Lead Clinician and Coordinator

Acorn Care and Education; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A children's healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Lead Clinician and Coordinator for their multi-campus SEMH school settings in South West London. This role requires an experienced Occupational Therapist with a BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy and relevant registrations. Responsibilities include managing a client caseload, conducting assessments, and designing interventions. The position offers a salary of £50,000 – £60,000 and emphasizes work-life balance with a summer contract and generous leave policies.

Benefits

5 weeks off in the summer break

22 days of annual leave

CPD opportunities and support

Life Assurance

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years post-qualification experience with complex children and young people.
• Experience of working in SEMH, education or alternative provision settings.
• Leadership or service development experience required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the occupational needs of a diverse client caseload.
• Conduct assessments to determine client needs.
• Design, implement, and evaluate appropriate interventions.

Skills

BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

Royal College of Occupational Therapy Registration

Minimum of 4 years post-qualification experience

Experience of working in SEMH settings

Leadership experience

Understanding of attachment and trauma

Confident with report writing

Education

BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy

Job description

Are you looking for an employer who can offer you opportunities for growth and development in your occupational therapy career all whilst working within a friendly multidisciplinary team in a rewarding environment? London Children’s Practice is an exciting and creative practice looking for an ambitious Occupational Therapist who wants to grow their clinical skills in a strong team environment. We place a high importance on work‑life balance, so we offer a Summer Contract that maximises annual leave! We’re also trialling provision for 10% rest every day!

Job Details

Title: Lead Clinician and Coordinator

Location: Multi‑Campus SEMH School Settings in South West London

Salary: £50,000 – £60,000 FTE (DOE)

Hours: 37.5 hour week – flexible working across 6 days (Monday‑Saturday)

Contract: Permanent – Summer contract 50 weeks (5 weeks off in summer break, + 22 days holiday)

About the Role

As a Lead Clinician and Coordinator, you will be responsible for managing the occupational needs of a diverse client caseload of individuals aged 0 to 18. This includes conducting comprehensive assessments using both standardized and non‑standardized tools to accurately determine client needs. You will design, implement, and evaluate appropriate interventions, which may involve specialist strategies, targeted support or universal approaches such as group work, training and one‑to‑one sessions.

A key part of your role is to identify and review relevant outcomes to inform treatment plans, track progress and facilitate appropriate discharge. You will also be responsible for producing high‑quality, accurate and detailed reports using up‑to‑date templates. This position requires close collaboration with families, carers and colleagues from other professions, including school staff and London Children’s Practice (LCP) leadership.

Additional duties include attending multi‑agency meetings, advocating for clients’ needs and providing expert advice and support to families and relevant professionals. You will also be responsible for managing your own caseload, providing supervision to junior staff and students and delivering training to external agencies as an LCP representative. The role demands adherence to safeguarding procedures, with all concerns escalated within 24 hours. The ability to manage your own performance and development is essential for this role.

Location: Primarily school‑based with opportunity to work within the clinic setting.

Essential

• BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Royal College of Occupational Therapy Registration
• Minimum of 4 years post‑qualification experience with complex children and young people
• Experience of working in SEMH, education or alternative provision settings
• Leadership or service development experience
• Excellent understanding of attachment, trauma and neurodevelopment
• Confident with report writing and multi‑agency working

Desirable

• Postgraduate training in trauma‑informed care or related specialisms
• Knowledge of SEND processes including EHCPs and Annual Reviews
• Experience working with Looked‑After Children or those with significant social care involvement
• Understanding of positive behaviour support approaches

London Children’s Practice – Why Choose Us?

• Ongoing Professional Development: Access training opportunities that support your career growth and interests.
• Comprehensive Wellbeing Support: Prioritise a healthy work‑life balance with our dedicated support services and wellness initiatives.
• Expert Supervision and Mentoring: Work with experienced practitioners who provide guidance for your paediatric occupational therapy journey.
• Structured Clinical Growth: Benefit from regular in‑house training, workshops and supervision to refine your skills.
• Paediatric OT Onboarding Program: Our experienced team offers a dedicated programme to help newly qualified or paediatric‑new OTs build core skills.
• 5 weeks off in the school summer break
• 22 days of annual leave + years of service allowance
• 1 CPD day to use towards training
• Annual CPD opportunities + monthly internal CPD provided
• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• "Your Wellbeing Matters": access to a wide range of first‑class mental health support services and physical health checks
• Family Growth Support – inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.
• A wide range of health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• 100s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover

For more information about this role please refer to the Job Description and Job Pack.