Occupational Therapist

NHS; Teddington; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health NHS Trust in the UK is seeking an Occupational Therapist to join their Community Service Line. This role involves working with multidisciplinary teams to support clients with complex mental health needs, using evidence-based practices. You'll have access to excellent professional development opportunities and a supportive work environment, committed to promoting occupational therapy. With flexible working and a strong focus on community engagement, this position is an excellent opportunity for those passionate about mental health care.

Qualifications

• Qualified in Occupational Therapy with relevant UK registration.
• Experience working in a mental health setting and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated professional development and continued education.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of clients with complex needs using evidence-based practices.
• Provide leadership and supervision to junior staff and supervise OT students.
• Engage with the OT referrals process to prioritize intervention needs.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Therapeutic alliance development

Education

Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy

Registration to practice in the UK

Evidence of post registration training relevant to mental health practice

Job description

Go back South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 29 June 2025

This satisfying and rewarding role, sits within the Community Service Line, which includes all community based mental health teams, such as our Integrated Recovery Hubs, Recovery and Support Teams and Early Intervention services. Our teams are expanding with new and exciting roles following a period of Transformation, resulting in new opportunities for Occupational Therapists (OTs) to work as pure OTs, fully using their innovation and creativity, to support clients with complex mental health needs to recover and step down from Mental Health Services.

The post involves working closely with our colleagues in the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), in particular, working with Recovery Support Workers and Employment Specialists, with whom we have a close professional relationship, invested in supporting clients with their occupational goals. We are committed to offering an excellent service and actively promote Occupational Therapy within the teams.

The OT will also promote working with our partners in the Involvement Team, to encourage service users and carers to feel supported and involved in the development with our services, as well as developing relationships with wider and external community organisations, such as social prescribers and peer support workers.

Main duties of the job

The Occupational Therapy team across the Trust is well managed with a thought through leadership structure. OTs joining the Trust, have commented favourably about the accessibility and responsiveness of senior OT managers, who are committed to developing and supporting staff. We also have a dedicated Allied Health Professional Workforce team and Practice Development team. As such, we can offer:

• Good quality and regular supervision and appraisals
• Evidence- based practice to ensure the clinical effectiveness of our interventions.
• A menu of high-quality OT interventions, which deliver consistency and clarity across the Community Service line.
• A centralised online system to access MOHO manuals and assessments, and helpful guidance to support staff with building confidence is using MOHO tools.
• Quarterly learning events for OTs. Recent events have included sensory profiling, vocational work and dynamic ways of utilising the Model of Human Occupation, focusing on volition and motivation.
• Special interest peer supervision groups for sensory profiling and physical health/equipment assessments.
• Regular forums for Community OTs, to discuss professional development and to keep updated with relevant business matters.
• Regular organised opportunities to discuss career progression with senior members of the OT management team.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Job responsibilities

To provide Occupational Therapy for team clients, with a maximum of one day duty cover for the team once every two weeks.

To manage an OT caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based /client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To take responsibility for completing standardised assessments using The Model of Human Occupation and other frameworks as agreed by the Therapy Leads.

To offer manualised interventions, both group and individual for example, GLOW (Graduated Living Outside of the Ward) and IPEL (Increasing Participation in Everyday Life) to help support step down of services for clients and preparation for discharge.

To offer Sensory Profiling/interventions for clients with sensory challenges.

To offer advice to the team and promote access and reasonable adjustments for Service Users with sensory challenges wishing to use our services.

To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT services within the Community Team, holding responsibility for defined projects.

To engage with the OT referrals process, identifying and prioritising the need for OT specific interventions.

To provide leadership to junior staff through supervision and appraisal.

To regularly supervise OT students on practice placement (expected standard is two students per year).

To provide professional leadership and clinical supervision to the Recovery Support Workers and engage in co-working pathways.

To promote Recovery and Social Inclusion, working alongside the Involvement Team to actively promote service-user engagement and co-production.

To work with the Employment Specialist to enhance the vocational pathway.

To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust OT Service

To contribute to streamline working from admission to discharge in keeping with the principles in the Adult Services Recovery Care pathway.

To advocate for and promote the contribution of occupational therapy as a valuable resource with helping people to manage the impact of their symptoms on their ability to cope with daily occupations.

To act as the designated Disability Champion leading the multi-disciplinary team in Disability Equality matters within the service and other areas as required.

Person Specification

Education, Training & Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy
• Registration to practice in the UK
• Evidence of post registration training relevant to mental health practice
• Training in the theory and application of the model of human occupation within the first 4 months of appointment
• Practice placement educators course within one year of appointment
• Apple registration

Experience

• Experience of carrying a caseload in a mental health setting
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of maintaining a written record of continual professional development
• Experience of individual and groupwork
• Experience of writing specialist occupational therapy reports
• Successful completion of preceptorship
• Experience of being a practice placement educator

Knowledge and Skills - Communication

• Developed interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed & maintained with service users who have multiple & complex needs
• Proficient standard of written communication skills

Knowledge and Skills - Personal and People Development

• Ability to role model positive professional behaviour
• Ability to deliver presentations

Knowledge and Skills - Health, Safety & Security

• Ability to work in a way that minimises risks to health, safety & security of self, service user & members of the public
• Ability to monitor work areas & practices to maintain a healthy, safe and secure working environment.

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.

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

£42,939 to £50,697 a yearper annum inclusive of outer London HCAS