Occupational Therapy Assistant

Transformation Unit; Wickford; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

NHS pension

Relocation package

Season ticket loans

Job summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is hiring an Assistant Occupational Therapist (OTA) to join the Occupational Therapy Team at Brockfield House, Wickford, Essex. The OTA will support OTs, assistants and activity coordinators, delivering group activities and individual interventions within a multi-disciplinary framework.

The post offers opportunities to progress towards an OT apprenticeship and potential qualification, while contributing to patient rehabilitation in a secure/less

Qualifications

• Previous NHS experience.
• Experience working with people with mental health problems.
• Good oral communication and IT skills.
• Ability to travel across Trust sites.

Responsibilities

• Work as part of the MDT with Occupational Therapy, implementing programmes under supervision.
• Support clients by implementing OT treatment programs as per care plan.
• Carry out one-to-one interventions as directed by Senior Occupational Therapy staff.
• Develop rapport with clients and encourage skills development.
• Record interventions and progress in the patient’s file and communicate with the OT.
• Report concerns immediately to qualified staff.

Skills

Good communication

IT/Computer skills

Observation skills

Organisational skills

Empathy listening

Full UK driving licence

Job description

Employer Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Brockfield House Town Wickford Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 19/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 10/11/2026

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Band 3

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

Please note we cannot provide sponsorship now or in the future for this role

This is an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Occupational Therapist (OTA) to work within the Occupational Therapy Team based at Brockfield House in Wickford Essex. The OTA would be working alongside, the Occupational Therapists, assistants and activity coordinators and the wider MDT. The post holder will be responsible for supporting the OTs with facilitating groups and delivering interventions. This post holder may have an opportunity to become an OT apprentice which could lead to becoming a qualified OT.

Brockfield House has 7 wards, 5 Medium Secure and 2 Low Secure for men and women located near Wickford; providing interim services for male/female recovering from severe and enduring mental illness within secure environment. The focus is on multi-disciplinary approach from nursing, medical occupational and vocational therapy, psychology and social work staff. The aim is to rehabilitate patients to a stage where they require a more open regime within a less secure environment.

The aim is to provide individualised care and evaluation of the patient's progress and recovery. People are encouraged to be involved in their care planning and, where possible, the family is also involved. The wards operate on a multi-disciplinary team basis with regular input from the Community Mental Health Team and Community Forensic Team .

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) with Occupational Therapy, implementing Occupational Therapy programmes under the direction of the Senior Occupational Therapist.

• To support clients by implementing the Occupational Therapy treatment programs or therapies directed on their care plan.
• To carry out one to one interventions as directed by Senior Occupational Therapy staff.
• To support the qualified Occupational Therapy staff to plan and facilitate the group activities.
• To develop rapport with clients whilst encouraging their interest in skills development.
• To be aware of individual clients/patients’ needs through communication with the Occupational Therapist involved in their care.
• To observe general behaviour, ability and response of clients/patients to activities; ensuring this is documented and communicated with their allocated Occupational Therapist.
• To have an awareness of the situations that may make clients/patients vulnerable or at risk.
• To report any concerns immediately to qualified staff.
• To respect clients/patients choices and confidentiality at all times.
• To record interventions in an agreed format.
• To feedback during the ward round meetings (where relevant) any issues, concerns and progress.
• Any other tasks delegated by qualified staff as appropriate to grade and experience

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.
• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Profession Specific Duties:

• Attend professional Occupational Therapy meetings as required.
• To undertake annual appraisal and to contribute constructively to the supervision process.
• To comply with policies and agreed procedures for annual leave, sickness and time owing.
• Any other duties as delegated by your Director or Chief Executive commensurate with the responsibilities of this post.

Person specification

Education

• Previous NHS experience
• Working with people with MH problems

Knowledge

• Understanding of the use of activities as a therapeutic medium.
• Able to break activities down in simple step’s
• Basic risk assessment
• Group facilitation
• Observation of basic function or ability, including the use of aids and adaptations if required
• Awareness of different mental health conditions.

Skills/Experience

• Good oral communication skills based on fluency on the English language
• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Observation skills including the accurate recordings of observations
• Organisational skills
• Utilising activity therapeutically
• Ability to break activities into component parts
• Appropriate listening and empathy skills

Personal Qualities

• Shares the Trust’s Beliefs and models this in their attitude and behaviour
• Full UK Drivers Licence
• Ability to Travel across Trust sites as required

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [e-mail] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Kelly Burgess Job title AHP Lead & Clinical Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07581 071 030 Additional information

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