This page explains why and how Band 2 roles should be put forward for regarding. It should be read alongside this hub's guides to job evaluation and regrading claims.
Why should Band 2 associates consider a regrading claim?
The CSP believes that most NHS Band 2 physiotherapy support workers are incorrectly graded and are entitled to a higher grading level and rate of pay.
In recent years, physiotherapy support worker roles have developed and expanded alongside registered roles. In part, this has been driven by the development of new initiatives such as apprenticeship schemes, and vocational training & qualifications.
However, while roles have developed, the review of job grades has often been neglected – leading to underbanding.
As outlined in our guide to job matching, most NHS roles have been matched to a national job profile, determining their pay grade.
For a Band 2 support worker, the crux of your regrading claim will likely be that your role has been inappropriately matched to a Band 2 national job profile - when it should be matched to a Band 3 or higher role.
(There are national job profiles for Physiotherapy Support Workers and Therapy Support Workers at Bands 2 and 3, and a Therapy Support Worker profile at Band 4. Most Band 2 jobs will have been matched to the Band 2 Physiotherapy Support Worker profile.)
What should be the difference between Band 2 and Band 3 physiotherapy support workers?
A Band 3 physiotherapy support worker is expected to be able to deliver care within scope to a delegated caseload of patients and assist other clinicians in delivering care. This may include undertaking therapeutic interventions, using developed physical skills, and routine assessment skills.
A support worker should only be on a Band 2 salary where the expectations for clinical care are narrow and confined to ‘assisting’ only, e.g., they are expected to assist a physiotherapist by undertaking specific, prescribed tasks with no independent decision-making about patient care. Indications of a ‘true’ Band 2 role could be:
- Undertaking only easily learnt and routine tasks.
- Limited responsibility for delivering clinical/therapy treatments or treatment programmes
- Where clinical treatments are undertaken, they are routine and simple, with little requirement to vary the treatments, and no requirement to assess outcomes or patient progression responses to the care being delivered.
- Patient care is delivered with the support and oversight of a clinician.
- No expectation of knowledge needed to take responsibility for making decisions, particularly about patient care and the delivery of therapeutic treatments
- Patients have simple non-complex conditions, with limited or no exposure to patients with mental health issues, cognitive issues, high levels of morbidity or who are terminally ill.
- Limited expectations for administrative tasks that are not routine
If you are paid a Band 2 salary but your scope of your role is greater than what is laid out above, you should pursue a regrading claim.
Making a regrading claim
To push for an collective or individual regarding, associates working at Band 2 should work through our guide to regrading, which lays out the steps you should take to open a collective or individual claim.
Read this alongside our supplementary guidance on evaluating Band 2/3 roles, which highlights the key factors used in deciding if a support worker job should be matched to a Band 2 or 3 profile.
In addition, these further resources are helpful in preparing a regarding claim:
- Our supplementary guidance on documenting the demands of your role provides prompts to assist you in documenting the nature of your job.
- CSP’s optimising capability in the physiotherapy support worker workforce, although not a guide to job banding, sets out the knowledge, experience and skills expected of support workers working with different levels of practice.
Contact us to let us know if you’ve been successful with a collective or individual regrading claim.