Community Learning Disability Occupational Therapist

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A large NHS Trust in Manchester is looking for a dedicated Occupational Therapist to join their Community Adult Learning Disability Service. This full-time role involves working within a multidisciplinary team to support adults with learning disabilities, providing assessments and interventions. Ideal candidates should have a relevant degree, HCPC registration, and strong communication skills. The salary ranges from £31,049 to £46,580 per annum and opportunities for professional development are available.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of local and national policies and procedures.
• Experience of working with people with learning disabilities.
• Knowledge of sensory processing principles.

Responsibilities

• Complete holistic assessments and identify barriers to participation.
• Manage your own caseload and provide high-quality therapy.
• Contribute to planning, delivery, and evaluation of service developments.

Skills

Communication skills

Knowledge of Occupational Therapy within a community setting

Multi-disciplinary working

Education

Recognised BSc Honours degree in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration

Job description

Go back Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Community Learning Disability Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 28 October 2025

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, well-motivated, dedicated Occupational Therapist in our well-established and supportive Community Adult Learning Disability Service (CALDS) which is part of the Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO).

The Occupational Therapy (OT) team is part of a citywide multi-disciplinary health team, working alongside Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Psychiatrists, Learning Disability Nurses and Social Care colleagues.

Our service supports adults with a Learning Disability to maintain independence and participation through engagement in meaningful occupations and activities of daily living.

As an OT you will complete holistic assessments to identify barriers to participation, plan and deliver person-centred interventions using collaborative goal setting with the person and their support network.

Working across key workstreams including Occupation, Independent Living Skills, Sensory Processing and Environment.

This is an ideal role for:

A Band 5 OT with relevant experience who is looking to specialise in Learning Disabilities.

An experienced Band 6 OT seeking to further develop their expertise in a supportive environment.

If appointed as a Band 5, you will receive structured support to complete competencies and progress to Band 6 within an agreed timeframe based on your experience.

Main duties of the job

Applicants must have excellent communication skills to provide a high-quality occupational therapy service to individuals with complex health and sensory processing needs who have varying levels of communication and understanding.

You will manage your own caseload and will be provided with training, CPD opportunities and supervision from an experienced team.

Make a proactive difference to people with Learning Disabilities in Manchester.

Work as part of a multidisciplinary health and social care team within the Community Adult Learning Disability Service to provide a specialist Occupational Therapy service to adults with a Learning Disability.

Use specialist knowledge, skills and experience, using evidence based and person-centred principles to assess and manage own caseload.

Work as part of a city-wide Occupational Therapy service to benefit the service requirements.

Contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of professional and service developments.

Be pro-active in the development and provision of multi-professional training to the Community Adult Learning Disability Service and the independent sector and other agencies.

Undertake professional educators' course and offer practice placements accordingly.

To provide supervision and support to Band 4 Occupational Therapystaff.

To meet the band 5-6 development competencies within the agreed timeframe.

About us

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of over £3bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [e-mail].

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised BSc Honours degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• HCPC registration
• Registered member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists

Knowledge/Experience

• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy within a community setting
• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment techniques
• Knowledge of local and national policies and procedures
• Knowledge and understanding of the OT process.
• Knowledge around safeguarding procedures
• Knowledge around risk assessment
• Experience and knowledge of multi-disciplinary working
• Experience of working with people with learning disabilities
• Knowledge of sensory processing principles
• Experience of assessing for aids and adaptations
• Aware of the principles of audit, research, clinical governance and evidencebased 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.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

South Community Learning Disability Service

£31,049 to £46,580 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

349-LCO-7444409*

Job locations

South Community Learning Disability Service