Lead Occupational Therapist (T&O)

Transformationunitgm; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Milton Keynes is seeking a Lead Occupational Therapist to join their Inpatient Therapies Team. This part-time position offers an opportunity to lead a dedicated team in providing exceptional patient care. The role involves not only the management of a specialist caseload in Trauma & Orthopaedics but also offers significant potential for professional development and leadership experience within a supportive environment.

Benefits

Free on-site parking

Free refreshments

Flexible working opportunities

Discounted gym membership

Lease car scheme

Generous annual leave and pension scheme

Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a similar clinical role is essential.
• Demonstrable skills in clinical governance.
• Ability to manage a complex patient caseload.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and operational leadership to the T&O therapy team.
• Manage a caseload of highly complex Trauma and Orthopaedics patients.
• Lead service development initiatives within the department.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Communication

Team management

Clinical reasoning

Flexibility

Education

Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Management or leadership training

Membership of British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT)

Job description

Employer Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Inpatient Physiotherapy (Dept) Town Milton Keynes Salary £46,148 - £52,809 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 08/07/2025 23:59 Interview date 16/07/2025

Lead Occupational Therapist (T&O)

Band 7

MKUH staff scored highest for ‘I look forward to coming to work’ (NHS Staff Survey 2023).

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free refreshments
• Great flexible workingopportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Job overview

Lead Occupational Therapist (T&O)

Department: Inpatient Therapies

Part-time: Band 7 £46,148 - £52,809 per annum pro rata

Hours: 30 hours per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working.

Our Therapy Department is currently looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist in Trauma & Orthopaedics to jointly lead the T&O therapy team alongside the Lead Physiotherapist.

This is a great opportunity for someone wanting their first experience leading a team or for someone with established leadership skills looking for a new challenge.

The T&O service is undertaking several service developments that the successful candidate will help lead and embed into practice.

Previous experience as a Band 6 or 7 Occupational Therapist in T&O is essential. An ability to demonstrate to proactive flexible approach and to be able to lead a team when under pressure is essential. Demonstrable skills in service development are desirable, along with a keen interest in educating fellow healthcare colleagues.

Do you have the drive to lead a team that prides itself on providing excellent patient care with a strong commitment to compassionate care then this role is for you. If you are ready for the challenge leading a team then this opportunity is right for you.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Laura Sturgeon, Inpatient Therapy Service Lead at 01908 995418 or email [e-mail]

Interview date: 16.07.2025

Main duties of the job

You will be part of the Inpatient Therapy leadership team, involved in service and staff development across the department. Working as part of a dedicated and skilled Therapy Services team you will be providing day to day operational leadership to the T&O therapy team as well as providing the clinical supervision to staff. You will be expected to have your own caseload of highly complex T&O patients and link with the wider T&O MDT for improving patient pathways, service improvement such as Enhanced recovery programme and community partners.

To be responsible for managing a highly specialist clinical caseload of Inpatient Trauma and Orthopaedics patients for the Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH), patients will be assessed and treated in a variety of different settings including outpatients or inpatients and/ or community as required by the area of clinical specialty.

Working for our organisation

"Staff feel valued by their teams and supported by their line managers, creating a truly inclusive environment" (NHS Staff Survey 2024).

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Great flexible workingopportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Leadership & management:

• To provide clinical and managerial leadership to the clinical team in area of clinical speciality by working collaboratively with other Lead Therapists and the Therapy Service Lead.

Clinical practice:

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own work, ensuring a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management by supporting more junior staff to do likewise.
• To maintain own competency to practice through CPD activities, demonstrating awareness of new trends and developments and their incorporation into practice as necessary.

Governance:

• To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and Risk Management and their application to work situation

Please refer to the attached Job Description for further details.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices. We promote an inclusive workforce and encourage applications from applicants from all backgrounds.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

Person specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• Registration in relevant profession with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Evidence of a range of specialist continuing professional development
• Member of relevant specialist interest group (Relevant to area of specialty).
• Management or leadership training or qualification
• Awareness of NHS and Trust systems, policies, procedures, and current changes
• Sound therapeutic and clinical knowledge
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge and awareness of national guidelines relevant to specialist area.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of evidence based clinical practice for a range of conditions relevant to area of specialty.
• Student Supervisory Skills training
• Membership of relevant professional association i.e. British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT)

Experience

• Significant experience in applying Therapeutic process to include assessment, interpretation, individual care planning, motivation, monitoring and evaluation of highly specialized treatment in area of specialty.
• Experience of working with patients in relevant specialist area
• Active member of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) including liaison with clinical specialists, GP, specialist nurses, community teams etc
• Supervision, appraisal and training of junior members of staff and students.
• Ability to autonomously manage a caseload of highly complex patients.
• Proven leadership experience in relevant clinical specialty or similar clinical field
• Ability to undertake projects within specialist area e.g. using NICE guidance, benchmarking and clinical audit
• Ability to lead and participate in departmental audits and review of Trust Policy

Skills

• Ability to remain flexible when organising and prioritising own clinical and non-clinical caseload.
• High level of written and verbal communication including report writing skills
• Advanced skills in the assessment and treatment of patients in relevant clinical area
• Ability to present and teach information to junior and assistant staff and students as part of an in-service programme.
• Ability to maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up to date documentation, in line with legal and Trust standards.
• Ability to appropriately apply a range of treatment approaches relevant to clinical specialty.
• Ability to problem-solve and to demonstrate clinical reasoning based on experience and knowledge.

Personal and people development

• Experience of managing and developing junior and assistant staff
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Experience of using HR policy and procedure including sickness absence and performance management
• Knowledge of change management principles

Communication

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others.
• Competent in the use of IT including proficient in emails.
• Ability to deliver sensitive information in a tactful and empathetic manner.

Specific requirements

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.
• Car driver with valid licence and access to car for travelling across Milton Keynes to visit patients or to other bases (as applicable to post)

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

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.