Occupational Therapist

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an Occupational Therapist (Band 5) for a fixed-term post of 18 months in Ellesmere Port. The role involves clinical assessments, delivering both individual and group therapies, and supporting discharge and relapse prevention within a new, evolving service.

We welcome applicants with a passion for mental health, strong organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously.

Qualifications

• Diploma/BSc in Occupational Therapy and HCPC registration.
• Membership of a professional body is required.
• Experience in mental health and/or supporting vulnerable adults is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Perform Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions.
• Deliver individual and group interventions.
• Support discharge planning and transitions from inpatient care.
• Facilitate therapeutic activities including psychoeducation, cooking, shopping, social eating and relaxation.
• Work with service users in community settings, at home or virtually where appropriate.

Skills

OT assessments

Group interventions

Discharge planning

Education

Diploma/BSc in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration

Professional body membership

Tools

Assessment tools

Outcome measures

Job description

Main area Occupational Therapist Grade Band 5 Contract Fixed term: 18 months (until 31st March 2028 due to funding) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 7:00pm (rota basis)) Job ref 373-SMH2753

Site Pioneer House and Springview hospital Town North Road Ellesmere Port Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 23/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

Are you an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapist looking to make a real difference? We have an exciting opportunity to join PARALEL, an innovative rehabilitation, relapse prevention and alternative to admission service supporting adults with eating disorders across community and inpatient settings

As part of a developing multidisciplinary team, you will support people transitioning from inpatient care and help them maintain independence, recovery and wellbeing within their communities. The service focuses on reducing hospital admissions and providing timely support closer to home

The role will include:

• Completing Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions
• Delivering individual and group interventions
• Supporting discharge planning, transitions from inpatient care and relapse prevention
• Facilitating therapeutic activities including psychoeducation, cooking, shopping, social eating and relaxation
• Working with service users in community settings, at home and virtually where appropriate

The successful candidate will have a good understanding of Occupational Therapy, mental health and eating disorders, and be committed to delivering compassionate, recovery-focused care within a new and evolving service

Main duties of the job

You'll work closely with ourOccupational Therapists, experienced Senior therapy assistants and our integrated multidisciplinary team (MDT)to ensure a seamless and supportive care experience for every individual

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a friendly, supportive, new and emerging service.
• Receive dedicated guidance and direction from the experienced Occupational Therapist.
• Benefit from ongoing professional development, including:
• Clinical supervision
• A wide range of training opportunities

Who We’re Looking For:
We’re seeking an individual who is:

• Passionate about mental health and improving lives.
• Has excellent self-management and organisational skills.
• Caring, enthusiastic, adaptable and eager to learn.
• Highly motivated and ready to thrive in developing a new service.
• A team player who can take direction but is also able to work autonomously.

We would welcome applications from those who are reliable, resilient, focused, innovative, and hardworking, who are happy to share their skills and ideas but are also able to take direction. Experience/knowledge of Eating Disorders, Mental health would be desirable.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [e-mail] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

Qualifications

• Diploma/BSc in Occupational Therapy
• State Registration with Health and Care Professions Council
• Membership of professional body

Knowledge and Expertise

• Some knowledge of current best practice in OT
• Knowledge of assessment tools and outcome measures
• Ability to work autonomously with individuals and groups
• Skills in handling and moving.
• Ability to support Occupational Therapy students and support staff.
• Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
• Understanding of team dynamics
• Basic knowledge of health legislation and current practice, including CPA and risk assessment and management.
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Basic knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
• Training and presentation skills
• Has practically applied evidence based practice.
• Evidence of research and clinical audit skills
• Knowledge of eating disorders

Experience

• Application of the occupational therapy process
• Use of functional assessment and activity analysis
• Documented evidence of continuing Professional Development
• Experience working in mental health or supporting vulnerable adults

Trust Values

• Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C’s: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

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.

Name Mandy Eardley Job title Team manager/Occupational Therapist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07500065765 Additional information

Want to Know More?

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more information.

We encourage all applicants to contact Mandy Eardley (team manager) to book a visit.

If a visit cannot be arranged, a phone call is welcomed for an opportunity to find out more information about the role.

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [e-mail] or telephone [phone]

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. The Trust has over 14,500 members and employs more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including:

• Allied health professions - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy
• Medical - including psychiatry and general practice
• Pharmacy
• Clinical support roles
• Estates and facilities
• Support services roles - including HR, communications, ICT,finance and more

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you’re at in your career journey, you’ll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?