Community Children OT Clinical Specialist/SEND Team Leader

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Greater London is seeking a Community Children OT Clinical Specialist/SEND Team Leader. This role involves leading occupational therapy services for schools, working closely with multi-agency partners, and overseeing a team of therapists. Ideal candidates will possess considerable experience in SEND, demonstrate clinical expertise, and contribute to service development focused on children's needs. Competitive salary and supportive environment with opportunities for professional development are offered.

Qualifications

• Significantly highly specialist experience working with children with complex needs.
• Experience of supervising staff and students.
• Ability to lead in implementing changes to practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and operational management of occupational therapy.
• Oversee management and delivery of occupational therapy services.
• Develop service packages and monitor quality of service offered.

Skills

Knowledge of SEND legislation

Advanced communication skills

Knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders

Proficient in IT

Education

Degree or equivalent qualification and HCPC registration

Recognised postgraduate qualification

Evidence of leadership and management training

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Job description

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Community Children OT Clinical Specialist/SEND Team Leader

Closing date is 04 January 2026

This is an exciting opportunity to take the role of leading our services in our schools and with our partners in Special Education Needs and Disabilities. You will work closely with our multi‑agency partners in education provision and in the local authority contributing towards the delivery of occupational therapy educational and health care needs assessments and the provision of expert support and guidance for educational tribunal work.

You will need to have knowledge of a range of neurodevelopmental disorders and impact with education settings as well as an understanding of SEND and education tribunal processes.

You will be responsible for overseeing the management of and delivery of occupational therapy services to our key partners and stakeholders. You will line‑manage and supervise a team of occupational therapists supporting SEND work.

You will support commissioning schools in the development and delivery of school‑based community children occupational therapy service offers.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 15th January

Main duties of the job

This post holder will work closely with colleagues in schools and SEND across the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth providing both consultation and advice on quality improvements as well as training as required.

You will be responsible for monitoring SEND referrals, supporting triage and allocating cases ensuring that assessments are completed within statutory timelines.

The post holder will be responsible for supervising and leading a small team of occupational therapists. The team are responsible for carrying out assessments of need for children referred by our colleagues in Southwark and Lambeth Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND). The team also provides occupational therapy services to schools through commissioning arrangements.

You will work in collaboration with schools commissioning occupational therapy, developing service packages, monitoring and overseeing the occupational therapy service offer into these schools.

You will carry a small caseload and provide support to our occupational therapy pathways and group offers to parents and carers.

You will assist the Head of Community Children Occupational Therapy with overseeing SEND commissioned work agreed in contracts and liaise closely with colleagues in the local authorities as well as schools.

About us

You will be joining our community children occupational therapy leadership team and will receive peer support in addition to supervision and management support from the Head of Community Children Occupational Therapy. You will be supported to receive the appropriate training and guidance to perform your role.

Job responsibilities

You will be responsible for clinical leadership, provision of specialist clinical knowledge and delivery and operational management of the Occupational Therapists including supervision and line management, co‑ordinating the delivery of the service, ensuring that the service is equitable, effective and that local and national standards of practice are maintained. Responsible for the quality assurance of the education health and care needs assessments provided to SEND as well as the clinical offer for all care groups.

You will be focusing on outcomes based accountability whilst ensuring the maintenance of an evidence‑based service, contributing our local knowledge and experience. You will be providing clinical expertise and leadership in the care and support of school‑aged children. You will provide advice to colleagues in SEND. You will contribute to the development of schools commissioned offer to settings which will also focus on developing systems and strategies that will support schools to develop systems to support child participation in occupations, as well as supporting service and staff development. You will monitoring impact and report outcomes to and impact to Head of Service and respective commissioners in Lambeth and Southwark.

You will provide highly specialist assessment, including diagnostic assessment and intervention, including mentoring and offering second opinions, for schools supporting children with impairments in mainstream and special schools.

This role requires highly specialist knowledge of approaches and models of care that support school inclusion, with responsibility for ensuring that the delivery of intervention, to school aged children with across the service, is managed and supported by best evidence. You will be involved in supporting the development and delivery of commissioned schools work and quality assuring the OT input into those schools. You will have a responsibility for developing and delivering a regular programme of training to school teachers and TAs.

Person Specification

Qualifications and professional registration

• Degree or equivalent qualification and HCPC registration
• Recognised post graduate qualification in specialist clinical area e.g. masters, or equivalent experience
• Commitment to advance clinical and professional development
• Evidence of leadership and management training
• Member of Specialist interest group
• Knowledge/ skills Evidence of conducting research e.g. peer reviewed publication

Experience

• Significantly highly specialist experience working with children and their families with complex, ability to carry our a range of specialist assessments specialist and management plans
• Providing professional advice and training to schools and/or Local authority
• Supervising staff and students
• Autonomous working within a multidisciplinary/agency setting
• Contributing to developing policy, planning and service development
• Experience of analysing data relating to workloads and activity within specialist area and compiling reports to communicate outcomes.
• Experience of leading and managing a team.

Skills/Knowledge/Ability

• Knowledge of SEND legislation, clinical guidelines and legislation and ability to lead in implementing changes to practice.
• Knowledge of effective supervision and appraisal procedures and ability to successfully apply this with different levels of staff
• Knowledge of wide range of Neurodevelopmental disorders relevant to client group e.g. ASD, DCD, CP, Learning Difficulties and how they impact on child's occupational performance and participation abilities, and the skill to apply this knowledge.
• Extensive knowledge and training in educational provider settings on specific interventions e.g. Coaching; Zones of regulation;
• Knowledge of stress management strategies and skill to manage own stress effectively.
• Advanced communication skills, including effective negotiating and influencing skills,
• Proficient in the use of IT including MS Word, Excel, email and Internet
• Evidence of conducting independent research e.g. peer reviewed publications

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.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

£64,156 to £71,148 a yearpa inc HCA pro rata