Children's Occupational Therapist Band 6

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Crawley; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Crawley is seeking an experienced Children's Occupational Therapist to manage a caseload. You will provide assessments and treatment for children with neurological and developmental conditions, working closely with families and other professionals. Ideal candidates will have a degree in Occupational Therapy and at least 18 months post-graduate experience. Flexibility in working hours is offered, along with excellent training and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Excellent training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 18 months post-grad experience required.
• Experience working with children or adolescents is essential.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of patients with various conditions.
• Formulate and deliver treatment based on clinical assessment.
• Maintain accurate patient treatment records.

Skills

Strong knowledge of paediatric anatomy

Advanced negotiation skills

Excellent organisational skills

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Registered with HCPC

Job description

Overview

Children's Occupational Therapist Band 6 in Crawley, West Sussex. A rare opportunity to join a highly experienced and specialist Children’s Occupational Therapy Team based at Crawley Child Development Centre, Crawley Hospital, covering the Crawley/Horsham area.

The post is suitable for an experienced Band 5 or a Band 6 seeking to expand their skills in Children’s services. Candidates must demonstrate clinical skills gained through previous OT experience. The successful candidate will be able to work independently in the community, have excellent organisation/time management skills, and be committed to clinical governance. Current HCPC registration is required.

This is a community post with a caseload of children and young people who have neurological, developmental, and neuro-developmental conditions. The post holder will apply their expertise in assessing children, delivering treatment interventions, and providing strategies that can be used by parents, education staff, and Assistant Therapy Practitioners. You will work closely with the child, family, and other professionals across settings such as clinics, client homes, schools, and nurseries. We are committed to multidisciplinary working and contribute to specialist clinics.

Main duties of the job

The team values Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust’s standards: Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence, and Compassionate Care. We aspire to deliver compassionate, patient-centred care that promotes independence and empowers families. We offer excellent in-service training, supervision, and clinical support from the Countywide Paediatric Professional Lead. Travel to nurseries, schools, and children’s homes is essential.

To work as a Band 6 registered professional within a Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust service:

1. To manage a caseload of patients with a variety of conditions.
2. To formulate and deliver generic and specialised treatment programmes based on evidence-based practice and clinical assessment and reasoning.
3. To treat all patients with respect and courtesy, maintaining dignity and respecting individual needs and differences (physical and cultural).
4. To be involved in the support and supervision of Band 3 to 5 staff.
5. To act as a clinical educator for undergraduate students within own professional area.
6. To receive and deliver internal training and keep your Personal Development plan up to date.
7. To take on an audit and evaluation role of the service.
8. To assist the team with service development initiatives.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays. Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values – Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence – guide everything we do. We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities

A job plan will be created by your line manager in line with the service blueprint and reviewed annually at your PDR. The main tasks you will spend your time doing are:

1. Work effectively as a team member in providing and facilitating a high standard of care, social and rehabilitative support across various settings.
2. Plan therapy, social and rehabilitative pathways taking account of fluctuating needs and assist in evaluating outcomes.
3. Report and document variances in a patient’s condition or planned pathway of care.
4. Offer advice, support, and education on healthcare to patients and carers.
5. Take referrals for all services using the criteria specified in operational policies.
6. Undertake a holistic assessment of patients’ needs and understand routes for escalating issues not resolved by own practice.
7. Formulate and deliver an individual treatment programme based on evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning.
8. Evaluate patient progress, reassess, and alter treatment programmes as required.
9. Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, obtain valid informed consent, and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent.
10. Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and comply with health and safety regulations.
11. Work in line with the SCFT lone worker policy where lone working is integral to the role.
12. Maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in accordance with SCFT Information Governance and professional bodies.
13. Maintain and develop own competency to practice through CPD activities and a portfolio of personal development.
14. Clinically supervise, support and teach other staff, including Band 5 therapists, assistants and students.
15. Support the operational lead with annual appraisals for Band 3–5 staff and assist them with their career development.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Registered with HCPC
• Postgraduate training in a relevant specialist area
• Understanding of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients

Experience

• At least 18 months post-grad experience
• Experience of working with children or adolescents
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team and understanding of team dynamics
• Experience of providing training and presenting information to colleagues in a transdisciplinary team
• Experience of working with children with complex neurological conditions
• Experience of working with schools and educational settings, including report writing for SEN

Skills

• Strong knowledge of paediatric anatomy, physiology, and pathology relevant to the specialty
• Knowledge of assessment and treatment tools and specialist approaches
• Understanding of relevant legislation such as Manual Handling and Health and Safety
• Ability to assess and treat a wide range of complex paediatric conditions
• Advanced negotiation, problem-solving, and conflict management skills
• Critical appraisal and reflection skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Knowledge of specialist equipment for paediatrics
• Advanced clinical reasoning skills
• Experience with audits

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure to be submitted to the DBS to check for any previous convictions.

Crawley Child Development Centre, Yellow Wing, Crawley Hospital

Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full time or part time arrangements to be confirmed at interview

Reference number

150-CP2043-PC

Job locations

Crawley Child Development Centre, Yellow Wing, Crawley Hospital