Newly Qualified Occupational Therapist

Oxford Health NHS Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

NHS Discount

Lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Oxford Health NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire is recruiting a Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join a brand-new Intensive Case Management and Rehabilitation Pathway. You will work with adults and older adults in the community, delivering recovery-focused OT and helping people develop daily living skills.

This role is community-based, involves home visits and cross-disciplinary collaboration, with supervision and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with a recognised Occupational Therapy qualification.
• Demonstrates knowledge of recovery-focused, person-centred and evidence-based occupational therapy practice.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding and clinical risk management.
• Experience working with adults with mental health needs in community, acute or inpatient settings.
• Experience of carrying out occupational therapy assessments, intervention planning and caseload management.
• Experience of working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team to support recovery and community living.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions for adults with complex mental health needs.
• Support people to develop the skills, confidence and independence needed to live fulfilling lives within their communities.
• Providing assertive outreach by meeting people where they feel most comfortable, including their homes and community settings.
• Building therapeutic relationships with individuals who may find traditional services difficult to engage with.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across health, social care and voluntary services to provide joined-up care.
• Contributing to recovery planning, risk management and discharge planning.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records and participating in service development, quality improvement and audit.

Skills

Excellent communication

Relationship-building

Autonomous working

Adaptability

Job description

Are you a newly qualified or early career Occupational Therapist looking to begin your career in community mental health? Or perhaps you already have experience and are looking for your next challenge?

We're looking for a compassionate and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our brand-new Intensive Case Management (ICM) and Rehabilitation Pathway across Buckinghamshire.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with adults and older adults with complex mental health needs, supporting them to build independence, develop everyday living skills and achieve meaningful recovery within their own communities.

As part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, you'll deliver person-centred, recovery-focused Occupational Therapy using flexible and creative approaches. You'll spend most of your time working directly with people in their homes and local communities, helping them overcome barriers, reduce hospital admissions and achieve their personal goals.

Whether you're joining us as a newly qualified OT or bringing previous experience, you'll receive excellent support, structured development and the opportunity to help shape an innovative new service.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 5 Occupational Therapist, you'll manage your own caseload while receiving regular supervision and support from experienced Occupational Therapists and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering high-quality Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions for adults with complex mental health needs.
• Supporting people to develop the skills, confidence and independence needed to live fulfilling lives within their communities.
• Providing assertive outreach by meeting people where they feel most comfortable, including their homes and community settings.
• Building therapeutic relationships with individuals who may find traditional services difficult to engage with.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across health, social care and voluntary services to provide joined-up care.
• Contributing to recovery planning, risk management and discharge planning.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records and participating in service development, quality improvement and audit.

This is a predominantly community-based role where no two days are the same. You'll have the opportunity to work creatively and make a genuine difference to people's recovery journeys. Applicants must have a full valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. Adjustments can be considered in line with the Equality Act 2010 where required.

About us

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

o Excellent opportunities for career progressiono Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and developmento 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous serviceo NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailerso Competitive pension schemeo Lease car schemeo Cycle to work schemeo Employee Assistance Programmeo Mental Health First Aiderso Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)o Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Job responsibilities

Interviews will take part over two rounds. The first will be on the 13th of August, virtually. The second round will be on the 17th August in Aylesbury and will be a group task.

You'll be joining a newly established, fully integrated multidisciplinary team that's committed to delivering innovative, person-centred mental health care across Buckinghamshire. Working alongside Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Support Workers and Clinical Leads, you'll be part of a collaborative team where every profession plays a key role in supporting recovery.

Our Intensive Case Management and Rehabilitation Pathway has been designed to provide flexible, assertive outreach for adults and older adults with complex mental health needs who may struggle to engage with traditional services. Rather than expecting people to come to us, we meet them where they are building trusting relationships and providing support in their homes, local communities and other settings where they feel comfortable.

As a team, we share responsibility for supporting our service users through regular multidisciplinary discussions, collaborative decision-making and a strong focus on continuity of care. You'll have the opportunity to work creatively alongside colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds, developing holistic interventions that address mental and physical health, social needs and recovery goals together.

This is a unique opportunity to join a brand-new service from the outset, helping to shape how the pathway develops while working within a supportive team that values collaboration, innovation and recovery-focused practice. Successful applicants will receive a comprehensive induction and evidence-based training package to support them in delivering high-quality care.

Please note if you are based outside of the UK you will need to hold HCPC registration in order to be considered for this role.

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.

Person Specification

Clinical Knowledge & Qualifications

• HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with a recognised Occupational Therapy qualification.
• Demonstrates knowledge of recovery-focused, person-centred and evidence-based occupational therapy practice.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding and clinical risk management.
• Experience working with adults with mental health needs in community, acute or inpatient settings.
• Experience of carrying out occupational therapy assessments, intervention planning and caseload management.
• Experience of working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team to support recovery and community living.

Skills & Values

• Demonstrates excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to engage individuals who may be difficult to reach.
• Able to work autonomously, prioritise workload and adapt to changing service user needs within a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrates a compassionate, recovery-focused approach and commitment to supporting independence and inclusion.

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.