Physiotherapy assistant

Physiotherapy assistants help physiotherapists to treat patients, doing a number of jobs that are essential to the physiotherapist’s work. They look after patients on their arrival for treatment, set up and clear away equipment, work on exercises with patients and show them how to use mobility aids such as wheelchairs. They have clerical duties such as booking appointments and writing notes.

Work activities

Physiotherapy assistants work with patients of any age. Patients might have lost the ability to move properly because of an injury, illness or physical impairment. Assistants support physiotherapists in treating people and in rehabilitation, for example, enabling people who have had strokes to learn how to walk again or to use their hands again after paralysis. Assistants help physiotherapists to deliver treatments in many ways, including through exercise, massage, fitness classes, hydrotherapy, and heat and ice.

Physiotherapy assistants greet patients when they arrive for treatment. This is a good opportunity to reassure anxious patients, listen to their concerns, answer questions and explain what they should expect from seeing the physiotherapist. Assistants could also be talking to and advising the patient’s family members or carers at this point. Before treatment begins, the assistant will have set up the physiotherapist’s room and prepared the equipment needed for treatment. Afterwards, they put equipment away and keep the treatment room clean and tidy.

During treatment, assistants help in moving and handling the patient. They can also take the patient through basic treatments and exercise programmes, according to the physiotherapist’s instructions. They encourage and motivate patients to perform the exercises but will monitor them carefully to make sure they are doing them correctly and not risking further injury. Some assistants work unsupervised in carrying out set exercise programmes. They record any changes in the patient’s condition and report them to the physiotherapist. Assistants also have clerical duties such as keeping accurate patient notes and records. They need to file patients’ records correctly after using them. Assistants might input data on to a computer. They also book appointments and send out routine letters. Physiotherapy assistants help to maintain equipment, store materials and order replacement parts when needed.

Personal qualities and skills

To be a physiotherapy assistant, you’ll need:

• The ability to get on with patients from all backgrounds.
• Patience, tact and understanding.
• The ability to encourage, persuade and reassure people.
• Listening skills.
• The ability to explain things clearly.
• Teamwork skills.
• Clerical skills for record keeping and booking appointments.
• Physical fitness, as this is an active job.

You’ll learn moving and handling techniques and will use equipment to help in this.

Pay and opportunities

Physiotherapy assistants working within the NHS usually start on band 2 at £22,383. Usually they work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Most employment is in the NHS, in virtually every department from general outpatients to intensive care. Assistants also work in the community, providing treatment and advice for patients in their own homes, in nursing homes, day centres and health centres. Other employment areas are private health care, industry, education (including special schools), leisure and sport, voluntary organisations, and private practice, supporting the work of a qualified physiotherapist. Opportunities for physiotherapy assistants occur in towns, cities and rural areas throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Jobs are advertised on the NHS Jobs website, in local newspapers, on job boards and on the Government’s Find a Job and Find an Apprenticeship services.

Entry routes and training

People usually apply directly for vacancies and then have on-the-job training. A level 2 (intermediate) apprenticeship in the role of healthcare support worker, or a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship in the role of senior healthcare support worker, are good ways into this role.

Training covers areas such as health and safety, working in teams, moving and handling, maintaining records and monitoring stock. A number of universities offer part-time courses that they have designed specifically for physiotherapy assistants who want to become physiotherapists.

With experience, you could take on more advanced work. In the NHS, this includes being promoted to an assistant practitioner post. Some employers enable experienced physiotherapy assistants to study part-time for a degree in physiotherapy to become registered physiotherapists.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: This career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

To get onto an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although if you don’t have these you may be able to gain them as part of your course.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have experience in related care posts, and relevant health and social care qualifications.

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