Assistant Practitioner - Discharge to Assess Team

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare.

Be part of a service that is redefining how health and social care work together. Home First, a pioneering partnership between Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) and Kent County Council, is at the forefront of the NHS vision.

We support people to return home from hospital safely and confidently, helping them regain independence in the place they know best: their own home. From the day of discharge, our dedicated team of Home First Support Workers, Assessors and Team Leads provide early intervention, personalised support and seamless coordination with health, social care and voluntary sector partners.

We take time to understand each person's unique situation, strengths and goals, creating tailored plans that may include care support, specialist equipment or connections to community organisations such as Age UK. By focusing on what matters most to individuals, we help people recover faster, reduce reliance on hospital-based care and achieve greater independence.

If you're passionate about person-centred care, collaborative working and being part of the future direction of the NHS, Home First offers a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference every day. Join us and help transform lives through integrated, community-based care., Join the Discharge to Assess (D2A) team and play a vital role in helping people move safely from hospital to the next stage of their recovery. As part of the innovative Home First model, D2A supports individuals who no longer require an acute hospital bed but need further assessment to determine their long-term health and social care needs.

Working within hospital Transfer of Care Teams, you'll collaborate with a wide range of partners including acute trusts, Kent County Council, Continuing Healthcare, community services and voluntary organisations. You'll support people with a variety of needs, including complex care requirements, end of life assessments and those recovering from orthopaedic treatment.

This is a rewarding role where compassion, communication and teamwork are at the heart of everything. You'll be a key point of contact for patients, relatives, carers and partner organisations, helping to guide people through what can often be an uncertain and challenging time.

Your varied day may include triaging referrals, supporting registered clinicians, liaising with care providers and care homes, speaking with patients and families, and using a range of IT and healthcare systems. Full training will be provided.

Based at Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells Hospital, with hybrid working available, this is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking service that is transforming patient care across Kent., We know life outside work matters.As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.

Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values:Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.