Band 4 Technical Instructor – Education and Volunteer

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting for a Band 4 Technical Instructor – Education and Volunteer in Birmingham. The post is an 18-month fixed-term contract, full-time (37 hours per week) with a salary of £28,392–£31,157 per annum, pro rata for the period.

The role focuses on leading an education and volunteering pilot and coordinating across six regional teams. You will need strong negotiation and interpersonal skills, experience with challenging behaviours,

Qualifications

• Experience of working with external partners and agencies.
• Experience with complex clients needing interpretation due to LDA needs.
• Knowledge of the role of Occupational Therapy.
• Ability to recognise distress and mental illness signs and follow risk management plans and community emergency procedures.
• Experience of employment services.
• Experience of data sharing with other agencies.
• Experience/qualification related to employment services.
• Experience of working in a multicultural community.

Responsibilities

• Hold and manage a caseload of service users transitioning from secure care or living in the community under the care of FIRST's forensic community team.
• Provide education and volunteering opportunities, liaise with services, complete risk assessments, and support travel training.

Job description

Band 4 Technical Instructor – Education and Volunteer

Band 4

Main area Secure care Grade Band 4 Contract 18 months (Fixed Term) Hours Full time - 37 hours per week (9-5 some flexibility) Job ref 436-8231110

Site FIRST - Main House Town Northfield Birmingham Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 16/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 29/09/2026

Please note that this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Job overview

This is a unique opportunity to lead on an 18 month pilot that aims to engage and promote access to education and volunteering opportunities for this under the care of FIRST.

Not all of our service users are work ready on leaving secure care, opportunities are challenging due to their functional capabilities and general inequalities.

This post requires someone with high level negotiation and interpersonal skills with a insight of the challenges faced by people in secure care, and their journey into the community.

You will need to have experience of managing challenging behaviours, compassionate and client centred.

You will also need to have experience of working proactively in recovery focussed practices and be able to adapt according to individual needs.

You will be working across 6 regional teams and need to be able to travel independently to support clients and form networks of services.

Main duties of the job

Under the guidance of the Lead Occupational Therapist your role will be hold and manage a caseload of service users either in transition from a secure service or living in the community under the care of the forensic community team FIRST.

As part of their continued recovery, you will offer advice, opportunity and support the service user access to educational courses, volunteer opportunities. This will involve liaison with the services, risk assessment, and use of public transport to assist travel training.

Working for our organisation

Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.

We are unable to support applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work the United Kingdom (UK)

Person specification

skills and expereince

• Experience of working with external partners and agencies
• Experience of working with complex clients whose needs may require interpretation due to LDA needs
• Can demonstrate an understanding of the role of Occupational Therapy
• Can recognise the signs of distress, mental illness symptoms and act in accordance with the risk management plans and community emergency procedures.
• Experience of employment services
• Experience of managing data sharing with other agencies
• Experience/qualification related to employment services
• Experience of working in a multicultural community

Training and qualification

• Relevant level 4 qualification or Relevant level 3 qualification and extensive community care experience
• Has experience of addressing stigma and addressing barriers to support people with mental illness
• Good attendance and sickness record
• Commitment to anti -discriminatory practice

Our Trust is committed to treating individuals fairly and ensuring they have the same opportunities to fulfil their potential, even if this means doing things differently for different people sometimes. We are working hard to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity within Birmingham and Solihull and that our services meet the needs of all diverse service users and carers.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safe recruitment practice pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. As part of the selection process you may be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, however all cases of criminal record history are dealt with on a case by case basis.

Please note, if applicable for your role you will be required to cover the cost of your DBS certificate. This will be deducted from your salary over 3 months. You will also be required to sign up to the DBS Update Service before commencement with the Trust. The Trust will reimburse this. You will be contractually obliged to maintain your subscription.

All successful applicants will be required to complete the Trust’s induction programme. The Fundamental (Statutory and Mandatory) training will be in an e-learning format. You will be required to complete training modules online (approx. 9-14 hours depending on post) by the end of your second week with us.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process we may contact you via email to advise you of the interview details. Please ensure you access your email account from which you applied regularly once the position has closed. Our selection process may involve more than one interview or assessment.

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK) are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. However, please ensure that you check if this role meets the eligibility criteria for sponsorship. Non UK /Republic of Ireland candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Browse: Work in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . The minimum salary threshold for a Health and Social Care is £25,000 and for the Skilled Worker route is £38,700. If the starting salary for this role is below this, we will not be able to provide sponsorship.

Relocation expenses may be reimbursed subject to eligibility. The policy provides for reimbursement up to £8,000.

Please note - if you are applying for a role within Police custody, due to Police Vetting requirements you must have been a UK resident for the last years.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

Name Marie Walker Job title Lead Occupational Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0121 301 3139

Kelly Packer - administrator 0121 301 3139