Occupational Therapist

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting additional Occupational Therapists to join our specialist stroke service at Southmead Hospital. You will deliver OT to acute inpatients with TIAs and strokes, supporting assessment and intervention across the pathway.

The role includes supervising Band 5 staff and students, aiding discharge planning, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team within a regional centre for hyper-acute stroke care.

Qualifications

• Specialist knowledge of occupational therapy theory and practice.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Supervision and leadership skills.
• IT and electronic record keeping skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide a specialist Occupational Therapy service to patients within a defined clinical specialty.
• Manage a caseload autonomously, prioritising workload and ensuring effective service delivery.
• Undertake specialist assessment, intervention and support discharge planning
• Supervise Band 5 staff, support workers and students
• Contribute to service development, participating in audit and quality improvement activities.

Skills

Occupational Therapy theory

Verbal communication

Written communication

Supervision and leadership

IT/electronic records

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

HCPC Registration

Practice Educator qualification

Tools

RCOT membership

Job description

Qualifications

Essential criteria

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job Overview

Following a successful business case, an exciting opportunity has arisen for additional Occupational Therapists to join our specialist team providing a service to inpatients within hyper-acute and acute stroke at Southmead Hospital.

Main duties of the job

You will be delivering occupational therapy to acute adult inpatients who have experienced transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), haemorrhagic or ischaemic strokes, predominantly those who live in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or North Somerset. However, we are a regional centre for hyperacute stroke treatment (including thrombectomy) thus the service also sees people from the wider South-West England region or Wales. The service provides assessment and intervention throughout the stroke pathway, with onward referral to sub-acute units and community stroke services as required.

The caseloads are interesting and challenging with provision of early assessment and intervention to address occupational needs, prevention of complications and progression from hospital to home. This requires a range of therapeutic skills including splinting and rehabilitation.

The role also includes providing support to students, support workers and early career occupational therapists in the team.

There is close team working and links within the wider system to address needs at all stages of the clinical pathway, with occupational therapy playing a crucial role.

Working for our organisation

The newly formed Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is a great place to work. Situated in the vibrant city of Bristol, Southmead Hospital is an award-winning building opened in 2014, offering exceptional facilities for patients and staff. We are a large teaching Trust that provides multiple specialties including regional services for neurosciences, major trauma, orthopaedics, renal and surgery (major arterial centre and burns & plastics).

There is plenty of peer and senior support in the team, as well as the wider service. Various professional development opportunities and training courses are available, with quality improvement projects and service development ideas actively encouraged. Additional benefits include award schemes for excellence, staff restaurants, green spaces and an extensive well being programme.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Provide a specialist Occupational Therapy service to patients within a defined clinical specialty, including those presenting with complex physical, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental needs.
• Manage a caseload autonomously, prioritising workload and ensuring effective service delivery within available resources.
• Undertake specialist assessment, intervention and support discharge planning
• Supervise Band 5 staff, support workers and students
• Contribute to service development, participating in audit, quality improvement, clinical governance activities and designated service development projects.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree in Occupational Therapy (or equivalent)
• HCPC Registration
• Practice Educator qualification or willingness to obtain

Desirable criteria

• Postgraduate training relevant to specialist area
• Membership of RCOT

Work Experience

Essential criteria

• Post-registration Occupational Therapy experience
• Experience within relevant clinical specialty
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience supervising staff and/or students
• Experience of audit, service evaluation or quality improvement

Desirable criteria

• Experience of research

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Essential criteria

• Specialist knowledge of occupational therapy theory and practice
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Supervision and leadership skills
• IT and electronic record keeping skills

Desirable criteria

• Wheelchair assessment skills

Personal Qualities

Desirable criteria

• Membership of RCOT or specialist interest group/network

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we're meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Important

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.