues who always pull together and look out for each other.

**The Role**

As a Therapist Assistant at Kerwin Court your main purpose will be to assist registered therapy practitioners in the assessment and implementation of individual rehabilitation programmes for the service users.

Kerwin Court delivers specialist neurobehavioural rehabilitation to adults with acquired brain injury. Set in attractive landscaped gardens, Kerwin Court has a bright, modern and spacious environment superbly equipped for neurobehavioural rehabilitation. This includes, physiotherapy gyms, occupational therapy kitchens, a games room, and a large garden with allotment, amongst other amenities. There are 16 ensuit rooms, two flats and five bungalows to support service users increasing their independence.

We are a passionate and committed team, delivering a high standard of care and rehabilitation. Our Rehabilitation Support Workers and Clinical Team thrive on working together to enable our service users to be as independent as possible and achieve their rehabilitation goals.

Your main duties will be;
- To work with service users as guided by the registered therapist(s) across all disciplines i.e. occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, in order to meet outcomes/goals.
- To enable, guide and support our service users with acquired brain injuries in the performance of daily living skills and impairment level therapy activities on the unit, in their own homes and in the community.
- To assist the service users to practice, reinforce and generalise specific skills and behaviours. The range may include but is not limited to the following: kitchen skills, personal care, indoor and outdoor mobility, transfers, cognitive re-training, upper limb exercises, speech and language exercises, safe swallowing and social communication practice.
- To promote effective communication with service users, relatives, carers and colleagues. Accurately relaying relatives/carers comments to the clinical team. Assist service users in maintaining effective communications, and when necessary to provide service users with the means to express, using alternative and augmentative communication systems if necessary.
- To promote positive reinforcement of socially acceptable behaviours and model appropriate boundaries whilst maintaining a consistent approach.
- To provide assistance to and support the clinical team in the planning and delivery of individually tailored therapeutic programmes of care and rehabilitation.
- To consistently follow therapeutic programmes as designed by the clinical team, gain informed and valid consent and provide detailed feedback and monitoring and take an active role feeding into the assessment and evaluation of the programme.

**Rewards**

You can look forward to excellent benefits, including handy discounts on many brands and services.
- A competitive salary of £38,000 plus £1 per hour location allowance
- 33 days holiday including bank holidays
- Group Life assurance
- Employer pension contribution
- Eye voucher scheme
- Long service and staff awards
- Nationwide employee staff discounts incl. gym membership, eating out and shopping.

We also put a big focus on employee wellbeing and support. It matters to us that you feel at your best. Career development is a priority. We will ensure you get all the training and learning opportunities you need to achieve your goals.

The Disabilities Trust is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive organisation. It’s a place where we recognise, celebrate, and live our values which includes offering a range of inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support employees from all backgrounds.