Lead Occupational Therapist | Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Pennine Care NHS FT; Stansty; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in the UK is seeking a Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist to transform inpatient mental health care. You will lead OT practice, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based service delivery across various wards. The ideal candidate will be HCPC-registered with extensive experience in mental health and strong leadership skills. This role offers career development opportunities, flexible working options, and a commitment to workforce wellbeing and inclusivity.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Flexible working options

Comprehensive staff wellbeing service

Generous NHS pension scheme and staff benefits package

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in mental health.
• Experience in leading and developing occupational therapy practice.
• Ability to build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and management of the Occupational Therapy service.
• Support and develop the Occupational Therapy workforce.
• Ensure high quality, evidence-based OT service delivery.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication

Person-centred care

Evidence-based practice

Education

HCPC registration as an occupational therapist

Job description

Join a Trust that values occupational therapy

Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist

Across our adult and older adult male and female inpatient wards Bury, Oldham, and Tameside and Glossop – Greater Manchester

At Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, we’re transforming inpatient mental health care - and occupational therapy is central to that change.

We’re looking for forward‑thinking, experienced occupational therapists to lead and develop OT practice across our inpatient wards. You’ll play a vital leadership role in shaping the future of occupational therapy within our Trust – championing holistic, person‑centred care and evidence‑based practice that enables meaningful lives for patients.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll be a HCPC‑registered occupational therapist with substantial experience in mental health, bringing strong leadership skills and a genuine passion for enabling others to thrive.

You’ll be committed to delivering holistic, person‑centred care, confident in evidence‑based practice, and motivated to contribute to service improvement. With excellent communication and collaboration skills, you will build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams.

You might currently be working in another NHS trust, in the private sector, or through an agency. You may be based in Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, or the wider North West. Wherever you are in your career, if you’re looking for safer staffing, stronger support, and meaningful opportunities to grow, Pennine Care is ready to welcome you.

Why choose Pennine Care?

• Top mental health trust to work for in the North of England (NHS Staff Survey 2024)
• A clear commitment to safe staffing levels and quality patient care
• Work in a collaborative, values‑led organisation
• Multidisciplinary working embedded in our care models
• Leadership and career development support

Your opportunity

You’ll be working alongside dedicated multidisciplinary teams, using your skills to deliver person‑centred care in line with our values of kindness, fairness, ingenuity and determination.

Not only will you help shape the future of person‑centred care, it’s your chance to influence service development, lead a committed OT team, and ensure that occupational therapy is placed at the centre of care where it belongs.

What we offer

• Career development, including access to training and development relevant to your role
• Mentoring and coaching opportunities to support your growth
• Flexible working options to support your work‑life balance
• Comprehensive staff wellbeing service
• Generous NHS pension scheme and staff benefits package
• A Trust‑wide commitment to diversity, inclusion and psychological safety

Make the move to a Trust that listens, supports and invests in you. Apply now and help us build a better future for mental health care.

[Include application link or NHS Jobs reference]

For informal enquiries, contact Dr Michele Harrison, Interim Head of Allied Health Professionals and Social Workers at [e-mail].

Your main responsibilities in this role

You are to take the lead in the development and management of the Occupational Therapy service across inpatient services (adults of working age and older adults), in one of the five localities within Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (PCFT) using highly specialist clinical and leadership skills developed through experience and post graduate training, ensuring quality of service and compliance with the Trust’s core values, standards and regulations.

You will work in partnership with Operational and Ward managers, quality leads and other Lead Occupational Therapists to support and develop the Occupational Therapy workforce, ensuring person centred, high quality, evidence based, safe and effective OT service delivery across inpatient Mental Health Services.

Please see the job description for further details about the role and responsibilities.

This advert closes on Sunday 28 Dec 2025