Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist- Critical Care

Charing Cross Hospital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS trust in Greater London seeks a Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist to join their progressive team. This vital role involves managing critical care pathways and fostering a culture of excellence in patient-centered care. Candidates should possess strong leadership qualities and extensive clinical experience in occupational therapy. The position offers opportunities for career development and flexible working. Join a team dedicated to high-quality healthcare delivery across critical and surgical services.

Benefits

Career development

Flexible working

Wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Extensive experience post qualification at a senior level.
• Experience supervising qualified therapy staff and students.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical assessments and treatments.
• Develop training strategies and deliver education.
• Inspire others and provide clinical supervision.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Leadership

Effective communication

Problem-solving

Education

Diploma / Degree in relevant AHP profession

Health and Care Professions Council registration

Evidence of postgraduate training

Job description

Job overview

We are offering an opportunity for a Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist in Critical Care surgery and respiratory pathways to join our progressive therapy team, at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This pivotal role spans the patient journey from initial admission in ICU through to safe transfer of care into the community. You will play a vital part in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care, ensuring continuity and excellence throughout recovery from surgery or acute respiratory illness.

As a senior clinician, you will lead on specialist assessments, treatments, and pathway planning. Your responsibilities will include supporting the coordination of patient flow from ICU to wards and follow-up clinics, supporting liaison between teams, and embedding best practice across surgical and respiratory pathways. Leadership and development of others is central to this role : you will supervise, educate, and appraise Occupational Therapists across Bands 7–4, as well as students, fostering professional growth and a culture of excellence.

We are seeking an individual with advanced clinical expertise to combined with strong leadership qualities, innovative thinking, and a passion for collaborative, patient-centred care. You will join a forward-thinking team with an excellent track record in care delivery, actively involved in NWL Cardiac, ICU, and Major Trauma Networks, as well as pan-London therapy networks.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Practice

• Demonstrate advanced professional skills and service standards; act as a source of expertise for the MDT and provide highly specialist second opinions.
• Maintain and improve clinical quality and patient safety, promoting kind, compassionate care and shared decision-making.
• Provide clinical leadership in partnership with patients, families, and MDT colleagues; influence planning and service delivery within critical care, surgery and respiratory.
• Lead development and Support of clinical guidelines, SOPs, and therapy service policies; review skill mix and workforce.

Education

• Develop and implement training strategies with team leads and clinical academics; deliver education in management of pathways from ICU and integrated working.
• Act as role model, educator, supervisor, coach, and mentor; build staff confidence and competence in managing neurological illness or injury.

Leadership & Management

• Inspire and motivate others to deliver best practice and improve standards in line with evidence and national guidelines.
• Provide clinical supervision, support appraisal, and professional development for Occupational therapy staff across Bands 7–4 and students.

Professional Development

• Promote evidence-based practice; support research, service improvement, evaluation, and audit in collaboration with clinical academics.
• Support therapy research strategy; network with clinical leads to share and enhance expertise.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Education

Essential criteria

• Diploma / Degree in relevant AHP profession
• Health and Care professions Council registration
• Evidence of experience / postgraduate training and education to Masters level or equivalent and CPD relevant to speciality area
• Evidence of structured training in appraisal and supervisory skills
• Evidence of continuous and current professional academic development relevant to clinical field
• Leadership / Management training
• Evidence of postgraduate training in basic research skills eg literature reviews, critical appraisal

Desirable criteria

• Masters or PhD degree in relevant subject

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience post qualification with evidenced experience at a senior level within relevant speciality
• Experience of supervising qualified therapy staff and students
• Experience of managing staff on performance and other workforce policies
• Significant success in multidisciplinary / multi agency working
• Evaluation of clinical practice including participation in research / audit / service evaluation and quality improvement projects
• Demonstrate evidence of learning from experience and having undertaken formal and informal CPD, both general and specific to clinical field / speciality
• Experience of leading an effective team
• Experience of using clinical governance framework to monitor and improve quality of patient care
• Experience of supporting a culture of research awareness

Skills

Essential criteria

• Expert clinical reasoning skills in the appropriate application of a range of techniques and approaches to the management of the relevant clinical area
• Specialist knowledge and application of best evidence-based practice in relevant speciality area and application of therapy assessments and intervention
• Ability to articulate vision of the therapy service in the clinical area
• Ability to remain updated with professional practice and research and integrate this into daily patient management
• Ability to communicate effectively and flexibly, and to adapt communication style to the needs of patients and staff
• To lead, inspire motivate and empower teams using effective clinical leadership qualities in an integrated service
• Ability to mentor, coach and support patients, staff and colleagues
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships
• Proven negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Skills in presentation and training in both formal and informal environments
• Ability to command the confidence of the multidisciplinary team members
• Ability to organise, prioritise, delegate and work to deadline effectively
• Ability to cope with working in a potentially stressful environment and with patients or carers who may be displaying aggressive and or challenging behaviour
• Ability to prepare service level reports e.g., demand / activity
• Proven excellence in developing / and providing education and teaching to other professionals and students
• Advanced supervision skills
• Competent computer skills
• Highly developed planning, problem solving and decision-making skills in demanding situations
• Ability to use audit, quality standard setting and risk management processes for clinical effectiveness
• Advanced knowledge of clinical quality and patient safety issues and policy
• Ability to select and analyse activity and outcome data accurately and objectively to support service development
• Ability to carry out physical effort during the working day and carry out concurrent activities requiring skill and dexterity
• Ability to deliver on service improvement projects to completion
• Effective resolution of professional ethical issues
• Understanding emerging role of therapies in evolving health environment
• Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance
• Knowledge of the influence of psychosocial and cultural factors on health / illness behaviours

Communications Skills

Essential criteria

• Good communication skills with patients, carers and colleagues
• Demonstrating ability to be empathetic and handle difficult or emotional situations
• Able to work flexibly based on the needs of the service
• Fluent in English verbal and written
• Resilience and ability to cope with working in a demanding environment
• Strategies for dealing with stressful interpersonal situations
• Abilities to make sound judgments and reliable decisions in a variety of demanding situations
• Desire to constantly improve own performance
• Self‑motivated and good team player
• Professional attitude and appearance

Values and Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable ability to meet Trust values and a positive attitude towards change

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we’ll communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).