Occupational Therapist

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Reading; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits for a full-time Band 5 Occupational Therapist at a leading mental health trust in Reading. This role offers a chance to work within a passionate Allied Health Professional team, providing essential therapy services to patients in need. You will be part of a supportive environment that values professional development and personal growth, with access to a comprehensive learning program. If you are dedicated to delivering high-quality care and are eager to make a difference in patients' lives, this position offers the perfect platform to excel in your career while contributing positively to the community.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days’ annual leave

Excellent learning and career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing tools and services

Discounts at retailers and restaurants

Staff networks for diversity and equality

Generous maternity and paternity leave

Free parking across Trust sites

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in Occupational Therapy with HCPC registration.
• Experience working as an OT in a mental health setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide Occupational Therapy services across Berkshire Healthcare.
• Manage a defined caseload using evidence-based principles.

Skills

Occupational Therapy

Communication Skills

Therapeutic Interventions

Evidence-based Practice

Mental Health Knowledge

Education

Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

Postgraduate Training in Clinical Specialty

Job description

Main area: Therapy MH Inpatients

Grade: Band 5

Contract: 10 months (Fixed term end date will be determined after pre-employment checks have been completed)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Job ref: 371-MHS648

Site: Therapy - MH Inpatients

Town: Reading

Salary: £29,970 - £36,483 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 30/12/2024 23:59

Interview date: 06/01/2025

Job overview

An exciting Fixed Term contract opportunity has arisen for a full-time Band 5 Occupational Therapist (OT) post at Prospect Park Hospital (PPH) based in Reading. Secondment opportunity will also be considered for this post.

PPH serves all the localities in Berkshire and has approximately 170 inpatient beds spread across four adult acute Mental Health wards, two older adult Mental Health wards, and a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In this position, you will be allocated to work on one of the wards.

The PPH Therapy team is composed of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Dietetics, and Speech and Language Therapy team members. Working in a passionate Allied Health Professional team, you will have access to our Trust-wide Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to help you build your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, enabling you to extend your skills and ensure that you excel.

As an Occupational Therapist, you will have a passion for caring, a warm personality, and the resilience to play a vital role in helping patients take the next step in their journey. With excellent communication and people skills, you will be empathetic and sensitive to the needs of patients, their families, and carers. You will engage and motivate patients therapeutically, using verbal and non-verbal skills where there are barriers to communication and understanding.

Main duties of the job

1. To provide Occupational Therapy services for people in receipt of mental health and physical health services across Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT).
2. To manage a defined caseload, using evidence-based/client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions.
3. Contribute specific Occupational Therapy knowledge and skills to the multi-professional team.
4. Participate in supervision of junior staff and students as required.
5. Ensure effective liaison with other services within the 6 localities in Berkshire including voluntary, statutory general community resources.
6. To be an active member of the PPH Occupational Therapy team providing OT intervention in one of the following areas: acute adult mental health admission wards, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), older people’s in-patient wards.

Working for our organisation

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The 3 “must haves” for you to be considered for this role:

1. Professional qualification or degree in Occupational Therapy with HCPC registration
2. A commitment and passion to deliver high quality care in a mental health setting.
3. An ability to be flexible and work creatively in accordance with service needs.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational therapy
• Registered with HCPC
• Post graduate training in any relevant clinical specialty.

Continuous Professional Development

• Evidence of CPD

Previous Experience

• Experience of working as an OT in a relevant clinical area.
• Experience of working in a mental health setting

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Evidence based therapeutic interventions and OT treatment models.
• Good communication and liaison skills
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance issues and audits
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act and mental capacity act legislation

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work on Weekends, Bank Holidays and Extended Hours, including shift working depending on the service needs. Possible Weekend duty frequency: 1 weekend day every 3rd weekend
• Holding a Clean Driving licence

These are the values that we live by at Berkshire Healthcare:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Please find attached the behaviour framework that underpins these values for this job role.

At Berkshire Healthcare, we foster an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and offer guaranteed interviews to disabled applicants and armed forces community members who meet the minimum criteria.

Please note we may close positions before the advertised date.

Once you have applied, please check your email regularly for updates. All appointments are subject to NHS Employment Checks, and false information may result in withdrawal of offers. For information on how we store your information, please review our privacy statement.

No agencies, please.

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Name: Merlin Dhas

Job title: Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist

Email address: [e-mail]

Telephone number: 01189 605168