Occupational Therapist

NHS; Cheadle; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A charity for children with complex needs in Cheadle is seeking a passionate Occupational Therapist. This part-time role focuses on delivering tailored interventions to children with profound learning disabilities in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment. The ideal candidate will have a recognised OT qualification and experience working with children with complex needs. Access to professional development and supportive facilities is provided.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Access to on-site fitness facilities

Health and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Experience with children and young people with complex learning disabilities.
• Experience in managing a caseload and organising own time.
• Ability to devise and monitor occupational therapy intervention plans.

Responsibilities

• Deliver occupational therapy for children with complex needs.
• Provide assessments and intervention plans.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary team work and support service development.

Skills

Understanding of complex disabilities

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team

Organisational skills

Ability to plan and lead training activities

Education

Recognised Occupational Therapy qualification

Registered member of College of Occupational Therapists (COT)

Registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC)

Job description

Are you a passionate Occupational Therapist looking to make a real difference? Join Seashell Trust's dynamic Health Team in Cheadle Hulme, supporting children and young people with complex physical, learning, and sensory needs. This part‑time, term‑time role offers the chance to work in a collaborative, multi‑disciplinary environment where your expertise will help shape meaningful, person‑centred interventions. With access to cutting‑edge facilities and a supportive team, you'll be empowered to grow professionally while making a lasting impact. If you're proactive, reflective, and committed to positive outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

You'll deliver tailored occupational therapy to children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, focusing on independence, life skills, and daily living. Working closely with colleagues across Health, Education, and Care, you'll contribute to early assessment and intervention, support service development, and provide clinical supervision under the guidance of the OT Lead. Building strong therapeutic relationships with students and families will be central to your role, ensuring continuity and quality throughout their journey at Seashell.

About us

Seashell Trust is a national charity based in Cheadle Hulme, supporting children and young people with complex needs through education, care, therapy, and outreach. Our inclusive, person‑centred approach is delivered by a skilled multi‑disciplinary team in a welcoming and collaborative environment. We offer a comprehensive induction, generous annual leave, access to on‑site fitness facilities, health and wellbeing support, and professional development opportunities. Join us during an exciting period of growth, including a new college build and campus transformation.

Job responsibilities

• To provide a specialist in‑depth assessment and intervention plans for and young people with a variety of complex needs including physical and learning difficulties, multi sensory impairment, communication difficulties, autism and challenging behaviour.
• To use the principles and practices of occupational therapy to assess and treat complex conditions to optimise the clients ability and to promote their independent function in daily life.
• To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload, organising work in line with identified service/clinical priorities, managing own time.
• To provide an occupational perspective of the young person and contribute to multidisciplinary team work.
• Contribute to the MDT assessment process through initial assessment, informing long‑term goal setting, ongoing formative assessment, progress reviews, strategies and levels of support for students. These processes will identify the specific support needs and occupational therapy needs of children and young people.
• To plan and implement OT interventions, monitoring and evaluating outcomes for each individual student to ensure clinical effectiveness.
• To adhere to the College of Occupational Therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
• Liaise with other health, education and local authorities to provide continuity of transferrable skills and support for individual students during their course programme and at transition from the Trust.
• Assessment, recording and reporting: To provide clear written therapy programmes and specialist reports in a timely manner.
• To maintain up to date, accurate clinical records in line with professional requirements.
• To provide accurate and comprehensive data about clinical input to enable the maintenance of statistical records.
• To assess the need for specialist equipment, both in college to improve the young persons functional abilities, and to assist in the procurement of this specialist equipment.
• To demonstrate the safe and appropriate use of specialist equipment to parents/carers, educational staff and therapy colleagues.
• To participate in continuous professional development, both through INSET within the Trust and through training organised by other providers, to ensure that the OTs professional development log satisfies the requirements of the Health Professionals Council (HPC).
• To participate with senior colleagues in the management of occupational therapy provision in the College through activities such as audits of need, audits of care, service prioritisation, and business planning.
• To support newly qualified colleagues and technicians as required to undertake their day to day duties.
• To undertake regular supervisions (clinical, peer and line management supervisions) as defined and provided by the Trust.
• To work with senior colleagues in the delivery and development of the outreach service.
• Contribute and develop research and/or project work in relation to specialist area that supports the on‑going work and innovations in relation to the complex needs of the Trusts children and young people.
• To work in partnership to develop programmes and advice for parents/carers and college to maintain and develop the young persons functional abilities.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of working as an Occupational Therapist with children and/or young people with profound and complex learning disabilities and physical disabilities.
• Experience of organising own time and caseload.
• Experience of working with children and young people who sometimes exhibit challenging behaviour.
• Experience of providing supervision for newly qualified and technician staff.

Skills and knowledge

• Understanding of the needs of people with exceptional complex disabilities, including deafness, MSI and autism
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to write and maintain reports and student notes
• Ability to work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team
• Able to devise, implement, monitor and revise occupational therapy programmes
• Able to listen and act on instructions
• Organised and ability to prioritise workload
• Able to organise, support and co‑ordinate group or individual activities
• Awareness of augmentative and alternative communication systems
• Able to plan and lead staff training activities

Qualifications

• Recognised Occupational Therapy qualification
• Registered member of College of Occupational Therapists (COT)
• Registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC)
• Commitment to continued professional development
• GCSE or level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics
• Level 2 IT qualification or commitment to undertake
• BSL Level 1 or willingness to undertake
• Completion of appropriate post‑graduate courses such as SI level 1 or higher or willingness to undertake.

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.