Occupational Therapist | North London NHS Foundation Trust

Camden And Islington NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization based in Greater London is seeking an experienced or newly qualified Occupational Therapist to join its mental health team at HMP Brixton. The role involves performing assessments and interventions for prisoners with complex psychological conditions and working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Candidates should be passionate about supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions and developing care pathways. The position offers a supportive work environment with opportunities for professional growth and various benefits including NHS discounts and generous leave.

Benefits

NHS discounts

Generous annual leave

NHS pension scheme

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Experienced or newly qualified Occupational Therapist.
• Ability to assess and treat complex conditions in a prison population.
• Experience with neurodevelopmental conditions a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform advanced assessments and interventions with prisoners.
• Manage own caseload and work collaboratively.
• Develop comprehensive discharge plans.

Skills

Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention

Clinical reasoning skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Autonomy in patient care

Education

Qualified Occupational Therapist

Job description

Overview

The vacancy is for an experienced or newly qualified Occupational Therapist to join the mental health and psychological therapies team at HMP Brixton. This is a new role as part of NHS England's re‑role of prison mental health provision. The post holder will provide therapeutic input for the main prison population, with a primary role in the new inpatient unit (IPU) which is currently in development.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform advanced Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention with prisoners presenting with complex psychological and neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Take an active role in the new inpatient unit at HMP Brixton – shaping the Occupational Therapy provisions and pathways for patients.
• Manage your own caseload and work collaboratively within a diverse multidisciplinary team.
• Supervise assistants and Occupational Therapy students on placement.
• Provide specialised advice to other health‑care professionals across the prison.
• Carry out assessments, use clinical reasoning skills to determine an accurate diagnosis and identify an appropriate care plan.
• Formulate and deliver Occupational Therapy treatment programmes for a complex prison population experiencing acute distress.
• Provide general support for prisoners on the Neurodevelopmental Pathway (Autism, Learning Disability, ADHD) and participate in diagnostic discussions and treatment planning.
• Develop comprehensive discharge plans in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team and make recommendations to support a patient's discharge.
• Undertake referrals to internal and external services when deemed appropriate (e.g. community rehabilitation, social services, voluntary agencies).
• Screen, establish priority for patient referrals quickly and accurately.
• Take on key service‑development responsibilities in establishing provision and pathways in a new inpatient unit.
• Work autonomously – assess and treat your own caseload of patients, underpinned by evidence‑based treatments.

Qualifications

Experienced or newly qualified Occupational Therapist.

Trust Information

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five‑Year Strategy

1. Provide consistently high‑quality care closer to home.
2. Ensure equity of outcome for all with partners in North London and each borough.
3. Offer great places to work, providing staff with a supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. Be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Benefits

• Develop and retain staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• Promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme.
• Excellent internal staff network.

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

This advert closes on Monday 22 Dec 2025.