Therapeutic Assistant Needed at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Apply Now)

If you have a degree or professional training in a relevant field and want to build a clinical career working with children and young people in a specialist NHS environment, this post in Wolverhampton is genuinely worth a close look. It sits within the CAMHS Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) Assessment Pathway at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which means your day-to-day work would involve supporting autism assessments for children and young people across the Black Country region. That is not an entry-level admin role dressed up as clinical work; it involves direct involvement in structured observations, multi-agency panels and report production alongside occupational therapists, psychologists, art therapists and speech and language therapists.

The pay sits at NHS Agenda for Change Band 4, which from April 2026 runs from £28,392 to £31,157 per year for a 37.5-hour working week. That is a solid level for a role that does not require full professional registration, and it reflects the genuine clinical responsibility the post carries. The trust also holds a CQC rating of Good and has a stated commitment to the Real Living Wage, flexible working, and anti-racist practice, which tells you something about what it values beyond job descriptions.

For international candidates, the headline detail is that Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is open to Skilled Worker visa sponsorship applications and will consider them alongside all others. The West Midlands location is also worth noting: Wolverhampton sits at the heart of a region with affordable housing, good transport links and a diverse, well-established community, making it a realistic relocation destination in a way that some higher-cost UK cities are not.

Job Overview

What You’d Actually Be Doing

• Supporting autism assessments under clinical supervision. You will assist qualified clinical staff in carrying out ASC diagnostic assessments for children and young people. This is not a passive role; you will work independently according to agreed plans within the team’s framework, which means clinical responsibility is real from day one.
• Conducting structured observations across multiple settings. You will observe clients in clinic rooms, schools, family homes and community environments. Getting out into different settings is a consistent feature of this work, so if you want variety in where you spend your days, this role provides it.
• Attending MDT and multi-agency panel meetings. You will contribute to multi-disciplinary team discussions and take part in the multi-agency ASC diagnostic panels where decisions about autism diagnoses are made. Your observations and data will feed directly into those conversations.
• Collecting data and producing clinical reports and summaries. A meaningful part of the role involves writing up assessment findings, producing structured summaries and using standard software to process and present clinical data. Strong written communication skills matter here.
• Gathering multi-agency information to support panel decisions. You will liaise with and gather assessment information from other agencies, including schools, social services and community organisations. The breadth of that contact work is wider than most Band 4 roles.
• Assisting with audit and evaluation activities. Under the guidance of clinical staff, you will help with the ongoing audit and quality evaluation work of the CAMHS ASC Pathway. This gives you exposure to service improvement processes that are usually reserved for more senior grades.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of legislation and policy. You will be expected to keep current with relevant legislation and national guidance relating to children, young people and their families within the CAMHS context.
• Receiving and contributing to both clinical and managerial supervision. Supervision is a formal part of this role, which is a genuine support structure and a sign that the trust takes professional development at this grade seriously.

Who They’re Looking For

Must-haves (essential criteria):

• A degree or equivalent professional training in a relevant field (such as psychology, education, social work, occupational therapy or a related discipline)
• Experience of working with children and young people in either a clinical or educational setting

Nice-to-haves (desirable criteria):

• Not specified in the listing beyond the essential criteria, though the trust notes it values potential and transferable experience and welcomes applications from people who do not tick every box

If you have a relevant degree and some hands-on experience with children or young people, whether in schools, community settings, youth work or clinical placements, you are well placed to apply. The person specification here is deliberately lean, and the trust has been clear that it wants to hear from people who bring relevant experience even if it does not follow a conventional path.

What Most Applicants Get Wrong

1. Applying with a CV that reads like a list of qualifications rather than a demonstration of clinical and observational skills. For a therapeutic assistant role in a CAMHS autism pathway, hiring panels want to see evidence that you understand how to work with children in complex assessment environments. A degree alone, without showing what you have actually done with or around children and young people, will not carry an application far.
2. Writing a personal statement that is vague about the autism and CAMHS context. Many applicants describe their interest in working with children generally without demonstrating any understanding of what an autism assessment pathway actually involves, what multi-agency working looks like in practice, or why structured observation across different settings matters. The trust has provided enough detail in the job description for you to speak specifically about the work. Candidates who do not use that detail look underprepared.
3. Treating the interview as a knowledge test about autism rather than a values and competency assessment. Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has an explicit focus on its values, including compassion, responsibility and empowerment. CAMHS panels typically ask scenario-based questions about how you would handle situations involving distress, communication barriers, safeguarding concerns or disagreements within a team. Candidates who have only prepared clinical content answers are regularly caught out.

How to Apply (and Actually Get Noticed)

1. Read both the job description and person specification documents carefully before writing anything. The trust has attached the full job description and person spec as PDFs on the Trac listing. Download and read both in full; the advert text gives you less than half the picture.
2. Note the trust’s warning in the advert: they may close the listing early if application volume is high. Given this was posted recently and closes 28 April 2026, do not delay. Apply as soon as your documents are ready.
3. Create or log in to your Trac account at apps.trac.jobs and complete the application through that portal. You cannot apply directly through the jobVisa listing; all applications go through Trac.
4. Tailor your supporting statement to the specific setting. Mention autism assessment, multi-agency working, structured observation and CAMHS directly. Do not write a general statement about working with children; write one about this particular kind of work.
5. If you have experience across different environments with children (schools, clinics, community settings, home visits), highlight that explicitly. The observation and multi-setting elements of this role are central to it, and showing you understand what that looks like in practice will strengthen your application significantly.
6. If you are an international applicant requiring sponsorship, confirm your understanding of the Skilled Worker visa process within your application. The trust welcomes sponsored applications, but your clinical and supporting statement still needs to be competitive on its own merits.
7. If you have not heard back within two weeks of the closing date, the trust has indicated you have not been shortlisted. They also note that shortlisted candidates are usually contacted within two weeks, so keep an eye on your email.

Visa and Eligibility

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that it welcomes applications from candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship and will consider those applications alongside all others. This is explicit in the listing, not just implied, which means international applicants can apply with confidence that their application will be assessed fairly.

The role sits at NHS AfC Band 4. From April 2026, the Band 4 entry salary of £28,392 meets the general Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, which means this post should be eligible for sponsorship without requiring a salary exception. That said, candidates should confirm this directly with the trust’s recruitment team before applying, as individual circumstances and visa conditions can vary.

As with all sponsored NHS roles, if you have lived outside the UK for 12 or more months cumulatively over the past 10 years, you will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from the relevant country as part of the visa application process. Full guidance on this requirement is available on the criminal records checks for overseas applicants page of the UK government website. For broader Skilled Worker visa guidance, visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the most common questions people ask about this Therapeutic Assistant role at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, including eligibility, interview format, visa requirements and what to expect from the application process.

What qualifications do I need to apply for this therapeutic assistant role in the NHS?

The essential qualification is a degree or equivalent professional training in a relevant field. Relevant fields include psychology, education, social work, occupational therapy and related disciplines. You do not need a specialist autism qualification, but you do need a degree-level foundation and some experience of working with children or young people.

What does an NHS ASC Assessment Pathway therapeutic assistant actually do day to day?

A therapeutic assistant in the ASC Assessment Pathway supports autism assessments for children and young people, carries out structured observations in schools, homes and clinics, contributes to multi-agency diagnostic panel meetings, and produces clinical data and reports. The role involves real clinical responsibility alongside supervision from qualified staff.

Is this therapeutic assistant post suitable for someone who has worked in education rather than healthcare?

Yes, the person specification specifically mentions experience in an educational setting as a valid alternative to a clinical background. If you have worked as a teaching assistant, learning support worker or in a school SEND team and hold a relevant degree, you are eligible to apply.

Does Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for Band 4 roles?

Yes, the trust has confirmed it welcomes applications from candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for this specific post. Applications from overseas candidates will be considered on equal terms alongside UK-based applicants.

How competitive is this therapeutic assistant role likely to be?

The trust has flagged in the advert that it may close early due to high application volume, which suggests these kinds of CAMHS roles attract strong interest. A well-tailored supporting statement that addresses the autism pathway context specifically and demonstrates relevant experience with children is essential to standing out at shortlisting.

What is the salary for a Band 4 NHS role in England from April 2026?

From 1 April 2026, NHS Agenda for Change Band 4 salaries in England range from £28,392 at entry point to £31,157 at the top of the band. Progression through the band is based on years of experience at that grade, with three years required to move from entry to the top point.

Will I need a DBS check to work in this CAMHS therapeutic assistant role?

Yes. Because this role involves direct contact with children and young people, it is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. This is standard for all NHS CAMHS posts and having a criminal record does not automatically prevent employment; the trust considers the role and individual circumstances.

What is it like to work at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust?

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed in 2020 through the merger of two NHS trusts and currently employs over 4,000 staff. It holds a CQC rating of Good, pays the Real Living Wage, and has published an anti-racist declaration. The trust covers Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, providing CAMHS, adult mental health and specialist learning disability services.

Can I contact someone informally before applying for this post?

Yes. The listing names Greg Grainger, ASC Assessment Pathway Team Lead, as the contact for informal enquiries. His direct telephone number is 01902 444021. Reaching out before you apply to ask a thoughtful question about the team or the work can help you tailor your application and also signals genuine interest to the panel.

Official Application Link

To apply, visit the official listing for the Therapeutic Assistant, ASC Assessment Pathway role at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on the NHS Jobs platform via Trac.

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