Occupational Therapist in Housing

Essex County Council; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government organization in Chelmsford is seeking an Occupational Therapist in Housing to facilitate safe patient discharges through housing adaptations. Candidates should have an Occupational Therapy degree, experience in major adaptations, and strong collaboration skills. This full-time, fixed-term role offers a salary ranging from £37,185 to £50,081 per annum along with supportive employee benefits.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Training and development

Lease car scheme

Life assurance

Pension scheme

27 days annual leave

Qualifications

• Current Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration is required.
• Must have experience with major adaptations in housing.
• Ability to develop relationships with partner agencies.

Responsibilities

• Complete holistic assessments regarding housing impact.
• Work with Housing Officers and Health colleagues.
• Manage cases assessed by Health or Social Care OTs.

Skills

Occupational Therapy experience

Adaptation knowledge

Collaboration with Health services

Strong communication skills

Education

Degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy

Job description

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Occupational Therapist in Housing, Chelmsford

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Client:

Essex County Council

Location:

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

064fd1186412

Job Views:

15

Posted:

31.07.2025

Expiry Date:

14.09.2025

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Job Description:

Occupational Therapist in Housing

Fixed Term / Secondment,Full Time

£37,185 to £50,081 per annum

Working Style:

This is a 24 month fixed term contract or secondment opportunity.

This is an exciting opportunity for a housing Occupational Therapist with experience in major adaptations to develop and support local district and borough councils. As an OT you will be working alongside Environmental Health and Housing Officers within the quadrants to facilitate the safe and early discharge of people from hospital, residential/nursing placements and hospices.

This post will provide the opportunity to work with adults and children with life-limiting conditions and life-altering injuries to prevent formal care placements where their home environment is not currently suited to their assessed needs.

This work is essential to ensure discharges are not delayed because of the need for adaptations and issues related to housing needs.

Your role will involve:

• Completing holistic assessments that include all housing factors impacting on the individual and their household.
• Working alongside Health colleagues to assist with processing referrals to achieve safe, early discharge and prevent delays.
• Referring to universal services where appropriate and liaising with other colleagues, including Family Operations, to meet the needs of the individual.
• Seeking to resolve needs associated with specific impairments by the provision of equipment, support and signposting to alternative services where appropriate.
• Making recommendations based on assessed need, for the provision of certain property types, adaptations and equipment, taking account of both Health and Housing policy and legislation.
• Progressing and supporting recommendations where specialist input is required.
• Working alongside Housing Officers to support Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funded recommendations.
• Ensuring referrals are progressed effectively so that adaptations are completed efficiently.
• Being creative in developing the services provided by Housing by working with local and district councils to provide the best possible solutions for those adults and children who have the greatest need thereby reducing the length of time spent in hospital, hospice of residential/ nursing care.
• Managing cases that have been assessed by a Health or Social Care OT to support the Housing Officer.

About You

To apply, you’ll need a degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy, or equivalent qualification, with current Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration.

You’ll bring experience of Occupational Therapy and major adaptations, modelling good practice and providing advice and guidance in complex situations. As, as a subject matter expert in relevant professional practice, you should have a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations and guidance. Also, the ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework for vulnerable adults. The post holder must be confident in person-centred and positive risk-taking approaches.

This role involves travelling throughout Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.

What We Offer In Return

We’ll support you to be your best…

• Training and development to empower you from our award-winning Essex Social Care Academy.
• With us you can make your career work for you with flexible working options
• With us you can get the support you need with employee wellbeing and counselling
• Lease Car scheme
• Up to £8000 for relocation *
• With us you can have peace of mind with life assurance of three times annual salary
• Payment of professional fees for approved professions
• Local Government Pension Scheme. View and about the LGPS
• Volunteering leave
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
• Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC

*T&Cs Apply.

Why Join Us?

With us, you can achieve more – for yourself as well as the vulnerable adults you work to support. We’re always looking for new ways to deliver even better services, Occupational Therapists play an integral role in our preventative approach to Social Care. We encourage our multi-disciplinary teams to share their ideas and experience. We work together to get things done. Bring your positive, proactive attitude, and we’ll empower you to make the most of your experience within Essex County Council (ECC) Adult Social Care services.

In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as “Good” with a score of 73%

“The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics.”

You can read the full report on the CQC website

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Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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