Occupational Therapy Assistant – Forensic Psychiatry

Integrated Care System; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A health and social care organization seeks an Occupational Therapy Assistant for the Community Forensic Psychiatry Service in Cambridge. This role involves supporting clients with mental health challenges through individual and group therapies while working under the direction of Occupational Therapists. Candidates should have relevant qualifications, experience in mental health care, and a positive, inclusive approach.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with people in a mental health or social care setting.
• Experience of working in a team environment.
• Willingness to undertake further training.

Responsibilities

• Involved in assessment, intervention delivery, evaluation, and quality measurement processes.
• Deliver both group-based and targeted individual sessions to service users.
• Develop good working relationships with other organizations to support individual goals.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Positive attitude

Understanding of mental health

Education

NVQ level 3 qualification in care

Undergraduate Advanced Diploma

Training in mental health or social care

Job description

Go back Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Occupational Therapy Assistant – Forensic Psychiatry

The closing date is 06 August 2025

Hello, I am Nadean, Occupational Therapy Lead for the Community Forensic Psychiatry Service in CPFT. We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 4 Occupational Therapy Assistant to join our team.

If successful, you will be based in Cambridge and Peterborough to support the facilitation of individual and group Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions with adults who are diagnosed with a mental health condition and/or learning disability who present with a risk of significant harm to others. Developing your existing talents and learning new skills under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist Advanced Practitioner, you will help to develop a range of activities that support people through their recovery journey. Utilising a caring, supportive, proactive, and person-centred approach, you will support individuals to achieve their personal goals and enhance their quality of life.

This post is a development opportunity in CPFT and there is potential scope for the apprenticeship scheme to work towards a qualified Occupational Therapy position.

Main duties of the job

To be involved in assessment, intervention delivery, evaluation, and quality measurement processes.

To work with the service users of the Community Forensic Psychiatry Service.

To provide both group-based and targeted individual 1:1 sessions. These may be held in the community or within the person's own home.

Interventions will focus on supporting/promoting independence through person-centred goals in areas such as daily living skills, self-care, leisure activities, vocation, social inclusion, developing coping strategies, and building support networks.

To develop good working relationships with other organisations that are able to help individuals achieve their goals.

To communicate your observations, analysis, and evaluation of the interventions you have facilitated to the Occupational Therapists and other appropriate staff members within the MDT.

To be able to use electronic records to document your observations, analysis, and evaluations of the interventions you have facilitated.

To undertake regular supervision with an Occupational Therapist to support refection, person and professional development,

To work in a manner that is reflective and consistent with the CPFT PRIDE values.

To undertake any other appropriate tasks, as and when delegated by the Occupational Therapist colleagues.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

Overall responsibility for Occupational Therapy interventions is held by the Occupational Therapist. However, as the OTA you will be heavily involved in assessment, intervention delivery, evaluation, and quality measurement processes.

Your work willpredominantly be with the service users of the Community Forensic Psychiatry Service, but where appropriate may include interaction with family and carers, other mental health professionals, and other non-NHS agencies.

The format for interventions will include both group-based and targeted individual 1:1sessions. These may be held in the community or within the persons own home.

Interventions will focus on supporting/promoting independence through person-centred goals in areas such as daily living skills, self-care, leisure activities, vocation, social inclusion, developing coping strategies, and building support networks.

You will need to develop good working relationships with other organisations that are able to help individuals achieve their goals, includingeducation based services, other training providers and voluntary agencies, the inpatient units and community services.

You will need to be able to communicate your observations, analysis, and evaluation of the interventions you havefacilitated to the Occupational Therapists and other appropriate staff members within the MDT.

You will need to be able to use electronic records to document your observations, analysis, and evaluations of the interventions you havefacilitated.

To undertake regular supervision with an Occupational Therapist to support refection,person and professional development, identify any issues, monitor progress, maintain standards, develop new skills/learning, encourage innovation and to reflect on your own well-being at work.

To work in a manner that is reflective and consistent with the CPFT PRIDE values.

To undertake any otherappropriate tasks, as and when delegated by the Occupational Therapist colleagues.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 qualification in care, specific technical skill, or equivalent qualifications (E.g., 2 A-Levels A-C or higher)
• Undergraduate Advanced Diploma or Undergraduate (Bachelor's) Degree
• Training in mental health or social care
• Willingness to undertake further training

Experience

• Experience of working with people in a mental health or social care setting.
• Experience of working with service users with mental health difficulties and/or learning disability
• Experience of working in a team environment.
• Previous experience within Occupational Therapy department.
• Experience in the delivery of targeted therapeutic interventions for mental health.
• Experience of working with people in the Criminal Justice System
• Lived experience of mental health challenges

Knowledge and Skills

• A positive approach and attitude towards service user care and interventions.
• An understanding of the impact of mental health difficulties on the individuals functioning.
• To record information clearly and accurately.
• Clear communication skills both written and verbal
• Confidence in group facilitation.
• To be a good team worker with effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work with conflict and change.
• To undertake/seek out professional supervision as required.
• To have a clear understanding of boundaries of the responsibilities of the role.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act
• Knowledge of NHS record keeping systems
• Knowledge of local community resources
• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions.

Physical Requirements

• Able to transport service users by car.
• Able to travel with service users on public transport.
• Able to work evenings and weekends on a rotational basis depending on service demands
• Able to engage in physical activity, such as low level exercise interventions, sensory circuits and gardening will be required.
• Bending, lifting and potential manual handling tasks may be involved.

Personal Qualities

• Motivated towards personal and professional development
• Able to make professional relationships with wider MDT and in collaborative services.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Windsor Offices, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge

£27,485 to £30,162 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

310-ASMH-7336087

Job locations

Windsor Offices, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge