Lead Occupational Therapist

Pennine Care; Ashton-under-Lyne; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist to provide professional leadership and clinical oversight across five inpatient rehabilitation wards. You will support individuals with complex mental health needs to achieve recovery, independence and meaningful participation in daily life.

The post holder will lead and develop high-quality OT services, supervise staff and contribute to workforce development, quality improvement and strategic

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy qualification.
• Health and Care Professions Council Registration.
• Further short courses and experience to Master’s level.
• Evidence of leadership to Occupational Therapy staff.
• Specialist OT assessments and intervention relevant to rehabilitation service users’ occupational needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and clinical leadership for OT across five rehabilitation wards.
• Maintain a clinical caseload of service users with complex mental health needs.
• Lead the assessment, formulation, and delivery of specialist OT interventions.
• Ensure OT practice is evidence-based and outcome-focused.
• Supervise OT staff, assistants, students and apprentices.
• Lead service improvement, audits and quality assurance initiatives.
• Contribute to operational planning and development of rehabilitation pathways.
• Collaborate with carers, families, community services and external agencies to support discharge planning and recovery.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical supervision

Teamwork

Communication

Management

Mentorship

Education

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

Master’s level training

Job description

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If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our#PennineCarePeople

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Rehabilitation Service as a Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist. The post holder will provide professional leadership and clinical oversight across five inpatient rehabilitation wards, supporting individuals with complex mental health needs to achieve recovery, independence, and meaningful participation in everyday life.

The successful candidate will lead and develop high-quality occupational therapy services across the wards, ensuring the delivery of evidence-based, person-centred rehabilitation interventions. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, you will promote recovery-focused practice and support service users to maximise their occupational performance and quality of life.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced clinician with strong leadership skills who is passionate about rehabilitation and service development. You will provide supervision and support to occupational therapists, assistants, students, and apprentices, while contributing to workforce development, quality improvement, and wider strategic objectives.

Working hours will primarily be Monday to Friday 9am-5pm with some flexibility as required. Base to be determined on appointment.

Main duties of the job

• Providing professional and clinical leadership for occupational therapy across five rehabilitation wards.
• Maintaining a clinical caseload of service users with complex and enduring mental health needs.
• Leading the assessment, formulation, and delivery of specialist occupational therapy interventions.
• Ensuring occupational therapy practice is evidence-based, outcome-focused, and aligned with professional standards.
• Supporting staff development through supervision, appraisal, teaching, and mentorship.
• Leading service improvement, audit, and quality assurance initiatives.
• Contributing to operational planning and the development of rehabilitation pathways.
• Working collaboratively with carers, families, community services, and external agencies to support effective discharge planning and recovery.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy qualification
• Health and Care Professions Council Registration
• Further short courses and experience to Master’s level
• Evidence of leadership to Occupational Therapy staff
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and intervention relevant to rehabilitation service users’ occupational needs.
• Applying and interpreting standardised OT assessments
• Proven experience of line management / supervision of OTs / support staff
• Experience of supervision of OT students and/or OT apprentices
• Demonstrable experience ofinvolvement in service development
• Experience of supporting effective change management within teams
• Proven experience of effective multidisciplinary/interagency working
• Able to communicate effectively complex and sensitive information, both verbally and in writing.
• Able to organise and respond effectively to complex information
• Able to work as part of a team and independently
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
• Ability to work autonomously, set own priorities and manage timeeffectively
• Demonstrate application of Safety Planning and management in
  clinical practice
• Demonstrate an excellent understanding and clinical application of the Model of Human
• Demonstrable knowledge of up-todate evidence based practice
• Applied knowledge of relevant national policy and legislation related to people with complex mental health needs
• Awareness and knowledge of factors relating to Occupational Therapy service provision within rehabilitation services
• Experience of applying the Model of Human Occupation to assess
  and evaluate service user outcomes
• Detailed knowledge of the principles of clinical quality and itsapplication in practice
• Ability to plan and develop groups to meet individual rehabilitation goals
• Management / leadership training
• Placement educator
• Evidence of post graduate research experience
• Experience working in rehabilitation servicesExperience of using Quality Improvement methodology
• Presentation and teaching skills

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification to give you the best chance of being shortlisted.

Person specification

• BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy qualification
• Health and Care Professions Council Registration
• Further short courses and experience to Master’s level
• Experience of delivering Clinical Supervision
• Evidence of leadership to Occupational Therapy staff
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and intervention relevant to rehabilitation service users’ occupational needs.
• Applying and interpreting standardised OT assessments
• Proven experience of line management / supervision of OTs /support staff
• Experience of supervision of OT students and/or OT apprentices
• Demonstrable experience of involvement in service development
• Experience of supporting effective change management within teams
• Proven experience of effective multi-disciplinary/interagency working
• Able to organise and respond effectively to complex information
• Able to work as part of a team and independently
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
• Demonstrate application of Safety Planning and management in clinical practice
• Demonstrate an excellent understanding and clinical application of the Model of Human Occupation with people with complex mental health needs.
• Awareness and knowledge of factors relating to Occupational Therapy service provision within rehabilitation services
• Demonstrable knowledge of up-to date evidence based practice
• Ability to plan and develop groups to meet individual rehabilitation goals
• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Management /leadership training
• Placement educator
• Evidence of post graduate research experience
• Experience working in rehabilitation services
• Experience of using Quality Improvement methodology

We are aware of the increase in AI being used for job applications. AI can be a useful tool to assist in writing your application, but these tools may not understand the context or requirements of the job you are applying for and using for all your application will not be a true reflection of your skills and experience. Relying on AI for your whole application can negatively impact on your chances of success throughout the recruitment process as you will be asked to provide evidence to support what you have written. Take the time to proofread your application to ensure you can evidence what you have submitted, whether this is by your experience or certificates

Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

After You Apply - Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive updates via email. Shortlisting is based on how well you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and invitations will be sent by email.

If You're Offered the Role - If successful, the hiring manager will contact you directly with a verbal offer. They will then notify the Recruitment Team and submit the necessary paperwork. You’ll receive a formal conditional offer via email

Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards . These include:

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history andreferences.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

Once Checks Are Complete -

The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You’ll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.

Pennine Care are committed to the 'Pledge to Flex' initiative as flexible working is a day one right for all colleagues. We can work flexibly, doing whatever work pattern fits our needs, and we will meet community expectations.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve.

If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 706 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.

Please note:

• We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you have a disability or long-term health condition and need extra time or adjustments to complete your application, please contact us as soon as possible. We will ensure you are not disadvantaged where a reasonable adjustment is appropriate.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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 Cherelle Blythe Job title ACP trainee / Occupational Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0161 714 1400

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
225 Old Street
225 Old Street
OL6 7SR
Telephone [phone]