Senior Occupational Therapist

Bristol City Council; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working

Job summary

Bristol City Council is hiring a Senior Occupational Therapist to join the Inner City and East Locality Team. You will be part of a leadership group, supervising OTs and allied staff to deliver high‑quality assessments and support plans for adults.

The role blends expert clinical practice with leadership, emphasising equity, inclusion, and timely, proportionate responses to maximise independence and wellbeing. Hybrid working is available.

Qualifications

• Senior Occupational Therapist with leadership experience in adult social care.
• Ability to lead on complex assessments and risk management.
• Strong commitment to equity and inclusion in service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead on complex assessments, moving and handling, and risk plans.
• Provide professional triage and specialist OT input to MDT discussions.
• Supervise and support Occupational Therapists and colleagues in the team.
• Develop co-produced support plans with service users, carers and families.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical expertise

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Equity & Inclusion

Job description

Job description

Full Time, Permanent

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Occupational Therapist to be part of our Inner City and East Locality Team. The team is a multi-disciplinary service offering the people of Bristol a strengths-based approach to their support needs.

As a Senior Occupational Therapist in the service, you will be an important part of the leadership team, working alongside the Senior practitioners and supporting the Team Managers.

You will play a critical role within a fast paced, multidisciplinary service, providing timely, strengths based clinical expertise for adults seeking support. You will lead on complex assessments, promote early intervention and prevention, and ensure that individuals receive proportionate, outcome focused responses that maximise independence, safety, and wellbeing.

Professional Leadership

You will supervise, and support Occupational Therapist, Social Care Practitioners, and Occupational Therapy assistants, within the service.

You will work within the statutory structure of the Care Act 2014 and other relevant legislation, supporting practitioners to undertake high quality Care Act Assessments, Carer assessments, S42 Enquiry planning, Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interest Assessments.

Also you will work closely with internal and external agencies and departments across all Adult Social Care.

You will have a strong passion for Equity and Inclusion valuing peoples individuality and giving them the freedom to be themselves and express life as they wish it to be.

This role blends expert Occupational therapy practice with leadership responsibilities, supporting the professional development of others, modelling best practice, and contributing to service improvement.

Clinical Occupational therapy Practice

You will offer professional triage and screening to support effective decision-making. Recommend and implement evidence-based interventions that reduce risk, enable independence, and prevent escalation of need.

Lead on complex Moving and handling, postural assessments and risk management plans.

You will work collaboratively with service users, carers, and families to develop co-produced support plans.

Multi-Disciplinary Working

You will:

• Work closely with social workers, occupational therapists, unregistered practitioners, and partner organisations to deliver integrated, holistic support.
• Provide expert Occupational therapy input into multidisciplinary decision-making forums, panels, and case discussions.
• Promote an understanding of Occupational therapy as a specialism within the service and working towards greater integrated practice.
• Build strong relationships with external partners including health services, housing, and voluntary sector organisations within the community.
• Manage our duty desk on a rotational basis - triaging referrals to enable a proportionate response based on risk, urgency and need.

Travel across the City either from home or from Robinson House, Hockeys Lane, Fishponds where the service is based. Currently, working from home is permitted but you would be expected to work from the office a minimum of 2 days per week.

Please note that this role is also subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you\'ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you\'ll be working in a supportive environment where you\'ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

Disability Confident

We\'re a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We\'ll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

For further information, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification or alternatively, please contact Amanda Jay 07464989847.

Bristol City Council strives to have a workforce that reflects the communities it serves, we are therefore committed to ensuring diversity in our hiring process. We welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

The personal information section (including your name) you\'ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.