Band 5 to Band 6 Developmental Occupational Therapist

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health trust in the UK is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join the Community Team for Adults with Learning Disabilities in Milton Keynes. This role involves providing specialist evidence-based therapy assessments and interventions for service users. The successful candidate will work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care. Ideal candidates will have strong knowledge of occupational therapy practices, risk management, and a passion for improving the well-being of individuals with complex needs.

Qualifications

• Skilled in providing evidence-based occupational therapy services.
• Competent in risk assessment and management for service users.
• Knowledgeable about mental health and safeguarding principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist occupational therapy assessments for service users.
• Develop care plans in partnership with service users.
• Implement and evaluate occupational therapy interventions.

Skills

Occupational Therapy

Mental Capacity Act understanding

Clinical reasoning

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Job description

A Vacancy at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

The Community Team for Adults with a Learning Disability (CTALD) team has 6 specialist Learning Disability (LD) pathways within the service; Psychiatry, Psychology, Speech and Language (SLT), Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. The CTALD is a specialist integrated health and social care team providing experience and expertise in meeting the needs of and providing a service to residents of Milton Keynes who are over 18 and have a diagnosis of a learning disability.

The post-holder will be a skilled and competent worker who works in a non-aversive, person centred and therapeutic way. The post holder will work under the supervision of the Specialist Occupational Therapist and as part of a multi-disciplinary team in delivering a high quality, innovative service to people with a learning disability and complex needs.

The main task will be to provide a high quality, evidence based Occupational Therapy Service. Promoting participation and functional activity through focused and goal led interventions, promoting individual rights, independence choice and inclusion. Occupational Therapist services are provided in the most appropriate setting for the services user i.e. home, day centres, schools/colleges, leisure centres, work placements or respite units.

There’s a place for you at CNWL.

We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

• To provide specialist, culturally appropriate, evidence based occupational therapy assessments for service users within the team to establish and meet their occupational needs.
• To obtain Service User consent with a demonstrable understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), management of Best Interests decisions and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of complex health and social care needs including risk management.
• To attend Preceptorship as directed by CNWL Practice Education Lead.
• To select and use validated standardised assessment tools routinely in practice, exhibiting clinical reasoning skills; to include the use of models of practice to inform thinking.
• To apply specialist clinical knowledge and expertise to carry out evidence based occupational therapy interventions, both individual and in groups, which are underpinned by relevant theoretical approaches and in line with the Trust’s Research and Development Strategy.
• To plan, implement and review individually tailored programmes of intervention, including sensory based interventions using individual and group work approaches.
• To support service users and colleagues to ensure that care plans are developed in partnership with the individual and that they reflect person centred goals.
• To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions against clear aims, objectives and outcome measures in line with evidence-based practice and in conjunction with service users, carers and other professionals.
• To identify opportunities and needs for group work in the inpatient and community setting and to plan, implement, facilitate and evaluate groups which promote social inclusion for service users to improve quality of life and wellbeing.
• To determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on service user’s functional ability and undertake assessment/make recommendations with regards to the provision of equipment/aids and adaptations.
• To be aware of medication issues in line with the CNWL OT Medication Management Guidelines and STOMP initiative.
• To follow local protocol and obtain recommended equipment and/or liaise with local providers of equipment to ensure provision as appropriate.
• To proactively undertake and ensure risk assessment & risk management strategies are applied
• To work in partnership with other agencies and offer supervision and guidance to external agencies as required.
• For Practitioners to be aware of and sensitive to the safeguarding needs of children and adults in their work, and knowledgeable both about potential indicators of abuse or neglect and about what to do if they had concerns about a child's or adult's welfare.
• To identify carers needs in line with CPA policy and national requirements.
• To support service users in relation to their physical health, employment, and housing and welfare issues; referring to specialist provider services as necessary.
• To facilitate smooth transitions for service users between paediatrics to adult services, hospital settings and community settings.
• To undertake departmental clerical/administrative work e.g. monthly statistics, standard letters, filing, photocopying, maintaining stock levels etc
• To ensure that manually/electronically recorded data are accurate and timely in accordance with department requirements
• To provide clinical leadership for junior / unqualified staff through supervision and appraisal as required.
• To act as an educator to students on practice placement.

This advert closes on Thursday 11 Dec 2025