Experienced Occupational Therapist

Stockport Council; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Job summary

Stockport Council is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to work with autistic adults and those with complex disabilities. You will conduct holistic assessments, develop personalised plans and support daily living, independence and social participation.

The role involves working across office and community settings under a hybrid model, with some home working possibilities. Applicants must be HCPC registered and bring post-qualification community or social care experience.

Qualifications

• Qualified Occupational Therapist registered with HCPC.
• Experience in community, health or Adult Social Care practice.
• Strong communication and reasoning skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct holistic occupational therapy assessments for autistic adults and those with complex disabilities.
• Develop person-centred intervention plans to promote independence and wellbeing.
• Recommend equipment and adaptations; refer for major adaptations when needed.
• Balance positive risk taking with safety and rights in decision making.
• Collaborate with Social Workers, health professionals, families and carers.
• Contribute to safeguarding, MCA processes and best interests assessments.
• Provide training and mentoring to colleagues and students.
• Manage a varied caseload and maintain records.

Skills

Functional assessment

Clinical reasoning

Written communication

Autonomous working

Team collaboration

Education

HCPC registered Occupational Therapist

Job description

Experienced Occupational Therapist
SO3 (£41,177 - £46,579)
37 hours, Full-Time
Permanent
Hybrid: Baker street, office and community-based working, with opportunity for some working from home

Application Deadline: 11 November 2026, 11:59pm
Shortlisting Date: 12 November 2026
Interview Date: 19 November 2026
Interview Type: Face to face

Join us at Stockport Council – Best for Inclusion winner at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards 2026

Your Role

We are looking for an experienced, motivated Occupational Therapist to work with autistic adults as well as those who may have complex disabilities, learning disability, and health conditions as part of Stockport Adult Social Care. You will complete holistic, strengths-based functional assessments and use occupational therapy expertise to help people live safe, meaningful, connected and gloriously ordinary lives.

You will identify what matters to each person, recognise their strengths and aspirations, and work with them, their families, carers and partner professionals to develop creative, proportionate solutions.

Interventions may include daily living and life-skills support, sensory profiling, sensory-informed environmental strategies, positive risk-taking, equipment, assistive technology and appropriate referrals for adaptations.

The role will include supporting people to build independence, participate in their communities and access meaningful routines and occupations. You will contribute to person-centred planning, safeguarding and risk management, and help ensure communication and environmental approaches are accessible and responsive to individual needs.

What You Will Do

• Complete holistic occupational therapy assessments autistic adults as well as those who may have complex disabilities, learning disability, and health conditions, including functional, environmental and sensory assessment, and undertake or contribute to sensory profiling where indicated.
• Develop person-centred, evidence-informed intervention plans that promote independence, wellbeing, participation, choice and control.
• Recommend and provide proportionate equipment and assistive technology, and identify the need for complex or major adaptations, referring to these through the appropriate pathway.
• Use professional judgement to balance positive risk taking, safety, rights and the least restrictive approach.
• Work collaboratively with Social Workers, people with lived experience, health professionals, families, carers, providers, housing colleagues and community partners.
• Contribute to safeguarding activity, Mental Capacity Act and best-interests processes within the scope of the role.
• Provide specialist advice, coaching or training to individuals, carers, colleagues and providers, including practical strategies for everyday function and independence.
• Manage a varied and complex caseload, maintain timely records and reports, and review outcomes.
• Contribute to service development, practice learning and the development of junior colleagues, students and apprentices where appropriate.

About You

You will be a qualified Occupational Therapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, with post-qualification experience in community, health or Adult Social Care practice. You will be compassionate, organised and confident working autonomously with complexity while remaining connected to a multidisciplinary team.

• Strong functional assessment, clinical reasoning and written communication skills.
• Experience of working with autistic adults as well as those who may have complex disabilities, learning disability, and health conditions and/or transferable experience supporting people with complex needs.
• Further training and/or experience in sensory assessment and sensory profiling is desirable, alongside an understanding of communication needs and environmental approaches relevant to people with a learning disability and autistic people.
• Where the successful applicant has not already completed relevant additional training, they will be expected to undertake this as part of the role. The training will be supported by Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council following successful completion of the probationary period.
• Experience of equipment, adaptations, assistive technology and moving and handling assessment is desirable.
• Ability to manage risk, conflict and complex decision making in a professional and person-centred way.
• Knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, safeguarding duties, equality and human rights principles.
• Commitment to strengths-based, occupationally focused, culturally responsive and anti-discriminatory practice.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload and contribute to continuous improvement and learning.

About Us

Stockport’s Community Autism Team supports adults aged 18 and over. The wider service brings together health and social care expertise, with a focus on improving access, reducing health inequalities, delivering Care Act responsibilities and supporting people to be as independent as possible.

The role aligns with Stockport’s ambition for people with complex needs to experience belonging, choice, good health, meaningful occupation, safe access to their community and a home life that reflects what matters to them.

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Liz Stevens [e-mail]

The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment clearances including a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.

We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.