Band 7 Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

BHR Hospitals; Romford; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

BHRUT is seeking a Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join the Acute Frailty Therapy Team at Queen’s Hospital, Romford. The role focuses on early assessment, rapid discharge planning, and autonomous practice within an integrated MDT.

You will lead the team, supervise peers and students, and contribute to policy development. Strong leadership, clinical expertise in acute frailty, and the ability to drive efficient patient flow are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC Registration.
• Evidence of recent CPD.
• Leadership training.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist standard of Occupational Therapy service to acute elderly/medical patients.
• Give highly specialist guidance and education to the MDT.
• Provide leadership for the OT team in planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the service.
• Lead role in teaching, supervising and appraising peers and students.
• deputise in absence of senior colleagues as required.
• Contribute to running and development of the service through policies, procedures and guidelines.

Skills

Leadership

Assessment skills

Discharge planning

Autonomous practice

Geriatric care

Mental Capacity Act knowledge

Education

Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

CPD evidence

Leadership training

Job description

Band 7 Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

Band 7

Main area BHRUT Therapies Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 162-8001-CCS

Site Queen's Hospital Town Romford Salary £55,524 - £62,652 per annum inclusive Salary period Yearly Closing 01/11/2026 23:59

PEOPLE are at the HEART of everything we do

This video gives a flavour of what it is like to work at our Trust and why some of our staff love working here

We are looking for a dynamic and motivated Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join our Acute Frailty Therapy Team.

We are a large group of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants with a passion for the care of frail and elderly patients. We work closely with the larger Multidisciplinary Team to care for acutely unwell frail patients attending the hospital and through collaborative decision making with our colleagues we facilitate safe and rapid discharge from hospital. We are based in Queen’s Emergency Department, Frailty and Medical Same Day Emergency Care, Queen’s Frailty Unit and one inpatient ward in Queen’s Hospital.

As a Band 7 Occupational Therapist in a large and busy team you will be required to demonstrate strong leadership skills and be confident to work as an autonomous practitioner with a focus on early assessment and discharge planning with rapid and robust decision-making essential for efficient patient flow. You will be familiar with the assessment of patients with diverse presentations including complex physical, cognitive, and psychological health conditions within elderly and medical specialties.
The team is an integrated service with Physiotherapy, and you will be supported by Band 7 Occupational Therapists, a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist and a Band 8a Clinical Lead. The team is very supportive and there are lots of opportunities to develop both clinical and non-clinical skills.

Main duties of the job

To provide specialist standard of Occupational Therapy service to patients within the acute elderly/medical service with a special focus on the Queen's Frailty Unit, Frailty RAFT (Ambulance Streaming Area), Medical Receiving Unit and Elderly Short Stay Unit, facilitating and maximising patient potential within the service boundaries using a holistic approach.

To give highly specialist guidance, advice and education to other members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) on matters relating to your specialist area.

Provide leadership for your team (in conjunction with the Clinical Leads) in planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Occupational Therapy service provided to patients within your area.

To provide a lead role in teaching, supervising and appraising peers, Band 6, Band 5, Student Occupational Therapists and Generic Therapy Assistants

To deputise in the absence of senior colleagues as required both within management and clinical areas.

To contribute to the running and development of the service through the promotion, adaptation and development of policies, procedures and guidelines using evidence-based practise.

Undertake supervision, mentoring and performance development plans to promote clinical and professional effectiveness of self and others. This includes performance management, management of disciplinary issues in liaison with Therapy Manager.

Working for our organisation

We’re an organisation that is getting better and better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we’re proud of and our patients are happy with.

They are benefitting from a new electronic patient record (we were the last acute trust in London to introduce one) and our maternity services have been rated good by the Care Quality Commission.

We operate from two main sites – KGH in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 346,000 people visiting them last year. We’re campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen’s and get rid of corridor care.

We’re proud of our regional Neurosciences Centre, Radiotherapy Centre and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. We’re also part of the North East London Cancer Alliance.

We run a Women’s Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub. These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The majority of our 8,400 staff – who come from 146 different countries - live in the three diverse London boroughs we serve and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 of them are on our Ofsted accredited apprenticeship programmes. We’re proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

The person specification listed below is not the full specification requirements for the role. Please ensure you review the full specification on the job description prior to submitting your application.

Applicants are advised to read all the information on the advert and the supporting information before completing and submitting an application. As you complete your application please ensure you clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification for this post by adequately completing the supporting information section of the application form.

All new staff appointed at the Trust are subject to a probationary period.

Applications should be made online, however, queries regarding the application process, assistance with completion of the application form or if you require any adjustments (for applicants with a disability) please contact Sarah Wood, Recruitment Advisor, on 01708 435000 ext. 4188. Further details regarding the post may be obtained by contacting the manager as per the contact details above.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• H.C.P.C. Registration.
• Evidence of recent and relevant CPD.
• Leadership training.

Skills / Abilities

• Strong knowledge of medical conditions, and their impact on cognitive, physical & social functioning
• Highly skilled in the assessment and treatment of patients presenting with common pathologies including dementia, delirium and falls
• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of best practise and current research in acute elderly/frailty and medical care
• Highly skilled in the application of relevant cognitive assessments to inform OT treatment planning and intervention in a medical setting.
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and supportive supervisory skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and experience in carrying out Mental Capacity Assessments in accordance to the Mental Capacity Act
• Evidence of developing service provision.

Experience / Knowledge

• To have a broad base of experience at Band 5 and Band 6 levels or equivalent.
• Proven clinical experience in the relevant field of acute frailty during Band 6 rotations in an acute hospital setting.
• Training of junior staff and MDT in relevant conditions, treatment and management.
• Supervision of Junior staff
• Recent clinical experience and knowledge in spinal patients
• Experience of working in a rapid assessment area or Emergency Department
• Training of Occupational Therapy students

Before you apply

Using AI

We recognise that more applicants are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support their job applications and welcome the responsible use of these technologies.
AI can be a useful tool to help organise your thoughts, improve the structure of your application and support your preparation. However, your application should remain an authentic and accurate reflection of your skills, experience, and knowledge.
We encourage you to review the person specification carefully and provide clear examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role. Any information submitted as part of your application must be accurate, truthful, and based on your experience.
Throughout our recruitment process, we value honesty, integrity, and authenticity. We want to understand what you can bring to BHRUT, so please ensure that your application reflects your own capabilities and achievements.
AI should not be used to misrepresent your skills, qualifications, and experience.

Flexible working

We welcome applications from candidates seeking flexible working or job sharing where service needs allow.

Pre-employment checks

Please provide references from your current or most recent employer, including your line manager or supervisor. Successful applicants will also be required to complete pre-employment checks, including identity verification through TrustID and any role-specific clearances.

Certificate of Sponsorship

In line with UKVI guidance, we are unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship for Band 2 and Band 3 roles.

Recruitment process

We may close vacancies before the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of applications. All communication regarding your application will be sent by email, so please check your inbox and junk folder regularly.

Inclusion

BHRUT is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Applicants who declare a disability under the Equality Act 2010 or identify as a Care Leaver and choose to be considered under our Disability Confident or Care Leaver schemes will be guaranteed an interview where they meet the essential criteria.

Safeguarding

BHRUT is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk. All employees are expected to share this commitment and follow the Trust's safeguarding policies.

Smoke-free Trust

BHRUT is a smoke-free Trust. All employees are expected to comply with our smoke-free policy.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Name Alice Abbott Job title Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01708503157

We have a wide range of flexible, temporary and part-time opportunities.