Childrens Occupational Therapist

NHS Jobs; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 5 Occupational Therapist for Warrington Childrens Community OT. You will assess, plan and deliver occupational therapy for children and young people, working with schools and families to promote participation.

The role emphasizes collaboration, inclusive practices and ongoing professional development. You will contribute to training, supervision and service improvement while maintaining high standards of clinical governance and

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC registration.
• RCOT membership.
• Membership of Occupational Therapy specialist interest group.
• Awareness of sensory processing difficulties and how they affect function.
• Experience with children.
• Experience with assessment and treatment approaches/models such as neurodevelopmental, biomechanical, behavioural.
• Experience using standardised and non standardised assessment tools.
• Experience of working under supervision and as an autonomous practitioner.
• Experience of report writing and goal setting.
• Working collaboratively with other health / social care professionals.
• Experience of working with children with a range of disorders such as DCD, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulties.
• Experience of working/volunteering with children.
• Knowledge of upper limb function and impairment.

Responsibilities

• Hold responsibility for and organise own caseload, with support from experienced colleagues.
• Provide assessment, treatment and management of babies, children and adolescents with diverse physical, developmental, sensory and learning needs.
• Work closely with the multi-disciplinary team.
• Plan, prepare and undertake assessments for a designated caseload with carers/involved agencies.
• Identify areas of occupational performance and skill deficit in daily activities.
• Work with child and/or carers to identify goals as part of a care plan with the team.
• Accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload under supervision.
• Plan and implement client-centred interventions and evaluate progress.
• Ensure multiagency working, attend reviews and clinical meetings as required.
• Undertake joint assessments and interventions with therapy colleagues when appropriate.
• Contribute to training for own profession and others.
• Prepare for supervision.
• Full Job Description attached.

Skills

Communication skills

Clinical reasoning

Independent working

Moving and handling

Education

Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration

RCOT membership

Membership of OT specialist interest group

Tools

Microsoft Word

Job description

Go back North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)

Childrens Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 11 October 2026

Are you an enthusiastic Band 5 Occupational Therapist passionateabout helping children and young people thrive through our Experts at Handservice?

Join Warrington Childrens Community Occupational TherapyService in this 1.0 WTE role, helping educational settings identify needs earlyand provide inclusive support. Through consultation, coaching, modelling andtargeted training, you will build staff confidence to support children atuniversal, targeted and targeted-plus levels. Working with families, educationcolleagues and partner agencies, you will reduce barriers to learning andparticipation and help children receive the right support at the right time.

You will join a supportive, collaborative team with approachableleadership that values wellbeing, work-life balance and professional growth. Regularclinical supervision, structured support and development opportunities willbuild your confidence and skills while enabling you to contribute to serviceimprovement, clinical governance and shared learning.

If you are a motivated, reflective occupational therapistwith strong clinical reasoning, communication and partnership-working skills,we would be delighted to welcome you.

Our valuesKind, Open, Fair and One Teamguideyour compassionate practice, open communication, commitment to equitable accessand collaborative work to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Provisionalinterview dates: 21st & 22nd October 2026

Main duties of the job

As a Band 5 Occupational Therapist within the WarringtonChildrens Occupational Therapy Experts at Hand service, you will supportschools to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to meet the occupationalperformance, participation and independence needs of children and young people.

With support and supervision from experienced colleagues,you will help develop and deliver engaging whole-school training, consultationand coaching. You will enable education staff to embed inclusive occupationaltherapy approaches and use appropriate, evidence-based strategies, whilecontributing to reflective practice and service development.

You will contribute to drop-in consultation sessions inWarrington schools, helping education staff to identify functional needs early,agree practical strategies and navigate appropriate pathways so childrenreceive support at a universal, targeted or specialist level. Workingcollaboratively with education staff, families and partner agencies, you willpromote inclusive environments and help embed effective approaches intoeveryday school routines.

You will support the evaluation and continuous improvement ofthe service by recording activity and outcomes, gathering feedback and using agreedperformance information to demonstrate how the Experts at Hand model improvesstaff confidence, inclusive practice and outcomes for children and youngpeople.

About us

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

• Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
• Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
• Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
• One team: We work well together and with our communities

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To hold responsibilityfor and organise own caseload, within delegated areas of the service, withon-going support from a more experienced Therapist.

To provide assessment,treatment and management of babies, children and adolescents who present withdiverse physical, developmental, sensory and learning needs.

To work closely withthe multi-disciplinary team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

To plan, prepare and undertake assessments for a designatedcaseload, working in collaboration with child and carers/involved agencies.

To identify areas of occupational performance and skilldeficit in all functional activities of daily life.

To work with the child and/orcarers to identify goals as part of an overall care plan in co-operation withthe multi-disciplinary team

To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload, highlightareas of concern and managing own time under the supervision of moreexperienced staff.

To plan and implement client centred individual and/or groupinterventions, evaluating treatment in order to measure progress/outcomes.

To ensure joint / multiagency working occurs whereappropriate, with health colleagues and partner agencies, attending reviews andclinical meetings as required by clinical responsibility

To undertake joint assessments and interventions withtherapy colleagues where clinically appropriate.

To receive and contribute to the deliveryof training for own profession and others.

To actively prepare and plan for supervision.

Please see Full Job Description attached.

Right to Work

• Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK?
• If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)?
• Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role.

Job Specific Requirements

• Experience with moving and handling patients.
• Experience of handling / issuing adaptive equipment.
• The ability to travel independently across the North Cheshire and MerseyTrust.
• The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs.
• Experience using hoists and transfers.
• Knowledge of postural management and supportive equipment.
• Ability to work in a variety of positions, kneeling, sitting standing on the floor

Relationships

• If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship.

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• Health and Care Professions Council registration (HCPC).
• Member of Professional Body (RCOT)
• Membership of Occupational Therapy specialist interest group.
• Awareness of sensory processing difficulties and how they effect function.

Experience

• Experience with children.
• Experience of a variety of assessment and treatment approaches / models such as neurodevelopmental, biomechanical, behavioural.
• Experience of using both standardised and non standardised assessment tools.
• Experience of working under supervision and as an autonomous practitioner where suitable.
• Experience of report writing and goal setting.
• Working collaboratively with other health / social care professionals.
• Experience of working with children with a range of disorders such as DCD, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulties.
• Experience of working/volunteering with children.
• Experience of work in a community setting such as a special school, nursery school, sure start centre.
• Knowledge of upper limb function and impairment.

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrate ability to participate in education of other health care professionals/education staff/Students
• Evidence of clinical reasoning skills and ability to reflect on and critically appraise own practice.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Knowledge of childrens development and possible implications on occupational performance.
• Effective communication skills with patients, healthcare professionals and other agencies.
• Knowledge of national policies and procedures (relevant to the client group).
• Good organisational, planning and time management skills.
• IT skills e.g Microsoft Word and data inputting.
• Awareness of standards of record keeping.
• Ability to carry out risk assessments.
• Ability to assess physical, social and environmental needs of a client.
• Awareness of OT Code of Practice.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)