Highly Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Achieving for Children; Ewell; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Achieving For Children is seeking a Highly Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist (Band 7 level) to join our team at the Moor Lane Centre, Chessington. The role includes leading a defined service area, supervising other therapists and assistants, and driving service improvement with MDT colleagues.

You will manage complex caseloads for children with diverse needs, reporting for clinical governance and audit purposes.

Qualifications

• Extensive post-qualifying clinical experience in paediatrics.
• Solid knowledge of evidence-based paediatric OT practice and outcomes evaluation.
• Experience supervising clinicians and therapy assistants.
• Experience training school staff and collaborating with MDT colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage service delivery in a defined area (mainstream or special schools).
• Provide clinical supervision and line-management to therapists and OT assistants.
• Plan service development and provide strategic direction within the area.
• Maintain continuous improvement of the service knowledge base and governance reporting.

Skills

Post-qualifying clinical experience

Paediatric Occupational Therapy

Clinical supervision

Training school staff

Communication with children/families

Education

Diploma/BSc/Graduate Diploma/MSc in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration + CPD portfolio

Short specialist courses in paediatrics

Job description

Job summary

If you're looking for a workplace where you'll be supported, appreciated, and empowered to thrive, this is your opportunity!

We are looking for a Highly Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist (equivalent to band 7) to join our team.

This role will attract a health market supplement in addition to the existing salary.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will manage and lead service delivery in a specific area of the service. This may include mainstream school service or special school depending on experience. They will provide clinical support and supervision to other therapists and occupational therapy assistants, including line management responsibilities. Planning the service within the specific area of work and taking the lead on providing strategic direction for others are key responsibilities of the role. The postholder will be responsible for the continuous improvement of the speciality ensuring team knowledge base is current and evidence based. The post holder will carry a complex caseload of children and young people with a wide range of disabilities and will regularly report progress for clinical governance and audit purposes.

About us

Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not‑for‑profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government.

The Achieving for Children Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service is part of the Integrated Team for Children with Disabilities Service based at the Moor Lane Centre in Chessington. The team provides a service to the Kingston community including early years and children and young people from 0-18. We are launching a new mainstream school universal offer and provide specialist and targeted intervention to special schools and specialist resource provisions to support children and young people who have significant functional difficulties. Team members autonomously manage a mixed caseload with a range of neurological and developmental disabilities. We work closely with MDT colleagues from health, social care and education.

Job responsibilities

The Achieving for Children Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service is part of the Integrated Team for Children with Disabilities Service based at the Moor Lane Centre in Chessington. The team provides a service to the Kingston community including early years and children and young people from 0-18. We are launching a new mainstream school universal offer and provide specialist and targeted intervention to special schools and specialist resource provisions to support children and young people who have significant functional difficulties. Team members autonomously manage a mixed caseload with a range of neurological and developmental disabilities. We work closely with MDT colleagues from health, social care and education.

Achieving for Children is going through an exciting period of growth and we plan to rapidly increase Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) referrals to the service and become the service of choice in the area of SEND.

The post holder will manage and lead service delivery in an area of the service. They will provide clinical support, supervision and management support to other therapists and occupational therapy assistants. Planning the service within the specific area of work and taking the lead on providing strategic direction for this specific area are key responsibilities of the role. They will contribute to business development plans as appropriate. The postholder will be responsible for the continuous improvement of the speciality ensuring team knowledge base is current and evidence based. The post holder will carry a complex caseload of children and young people with a wide range of disabilities and will regularly report progress for clinical governance and audit purposes.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable extensive post qualifying clinical experience working in paediatrics.
• Solid knowledge of current evidence based practice in paediatric OT and application in assessment, treatment approaches and evaluating outcomes.
• Significant experience of undertaking complex assessment and treatment with a wide variety of children and young people presenting with significant and complex needs
• Experience of providing clinical supervision and acting as a role model for junior staff.
• Experience of training school staff

Desirable

• Working knowledge of clinical governance and audit including its implementation
• Working knowledge of legislation and its implication for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to children and young people
• Experience of addressing specific equality or diversity issues within your practice with colleagues/service users and taking action to solve them.
• Highly effective communication skills with children, young people and families, teaching and other health professionals, ensuring effective management of the childs complex needs towards agreed goals. This requires skills in persuasion, motivation, gaining consent and trust and being able to explain complex issues in plain language.
• Effective use of negotiation and influencing skills with service users and colleagues who may challenge professional opinions, decisions or obstruct delivery of intervention.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/BSc/Graduate Diploma/MSc in Occupational Therapy
• Active HCPC registration and documented evidence of CPD (maintained portfolio)
• Additional short specialist courses relevant to paediatrics

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable extensive post qualifying clinical experience working in paediatrics, in particular working with a cohort of with PMLD and complex disability.
• Solid Knowledge of current best practice in paediatric OT and evidence of its application in assessment planning, implementing and evaluating treatment
• Significant experience of undertaking complex assessment and treatment with a wide variety of children and young people presenting with significant and complex needs
• Experience of providing clinical supervision
• Experience of training school staff and acting as a role model for junior staff
• Working knowledge of clinical governance and audit including its implementation
• Working knowledge of legislation and its implication for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to children and young people
• Experience of addressing specific equality or diversity issues within your practice with colleagues/service users and taking action to solve them.
• Highly effective communication skills with children, young people and families, teaching and other health professionals, ensuring participation of all involved in effective management of the childs complex physical, cognitive, perceptual and /or behavioural development needs. This requires skills in persuasion, motivation, gaining consent and trust and being able to explain complex issues in plain language.
• Effective use of negotiation and influencing skills with service users and colleagues who may challenge professional opinions, decisions or obstruct delivery of intervention

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.

Employer details

Employer name: Achieving For Children

Address: The Moor Lane Centre, Moor Lane, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2AA, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.achievingforchildren.org.uk/work-for-us/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Katherine Buche, [e-mail]

Details

Date posted: 05 October 2026

Pay scheme: Other

Salary: £52,194 to £57,402 a year This role will attract HCAS in addition to the existing salary.

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number: B0458-05OCT26-2505

Job locations: The Moor Lane Centre, Moor Lane, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2AA, United Kingdom

Supporting links: AfC Career site

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