Occupational Therapist In-Patient Mental Health

NHS Scotland; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS Pension Scheme

Study bursaries

Development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

27 days annual leave + holidays

Job summary

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is recruiting an Occupational Therapist to join the Older Adults OT service at Gartnavel Royal Hospital. The role is a permanent 36‑hour week, Monday to Friday 8.30am–4.30pm, delivering assessment, rehabilitation and discharge planning for adults 18+.

You will work within inpatient settings, using graded therapeutic programmes to promote independence and community living, contributing to multidisciplinary team care and evidence‑based practice.

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Knowledge of mental health conditions and their impact on daily functioning.
• Experience in OT assessment, treatment planning and evaluation.
• Ability to apply evidence-based practice and use standardised assessments.
• Understanding of risk assessment and risk management within mental health services.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication with patients, carers and colleagues.
• Supervising staff and students is desirable.
• Commitment to CPD and supervision, appraisal and training activities.

Responsibilities

• Manage a defined caseload and undertake comprehensive OT assessments.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate person-centred interventions to maximise independence.
• Contribute to mental health assessments, discharge planning and audits.
• Use standardised assessments and outcome measures to support practice.
• Supervise OT support staff and students; participate in training and service development.
• Collaborate with patients, carers, relatives and partner organisations.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Assessment & evaluation

Discharge planning

Supervising staff

Evidence-based practice

Risk assessment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy

Registration with HCPC

Job description

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 40,000 staff across a wide range of clinical and non‑clinical professions and roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health services to a population of over 1.15 million people, and to a wider population of 2.2 million when regional and national services are included.

The Role

Occupational Therapy staff within Mental Health Services work as part of multidisciplinary and integrated multi‑agency teams to support patients in achieving improved health, wellbeing and independence through participation in graded therapeutic programmes. The service focuses on reducing the impact of physical and mental health conditions on an individual’s ability to function independently in everyday activities.

Occupational Therapists use specialist assessments to evaluate a person's functional abilities and identify levels of support required to maintain independence across a range of living environments. These assessments contribute to multidisciplinary care planning and may include the prescription of adaptive equipment, risk assessments and the use of standardised outcome measures to support evidence‑based practice.

Working within inpatient services, the post holder will provide assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning interventions for patients aged 18 years and over. The service supports adult and older people’s acute admissions, adult rehabilitation and intensive care settings, with Occupational Therapists playing a key role in delivering person‑centred interventions that promote recovery, independence and successful community living.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) may be able to provide visa sponsorship for certain roles, subject to the post meeting the relevant eligibility criteria. Sponsorship is not guaranteed and will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis following interview and during the pre‑employment verification process. Applicants must state their current right to work in their application.

Duration, Location, and Working Pattern

Permanent Role - 36 Hours Per Week

This post will be based within the Older Adults Occupational Therapy service at Gartnavel Royal Hospital.

Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will manage a defined caseload, undertaking comprehensive occupational therapy assessments to identify mental and physical factors affecting a patient’s ability to function independently in daily activities. Working on both an individual and group basis, the post holder will plan, deliver and evaluate person‑centred interventions designed to maximise independence, rehabilitation potential and quality of life. As part of a multidisciplinary and multi‑agency team, the role involves contributing to mental health assessments, risk assessments, discharge planning, audit and service development activities. Responsibilities also include the use of standardised assessments and outcome measures, supervision of occupational therapy support staff and students, participation in training and service improvement initiatives, and working collaboratively with patients, carers, relatives and partner organisations. With support from senior occupational therapy staff, the post holder will contribute to the ongoing development of the occupational therapy service while maintaining high professional and clinical standards.

Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job:

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions and their impact on daily functioning.
• Experience of occupational therapy assessment, treatment planning and evaluation.
• Ability to apply evidence‑based practice and use standardised assessments and outcome measures.
• Understanding of risk assessment and risk management within mental health services.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary and multi‑agency teams.
• Excellent verbal and non‑verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with patients, carers and colleagues.
• Experience of supervising support staff and students is desirable.
• Ability to critically evaluate research and apply findings to clinical practice.
• Awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion principles in healthcare delivery.
• Membership of the British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT) is desirable.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and participation in supervision, appraisal and training activities.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates scheduled for 4 November 2026.

What We Offer

We offer a wide range of supportive policies designed to enhance your employee journey, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, bursary scheme and extensive learning and development opportunities.

As an NHS Scotland employee, you will be entitled to:

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus public holidays
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, including life insurance benefits
• Salary Sacrifice Car Benefit Scheme
• Development opportunities including study bursaries, e‑learning and classroom‑based courses
• Enhanced pay for working public holidays
• NHS discounts on a wide range of goods and services
• Confidential employee support and assistance, including counselling and psychological therapies

This post may require a satisfactory PVG Scheme record check.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
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• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI‑generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you, not an AI tool.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises the importance of work‑life balance and is committed to offering a range of flexible working options where service needs allow. For roles where less than full‑time hours can be accommodated, and where the tenure is listed as “various”, we encourage applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements. Flexible working will be included as a topic for discussion during the recruitment process.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer. We welcome applications from across the Armed Forces Community and recognise military skills, experience and qualifications throughout the recruitment and selection process.