Community Occupational Therapist

Integrated Care System; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialist NHS Foundation Trust in Barnsley is seeking a Community Occupational Therapist to provide assessments and treatment for service users. The role involves creating care plans, promoting occupational therapy, and collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team. Ideal candidates should possess a degree in Occupational Therapy and be registered with the Health Care Professions Council. This position offers an opportunity to positively impact individuals with complex needs in the community.

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Health Care Professions Council registration.
• Leadership / first line management certificate.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist occupational therapy assessment and treatment.
• Create care plans with the multi-disciplinary team.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of therapy interventions.

Job description

Go back South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Community Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 27 August 2025

Hi, I'm Shani the teammanager, and I'm really pleased you are looking at this opportunity. TheCommunity Enhancing Recovery Team (CERT) was est in 2023 and offer intensivesupport to service users within the Enhanced Pathway. The Main focus of theservice was to assist people who are in longer term hospital back into thecommunity. The team have now expanded to include people who are beingconsidered for locked rehabilitation, the aim here is to actively increasetheir support in the community & to avoid admission. Working with the carecoordinators, the right candidate will provide additional support for theperson.

We are looking for anoccupational therapist to join the team,

If you are an OT that ispassionate about providing care a service user population, that have longerterm, complex needs and often find themselves stuck in their journey torecovery.

Please get in touch with me,Shani Robinson on 07979690213 or [e-mail].

Atthe time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UKVisas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forwardto receiving your application.

Main duties of the job

TheOTs role in the team would be to create care plans with the MDT and then workclosely with the OTA and support worker in the CERT to deliver this care.

The OTwill be using their assessment skills & specialist knowledge to helpprevent admission and implement rehabilitation at home away from lockedrehabilitation units.

Themost important skills necessary are that you are caring & compassionate &have the patience & ability to listen to the person goals & aspirations.You have to want to make a difference to someones life who has complexemotional needs & to work with them in a trauma informed way. The role will require you to create links withlocal community groups & to work as a collaborative part of the MDT aroundthe person.

Youwill also be required to input into care reviews meetings and you may also berequired to in reach to local inpatient units and locked rehabilitation units.

If youwould like to more information, please contact Shani Robinson for more details.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to befully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

About us

Weare a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental healthand learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale,Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and arethe lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission isto help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do thisby providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employstaff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make adifference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourageand welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we valuediversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Beinga foundation Trust means were accountable to ourmembers, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people(including staff) are members of our Trust.

Joinus and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improvingthe mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet andhelp each year.

Weare committedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people andvulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share thiscommitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The post holderwill be required to work as an integral member of the multi-disciplinaryteam, providing specialist occupational therapy assessment and treatment forservice users in receipt of care from community services. Enabling service users to engage in a rangeof individual and group community based treatment activities. You will be actively involved in thepromotion of occupational therapy within the service area. The post holder will be required towork flexibly to meet the needs of the service and the client group.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

1.Clinical

1.1.Toundertake specific standardised and non-standardised assessments to formulateeffective treatment plans in conjunction with the service user, family andcarer.

1.2.Tointerpret the assessment results in order to plan and implement a clientcentred occupational therapy treatment programme on an individual and/or groupbasis using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.

1.3.Toensure therapeutic interventions are of a high professional standard, informedby evidence based practice and involves the service user and carer in allaspects of the care programme.

1.4. Todemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effect of disability providingtraining and advice on lifestyle changes/adaptations to the clients social andphysical environments.

1.5. Toact as the care programme co-ordinator as required and to offer carers anassessment and care plan where appropriate.

1.6. Tocontribute to a co-ordinated team approach throughout the assessment and inmeeting the service users needs including developing and maintaining closeworking relationships with all relevant services, and agencies within thevoluntary sector.

1.7. Toregularly evaluate the effectiveness of group and individual occupationaltherapy interventions by undertaking specific audits and using outcome measuressuch as standardised / other relevant assessments and service user satisfactionquestionnaires.

1.8. Tocontinue treatment interventions where necessary to assist in the transition ofskills from an inpatient setting to living independently within the community.

1.9. Towork effectively within the multi-agency team ensuring that both written andverbal communication is clearly maintained to ensure a seamless service.

1.10. Tobe responsible for the maintenance of appropriate clinical records concernedwith service user treatment, in accordance with risk management documentationguidelines.

1.11. Toarrange/attend appropriate clinical team meetings, referral meetings, caseconferences, care programme approach meetings and any other as required byclinical need and as direct by the Line/Service Manager.

1.12. Toprovide accurate and timely reports, statistical data through the electronic recordingsystem and other information as required.

1.13. Toparticipate in monthly clinical and managerial supervision and to provideclinical supervision to other occupational therapy staff/ support staff.

1.14To work as an autonomous practitioner.

2.Management

2.1. Toassist the team leader with the operational management of the service on aday-to-day basis

2.2. Toensure that all significant events, relevant clinical issues and difficultieswhich may arise are communicated with the relevant Line Manager/Service Manager

2.3. Todirect and delegate work to other team members such as; therapy assistants andcare support workers giving due consideration to their skills and abilities tocarry these duties out effectively

2.4. Tocarry out appraisal and development reviews with occupational therapy staff andto contribute to the reviews of other staff as appropriate

2.5. Toassist the team leader in effectively managing staff leave and sickness/absenceto ensure adequate cover for the service on a day-to-day basis

2.6. Toparticipate in the recruitment and retention of staff including implementinginduction programmes

3.Policy and Service Development

3.1. Tocontribute to the development and implementation of the annual serviceimprovement plan and annual audit programme

3.2. Toparticipate in and contribute to service modernisation, including operationalplanning, implementation of policy, service development and leading ondelegated projects

3.3. Towork in collaboration with the occupational therapy professional lead in thedevelopment of professional practice and the implementation of policy

4.Teaching and Education

4.1. Tocontribute to staff / student training and development within the field ofoccupational therapy and to contribute to the training of themulti-professional team

4.2. Topromote awareness and understanding of the role of occupational therapy withinthe multi-disciplinary team and other agencies

5.Governance

5.1. Toprovide a quality/effective service through the active participation andimplementation of clinical governance which includes; clinical supervision,(including reflection, critical appraisal and peer support) continuingprofessional development, participation in regular audit activity

5.2. Toinitiate practice development, evaluation, audit and research activitiesrelevant to occupational therapy encouraging and developing evidence basedpractice disseminating findings/recommending changes where applicable

5.3. Touse networks locally, regionally and nationally to share information, researchand good practice

6.Professional

6.1. Tobe directly involved in clinical training placements for occupational therapystudents as required within the area of work and qualifications allow.

6.2. Todevelop and maintain links with Higher Education Institutes which provideoccupational therapy training e.g., York, Leeds,Bradford and Huddersfield

6.3. Tocontribute to the wider debate of occupational therapy issues in response tothe national and regional consultations by the College of OccupationalTherapists (COT) or British Association of Occupational Therapy (BAOT).

6.4. Tobe responsible for ensuring protected time for keeping knowledge and skillsup-to-date by undertaking continuous professional development as required tomeet the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulations

6.5. Toapply specialist skills and knowledge in order to establish professionalcompetence and fitness to practice as a senior occupational therapist adheringto the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (COT) and the Standards ofConduct, Performance and Ethics (HCPC).

6.6. Tounderstand and demonstrate a working knowledge of national guidelines andlegislation relating to health and social care which directly impacts onoccupational therapy practice

7.Leadership

7.1. Toact as a source of clinical expertise to other team members demonstratingclinical reasoning, critical thinking, reflection and analysis

7.2. Toactively participate in the evaluation and future development of theoccupational therapy service using appropriate audit tools, care pathways andappraisal of current evidence based practice

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants areusing AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Westrongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process beforeselecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI toenhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs applicationform.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Health Care Professions Council registration.
• Leadership / first line management certificate.

Personal Attributes

• Values contribution of others.
• Ability to motivate self and others.
• Organisational skills.
• Effective communication skills, verbal and written.
• Willingness to work flexibly.
• A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Training

• Practice Education/Practice Assessor Preparation Certificate (or to achieve within 12 months).
• To be willing to undertake post graduate training to further skills, knowledge and expertise.
• Post graduate training relevant to mental health such as, psychosocial interventions, cognitive behavioural / counselling skills / standardised assessment.

Experience

• Documented evidence of continuing professional development.
• Supervision of staff and / or students.
• Experience of a range of mental health/learning disabilities settings.

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Specialist knowledge and application of Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions relevant to mental health.
• Extensive clinical practice skills including individual and group work.
• Understanding of occupational therapy outcome measures.
• Ability to work autonomously and set own priorities.
• Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues.
• Supervisory / appraisal skills.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex information.
• Ability to build effective working relationships.
• Detailed knowledge of mental health/learning disabilities legislation and current practice including policy drivers .
• Detailed knowledge of clinical governance and its application.

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust