Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist Adult Autism Services

Oxleas; Sidcup; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is looking for a Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist to head the Adult Autism Services at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. This Band 7, full-time post (37.5 hours) is a permanent appointment with a competitive salary.

You will lead the clinical provision of occupational therapy for adults with autism, supervise and mentor OT staff, and work within a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care across acute and community settings.

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree/MSc in OT (HCPC registered)
• Postgraduate training to MSc level or equivalent
• Experience leading OT services for adults with autism (or neurodevelopmental conditions)

Responsibilities

• Lead the clinical provision of OT services for adults with autism within the acute and community settings.
• Manage a complex clinical caseload including risk assessment and crisis management.
• Ensure OT practice is evidence-based and compliant with professional guidance.
• Represent OT in Directorate meetings and contribute to service development and governance.

Skills

Autism and occupation knowledge

Clinical leadership

Teach/train others

Clinical governance

Education

Diploma/degree/MSc in OT

UK HCPC Registration

Postgraduate training to MSc level or equivalent

Job description

Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist Adult Autism Services

Band 7

Main area Adult Neurodevelopmental Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 277-8355804-ALD

Site Queen Marys Hospital Town Sidcup Salary £55,524 - £62,652 pa inc Salary period Yearly Closing 20/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

Join our innovative and passionate Occupational Therapy team and make a real difference in the lives of adults with autism.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Occupational Therapist looking to further develop their leadership and specialist clinical skills within a supportive service.

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to lead our adult autism services. You will lead the clinical provision of occupational therapy services within the autism acute support team and community autism service. You will be delivering high quality care as part of multi-disciplinary services.

As part of the wider directorate you will have opportunities to link with other occupational therapists with clinical supervision provided from the Directorate Lead Occupational Therapist.

Main duties of the job

• To actively support the Directorate Occupational Therapy Lead in the overall development of the OT service within the ALD Directorate to demonstrate the effectiveness of providing high-quality assessment and intervention to adults with Autism.
• To manage a complex clinical caseload, including positive risk taking and managing high risk/ crisis.
• To be responsible for ensuring clinical provision in the Adult Autism services is evidence based and is compliant with professional guidance.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

• To actively support the Directorate Occupational Therapy lead in the overall development of the OT service within the ALD Directorate to demonstrate the effectiveness of providing high-quality assessment and intervention to adults with Autism.
• To manage a complex clinical caseload, including positive risk taking and managing high risk/ crisis.
• To be responsible for ensuring clinical provision in the Adult Autism services is evidence based and is compliant with professional guidance.
• To work as a member of the autism MDT, in partnership with others e.g. service users, carers, and relevant family members, in a variety of settings and alongside the Acute Care/inpatient services and the Community Mental Health Services, to provide person centred assessment, intervention and provide specialist OT advice.
• To contribute to the assessment of adults with suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder, as required.
• To work independently and without direct supervision
• To be an OT specialist and have an indepth knowledge of OT assessment and interventions for adults with autism
• To provide leadership to OT’s working with adults with autism
• To represent Occupational Therapy at a Directorate Level in relevant forums and management meetings
• To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust wide OT service
• To develop, monitor and evaluate t standards for OT practice within the services.
• To contribute to implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects/audit/research that develop the clinical effectiveness of OT provision for autistic adults, sharing findings and statistical information as required in a timely manner.
• To work closely with other OT clinical specialists across the Trust

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for furtherdetails

Person specification

• Diploma/degree/MSc in OT
• UK HPC Registration
• Evidence of post graduate training to MSc level of equivalent level of experience

Experience

• Extensive experience as an OT within NHS settings
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of clinical leadership including supervision
• Experience of clinical leadership including supervision
• Experience of applying and interpreting standardised assessments

Skills/ abilities/ knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the potential impact of autism on occupation
• Knowledge and application of theory, frames of reference and models of practice in occupational therapy
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials
• Knowledge of clinical governance and its application

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

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.