Lead Occupational Therapist (CAMHS)

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic team as the Lead Occupational Therapist within the Lavender Walk Adolescent Unit.

Lavender Walk is a 12 bed General Adolescent Unit (GAU) that cares for young people between the ages of 13-18 years old, with complex mental health needs and emotional difficulties. We are a busy and friendly service which welcomes new skills and new ideas. It is part of Central & North West London (CNWL) Foundation Mental Health Trust and is located within the South Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Centre (1 Nightingale Place, London, SW10 9NG). There are good transport links and a variety of local shops and amenities.

The Lavender Walk team is made up of two Consultant Psychiatrists (one of whom is the Clinical Lead), Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Therapies Lead), Matron (Clinical Unit Manager), Ward Manager, Qualified Nurses, Nurse Associates, Health Care Assistants, Speciality Doctors, Junior Doctors, Clinical Psychologists, Systemic Family Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Art Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Dietician, Social Workers and Teaching staff. We also regularly have students and trainees from the above professional disciplines on placement with the team.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a motivated individual who is enthusiastic, creative, forward thinking, and adaptable to work within our well established and welcoming team. The successful applicant will provide an Occupational Therapy service to young people experiencing mental health problems across all sectors of care as part of a multi-disciplinary CAMHS team. In your role, you will work with young people and their family/carers developing a therapeutic relationship and contribute to the multi-disciplinary assessment and interventions of young people to support their recovery and reintegration back to community settings.

Your role will involve planning and delivering individual and group Occupational Therapy interventions, completing specialist Occupational Therapy assessments, reports and making recommendations, as well as the management and supervision of the inpatient Occupational Therapy Team (Band 5 Occupational Therapist, Band 4 Fitness Instructor and a Band 4 Activity Coordinator), managing the Occupational Therapy resources/budget and responsibilities associated with being a part of the Lavender Walk Senior Management Team.

About us

CNWL have a pioneering history improving health outcomes in people's lives, by providing physical and mental health services at GPs, clinics, hospitals, and in the community.

Our base is in the Chelsea area, next to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Thanks to the heavy NHS influence many local cafes, restaurants and bars give discounts at 10-20% to all NHS staff.

As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues, and patients when working in our healthcare settings.

Job details

Date posted: 22 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £54,320 to £60,981 a year Per annum incl. HCAS

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 333-G-CA-1544

Job locations

Lavender Walk General Adolescent Unit

1 Nightingale Place

London

SW10 9NG

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC registered OT

• Practice Placement Educator's Course.
• Post graduate training specific to clinical specialty
• Management & Leadership training.
• Mental health specific workshops and short courses
• RCA Training

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services.
• Experience in leading and/or developing a service/component of a service
• Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments including MOHO assessments.
• Experience of supervising and appraising staff / unqualified staff; recruitment and workforce planning.
• Experience in managing a complex caseload.
• Experience in participating in audit / research projects.
• Experience of effective partnership working, with external providers, in promoting socially inclusive opportunities for service users
• Experience in partnership working with external agencies.

• Experience in a variety of mental health settings.
• Experience in Serious incident investigations.
• Experience in managing complex HR issues with staff e.g. the management of performance / long term sickness.
• Experience in budget management.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES

• Individual and group work assessment and intervention skills.
• Effective leadership skills through the management of designated projects, audits and research.
• Skills in producing timely, accurate and informative reports and notes
• Ability to prioritise workload, delegate effectively and to support junior staff to do so.
• Clear concept of OT and models of practice.
• Ability to deal with sensitivities and complexities, using interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies.
• Ability to promote a culture of sound OT practice amongst staff.
• Ability to determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on a service user's functional ability and undertake assessment/make recommendations with regards to the provision of equipment/aids and adaptations

• Delivery of formal presentations and teaching sessions.
• Training in psychological therapies e.g. DBT, CBT.
• R&D experience at post graduate level.

ATTITUDES, APTITUDES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Committed to working as part of an MDT.
• Demonstrates a commitment to personal development.
• Ability to work independently and is self motivated.
• Able to work flexibly.
• Able to utilise supervision effectively

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Lavender Walk General Adolescent Unit

1 Nightingale Place

London

SW10 9NG

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)