Senior Occupational Therapist

NHS Highland; Inverness; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Highland is seeking a motivated Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our Home First team. You will deliver urgent assessment and intervention to adults at risk of hospital admission and support timely discharge back home with person-centred care.

Working autonomously within a dynamic MDT, you will prioritise high-risk referrals, provide day-to-day supervision to Band 5 staff, and contribute to service development and quality improvement while travelling between patient homes with a current

Qualifications

• Band 6 Occupational Therapist role within NHS Highland Home First service.
• Deliver timely occupational therapy assessments in community and home environments.
• Provide day-to-day clinical supervision and support to Band 5 staff and students.
• Travel between work locations; full current driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Deliver urgent assessment and intervention to adults at risk of hospital admission or requiring timely support to return home safely.
• Manage a complex caseload and prioritise urgent/high-risk referrals.
• Provide leadership and supervision to Band 5 staff and students; contribute to service development and quality improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical assessment

Autonomous practice

Team supervision

Job description

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

NHS Highland is seeking a motivated and experienced Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our Home First service.

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic clinician who is passionate about admission avoidance, early supported discharge, rehabilitation, and person‑centred care delivered in people’s own homes.

Working as part of a dynamic multidisciplinary team, you will provide urgent assessment and intervention to adults who are at risk of hospital admission or who require timely support to return home safely following illness or injury.

The post holder will work autonomously to deliver timely and highquality occupational therapy assessments within community and home environments, supporting individuals to remain safely at home through targeted intervention, rehabilitation, provision of equipment, and environmental adaptations.

The role involves facilitating safe and effective discharge pathways in accordance with the Home First model and working collaboratively with physiotherapists, nurses, social care, GPs, care at home services, and acute hospital colleagues to ensure coordinated, personcentred care.

The Band 6 Occupational Therapist will manage a complex and fluctuating caseload, independently prioritising urgent and highrisk referrals and adapting practice in response to changing service demands. The post holder will provide daytoday clinical supervision, leadership, and support to Band 5 staff, support workers, and students, and will actively contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and the ongoing strengthening of integrated working across health and social care.

Professional guidance and day to day management will be provided through an Advanced Practice Occupational Therapist/Team Lead. Regular supervision is provided (including peer supervision opportunities) and opportunities for ongoing professional development are encouraged.

You will be expected to travel efficiently and effectively between various work locations and patient residences, so a full current driving license and use of a vehicle is essential.

Informal enquiries to: Jessica Horsia, OT Team lead

Tel: [phone] Email:

NHS Highland is geographically the largest of the 14 regional boards of NHS Scotland, covering an area of 12,500 square miles, across Highland and Argyll & Bute.

We employ over 10,700 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the area. As an organisation, we make a very significant contribution to the local economy.

Our staff are also important members of our communities. Our greatest asset is our workforce, and the way we go about our work comes from the values and behaviours we demonstrate on a daily basis. As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through .