Senior Occupational Therapist -Community

West Northamptonshire Council; Northampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Professional development

Supportive team environment

Job summary

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join the Adult Social Care Community Therapy Service. You will assess how adults manage daily activities at home, provide equipment and housing adaptations, and support independence and safety in their own homes across West Northamptonshire.

The role focuses on functional assessments, moving and handling, risk management, and Care Act duties.

Qualifications

• HCPC registered Occupational Therapist with relevant clinical experience.
• Experience in community-based adult social care or housing adaptations.
• Full UK driving licence or access to a vehicle.
• Commitment to safeguarding and continuing professional development (CPD).

Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse caseload of adults with complex physical disabilities.
• Undertake holistic home assessments focusing on function and environment.
• Recommend equipment and adaptations to support independence.
• Deliver prevention-focused interventions and risk management.
• Supervise and develop therapy staff and contribute to quality improvement.

Skills

Occupational Therapy

Independent working

Risk assessment

Home assessments

CPD

Driving licence

Education

HCPC registered

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Job description

We're looking for an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our Adult Social Care Community Therapy Service.

Working across West Northamptonshire, you will use your specialist Occupational Therapy skills to assess how adults manage everyday activities within their home environments and identify practical solutions that maximise their independence, safety and wellbeing.

This role focuses on functional assessments, equipment provision, housing adaptations, moving and handling, risk management, and Care Act prevention duties. It is ideally suited to Occupational Therapists who enjoy working autonomously within the community and using their professional skills to help people remain safe, independent, and living in their own homes for as long as possible.

Our Benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council

What will you be doing?

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse caseload of adults with complex physical disabilities, long-term conditions, frailty, and deteriorating health.
• Undertake holistic Occupational Therapy assessments within individuals' homes, focusing on functional ability, occupational performance, environmental factors, and risk.
• Recommend and prescribe specialist equipment, minor adaptations, and major adaptations to support independence and safety.
• Complete moving and handling assessments and contribute to safe care planning where required.
• Apply Care Act and Disabled Facilities Grant legislation within practice.
• Work closely with Housing, Adult Social Care, health partners, care providers, and community organisations to achieve positive outcomes.
• Deliver prevention-focused interventions that reduce, delay, or prevent the need for ongoing care and support.
• Supervise and support therapy staff, contributing to service development and continuous quality improvement initiatives.

What We Offer

• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and specialist training.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference to people's lives within the community.
• A varied and rewarding role, with opportunities to develop leadership and supervisory skills.

Working Hours

30 hours per week

Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 3:00pm.

Please note that these hours are indicative, and flexibility will be required to meet the needs of the service.

What Makes This Role Different?

This is not a traditional rehabilitation or treatment-focused Occupational Therapy role.

Our Community Therapy Service Focuses On

• Promoting functional independence and occupational performance.
• Recommending equipment and adaptations.
• Delivering housing-related Occupational Therapy assessments.
• Prevention and early intervention.
• Risk management and safe care planning.
• Supporting people to remain living safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

About you

Make a Real Difference in Your Community

In this role, you will work autonomously across the community, with opportunities to develop specialist expertise in equipment provision, Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs), major adaptations, moving and handling, prevention, and Adult Social Care legislation.

You will be a qualified Occupational Therapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), with experience of working with adults who have complex physical disabilities, long-term conditions, frailty, or deteriorating health needs.

Experience in undertaking functional assessments, recommending specialist equipment and adaptations, managing risk, and promoting independence within home environments is highly desirable.

Experience within Adult Social Care, community Occupational Therapy services, housing adaptations, or moving and handling would be particularly advantageous.

A sound understanding of the Care Act, Disabled Facilities Grant legislation, Health and Safety requirements, and occupational Therapy best practice is essential, together with a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).

Due to the nature of the role, a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle, or alternative suitable transport, is required to enable travel throughout West Northamptonshire.

We would also welcome applications from candidates who have experience in teaching, coaching, or training health and social care professionals. Experience of participating in research, audit activity, service improvement projects, conferences, or professional therapy groups would be advantageous. Candidates who have contributed to service development and quality improvement initiatives will be highly valued, helping us to enhance outcomes for residents and deliver an innovative, high-quality Community Therapy Service.

This is a fixed-term role until 22 July 2027.

Unfortunately, West Northamptonshire Council is unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the time-of-application,

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, including Children's and Adults' Barred List checks. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge.

Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.