Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist Complex under 6s

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work and Car Lease Schemes

Blue Light Card and NHS Discounts

Health and wellbeing support

Occupational Pension Scheme

Enhanced sick pay

Job summary

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) is recruiting a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist (Band 7) to support children under 6 with complex needs. The post involves travel across Watford and Hemel Hempstead, with bases in Peace Children’s Centre, Watford and Marlowes Health and Wellbeing Centre, Hemel.

You will deliver assessments and interventions for CYP, attend to clinical supervision, and contribute to the Experts at Hand model development within a proactive CYPT service.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is required.
• Specialist knowledge in working with children and families.
• Experience delivering OT assessments and interventions for children.
• Full driving licence and access to a car for business use.
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver OT assessments and evidence-based interventions to children.
• Provide clinical support to a team of health professionals.
• Travel across West Hertfordshire to support Watford and Hemel Hempstead families.
• Maintain links with health, social care and education professionals.
• Support junior colleagues and contribute to service development.

Skills

HCPC registration

CYP experience

OT for children

Driving licence

MDT collaboration

Education

Qualified Occupational Therapist

HCPC Licence to Practice

BA OT Registration

Job description

Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist Complex under 6s

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist Health/ EHCP Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 812-26-KWCYP39

Site Peace Children's Centre (Watford) and Marlowes Health and Wellbeing Centre Town Watford Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum, pro rata + High Cost Area Living Allowance Salary period Yearly Closing 10/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 19/11/2026

Job overview

Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s (CYP) Occupational Therapy Service at HCT (Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust) has dedicated specialist Band 7 posts to support children with complex needs and their families from birth to 6 years.

We are looking to recruit an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT), who has the relevant skills, training and experience in supporting children who have physical disabilities which impact on their participation of activities of daily life. This 1 WTE post will involve travel across West Hertfordshire, supporting families and children who live in Watford and Hemel Hempstead. Office bases are Peace Children's Centre in Watford and Marlowes Health and Wellbeing Centre in Hemel.

You will be joining an innovative and agile CYPT Service, that is committed to delivering high quality intervention, and to supporting the development and delivery of the new Experts at Hand model across Hertfordshire.

*Proposed interview date : 19th November 2026*

Main duties of the job

You will:

• Be a qualified Occupational Therapist with HCPC registration.
• Have specialist knowledge & skills in working with CYP & their families/carers, who have a range of developmental, neurological and health conditions.
• Deliver occupational therapy assessments and evidence-based interventions to children in a variety of settings, e.g. mainstream and specialist provisions.
• Provide clinical support to a team of health professionals.
• Have knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Maintain strong links to professionals working in health, social care, Education and the Voluntary Sector.
• Work collaboratively with members of the wider OT team in your locality area, and support more junior colleagues.

We offer:

• A friendly team & a great place to work
• Regular managerial supervision and mentoring
• Professional supervision through Action Learning Sets
• Personal development planning & access to training to develop your CPD, leadership & management skills
• A structured induction period

Working for our organisation

We’re delighted that you're exploring a career with HCT. As an organisation, we’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and rewarding work environment — one where you’ll feel valued and empowered to make a real difference.

At HCT, we put patients, their families, and carers at the heart of everything we do. Our vision is simple yet powerful: Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities. Our dedicated staff take pride in being Pioneering, Caring, and Inclusive, working together to turn this vision into reality.

Working with us comes with a host of benefits designed to support your wellbeing and work-life balance:

• Generous annual leave (27 days rising to 33 with long service)
• Flexible working arrangements to help balance personal/ professional life, including up to 5 days of carers leave (pro rata)
• Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 confidential support for personal or work-related issues
• Cycle to Work and Car Lease Schemes
• Blue Light Card and NHS Discounts
• Health and wellbeing support , including free flu jabs, Physiotherapy referrals, eye care vouchers, etc
• Occupational Pension Scheme with competitive benefits
• Enhanced sick pay above statutory entitlements

We celebrate diversity and actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds, ages, and communities to apply.

You’ve taken a fantastic first step by considering HCT. We’re excited about the possibility of welcoming you to our team and taking the next step in your journey with us.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description for more information about this role.

HCT provides integrated Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our CYPT integrated service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning amongst each profession. Our service is jointly commissioned by health, social care and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings, and at home.

The OT service is embedding health coaching and top-down models in to it’s care pathways, and is actively encouraging CPD to help develop these skills. Within your role, youwill provide support to the Clinical Quality Lead for OT in developing evidence-based clinical pathways.

You will be joining a well-established, supportive team of therapists and assistants. CYP Therapies at HCT pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff. As a Highly Specialist OT you will have the opportunity to facilitate professional supervision groups and provide managerial supervision to less experienced colleagues.

Successful candidates will be enthusiastic and motivated. Advanced communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player but be able to work autonomously and have the ability to champion the needs of children and young people.

You will need a full valid driving licence, and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,604 and a maximum payment of £2,270 per annum (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location).

Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all its’ staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.

If you have any questions about this role, please do not hesitate to contact Liesl Salters Brown, Clinical Quality Lead for Children’s OT on 07825 929688.

Interview date has been set for: 16th November 2026

West Operational Manager for CYP Therapies

07827883677

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Highly specialist knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent qualifications, in sensory integration theory and assessment
• Continued Professional Development evidenced by attendance at specialist postgraduate courses to maintain and develop own specialist knowledge and expertise.
• Recognised OT Qualification leading to registration with HCPC
• HCPC Licence to Practice
• Registered member of British Association of OT
• Supervision/Clinical Educators Course attendance

Experience and Knowledge

• Describe your experience of electronic patient record system
• Demonstrate your knowledge of current safeguarding procedures
• Evidence of involvement in service policy development in area of specialism
• What is your experience of working with different professional disciplines and agencies
• Detail your experiences of providing clinical supervision
• Describe your knowledge of NHS, Education and social care policy and directives where these impact on service delivery
• What training have you delivered to parents/carers/teachers or other professionals? What methods did you use to ensure it was effective and accessible?
• Describe your experience of working with CYP, including assessments carried out and provision of equipment

Skills and abilities

• Working collaboratively with an MDT, including demonstrating ability to liaise and negotiate
• Demonstrate knowledge of barriers to understanding & ability to explain complex issues simply
• Describe how you establish positive relationships and mutual respect with people at all levels
• How do you ensure you are making appropriate clinical decisions, and include experiences of analysing and interpreting complex data
• Give examples that show how you effectively problem solve
• Describe your computer literacy, including use of Excel spreadsheets, databases and PowerPoint
• Describe how you use your communication skills effectively in different work situations
• Describe our experience of supporting or mentoring others, e.g. junior staff; students; assistants

Other requirements

• Eligible to live and work in the UK
• Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
• Experience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff

We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e‑mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. All new appointments (excluding Medical & Dental roles) are subject to a 26 week probation period.

We are proud to be an armed forces friendly employer and support the employment of the armed forces community, including veterans, spouses and partners. For more information, contact [e-mail]

Applications from qualified job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to you meeting minimum criteria of the role and salary threshold. Please visit the Gov.UK website for detail.

If applicable to the role, staff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In submitting an application form, you authorise Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record Inter Authority Transfer process should you be appointed to the post.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Liesl Salters Brown Job title Clinical Quality Lead for Children’s OT Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07825 929688 Additional information

Sophie Pullinger

West Operational Manager for CYP Therapies

07827883677