Job summary

The post holder will work as part of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), avoiding preventable admissions to the acute hospital settings. Assist with delivering nursing and therapy care as part of a multi-professional service/team, in the patient's own home or community setting. Undertake visits and holistic assessment of needs and assist with ongoing management of personalised care, thus reducing the need for an acute admission. The post holder will support their peers and team leader and be an effective team member whilst working within their scope of practice. They will supervise Band 3 support workers in the team. They will be committed to collaborative working and actively supporting and liaising with other health and social professionals and agencies.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for organising and prioritising own workload in the day-to-day allocation of work. Carry out assessments in patients' own homes within the scope of practice and guidelines. Contribute to and identify care planning and delivery in the patient's own home. To be able to independently manage a rapidly changing patient caseload with support from senior members of the team. To have organisational knowledge relating to Trust protocols and procedures, and adhere to them, particularly the administration of medicine and moving and handling. To be responsible for providing accurate records of information required by the Trust for audit purposes, which is a true representation of the interventions you provide for patients under your care. Will be able to respond quickly to emergency situations in the community.

Details

• Date posted: 02 November 2026
• Closing date: 13 November 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 4
• Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: NDD-002381
• Job locations: Woodbury Unit, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, E11 1NR, United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

 

 

We are seeking a motivated Assistant Practitioner (Nursing Associate qualified) to join our dynamic Rapid Response Team, delivering urgent community-based care to patients in their own homes.

This role focuses on supporting the prevention of unnecessary hospital admissions and providing responsive care within the community by delivering high-quality clinical care, monitoring, treatment, and rehabilitation support to patients experiencing acute illness or requiring short-term intervention. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will collaborate closely with Registered Nurses, GPs, therapists, social care, and acute services to ensure seamless, patient-centred care.

Working under the direction and supervision of a Registered Practitioner, you will undertake delegated assessments, contribute to care planning, deliver a range of clinical interventions within your scope of practice, and support the coordination of care packages. You will play a key role in promoting patient independence, supporting rehabilitation, monitoring patient progress, and escalating concerns appropriately.

The post holder will be expected to work autonomously within agreed competencies, provide holistic care, maintain accurate clinical records, and act as an advocate for patients and their carers. You will also support the development of colleagues, contribute to service improvement initiatives, and help ensure the safe and effective day-to-day delivery of the Rapid Response service.

 

The Assistant Practitioner will support all clinical practitioners within the Rapid Response Team, including Registered Nurses and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), in the delivery of assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing care. This will involve undertaking delegated clinical tasks, supporting patient interventions, monitoring progress, and contributing to the achievement of positive patient outcomes while promoting independence and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Working for Us Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT. They are:

• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT (delete for internal only)

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.

Probationary Period This post will be subject to a probationary period.

 

Select One:

High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London (B&D, Goodmayes, Redbridge, Havering and Waltham Forest) This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 p.a. pro rata for part time).

High Cost Area Supplement – Fringe (Basildon, Thurrock, Brentwood, Harlow and Dartford only) This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,303 to a maximum of £2,198 p.a. pro rata for part time)

 

Certificates of Sponsorship Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

 

Use of AI

We value applications that genuinely reflect each candidate’s own skills, experience and motivations. We therefore strongly discourage the use of AI-generated content in applications.

Applications should be written in your own words and accurately represent your knowledge, skills and experience.

We reserve the right to reject an application where we reasonably believe AI has been used to generate or materially contribute to its content.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Please apply as soon as possible as some posts close early to limit the number of applications.

 

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
• Nurse Associate Foundation Degree
• Foundation Degree
• for Assistant
• Practitioner in
• nursing or equivalent
• relevant qualification.
• Good standard of
• written and spoken
• English and maths.
• Demonstrates a
• commitment to further
• learning &
• development

Desirable

• N/A

Experience

Essential

• Minimum two years
• experience in a band
• 3 level
• Previous experience in a therapy and/or nursing acute or community setting
• Willingness to develop new skills.

Desirable

• N/A

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.

About us

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and community services for over 4.9 million people living in the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and across Essex. We work to ensure our patients, their friends and family, feel confident that their health needs are well met. With an excellent reputation for research and development, our skilled health professionals are at the cutting edge of evidence-based innovation, opening up the possibilities for better ways of working and delivery of care.

Employer details

• Employer name: NELFT North East London Foundation Trust
• Address: Woodbury Unit, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, E11 1NR, United Kingdom
• Employer's website: https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/