Senior Occupational Therapist | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS hospital trust in Colchester is looking for a Band 6 senior Occupational Therapist to join their Integrated Therapy Team. The role involves managing a complex caseload, supporting junior staff, and providing high-quality occupational services. Candidates should demonstrate strong clinical, supervisory, and leadership skills, and be prepared to work a shift pattern. The trust offers a supportive environment with numerous training opportunities and benefits, including a generous pension scheme and NHS discounts.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

27 days annual leave

NHS discounts

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience managing a diverse and complex caseload.
• Ability to support junior staff and students.
• Knowledge of occupational therapy assessment tools.

Responsibilities

• Support rotational OTs.
• Complete specialist assessments, rehabilitation, and discharge planning.
• Organize and manage a caseload of complex patients.

Skills

Clinical skills

Supervisory skills

Leadership skills

Job description

Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a forward‑thinking Band 6 senior Occupational Therapist to join our Integrated Therapy Team, in a static role in our medical team.

We are looking for talented people who will be confident and professional with the clinical skills required to manage a diverse, complex caseload within a dynamic environment. Providing a high standard occupational service in designated acute inpatient, outpatient specialties and/or community settings as part of an annual rotational scheme.

You will need to demonstrate both supervisory and leadership skills to support junior members of staff and students and will be required to work a shift pattern across 7 days & extended days until 6pm in some speciality areas.

The Therapy Service has a high profile within the Trust and respected roles in admission avoidance, complex discharge planning and influencing patient pathways. We thrive on innovation and challenge and have taken a lead role in many developments which are helping to shape the future of patient pathways within the local area. Our excellent reputation has been built on the expertise and skills of our clinicians; do you have what we are looking for?

Responsibilities

• To support rotational OTs.
• Complete specialist assessment, rehabilitation and discharge planning.
• To plan and organise a designated caseload of complex patients within the designated service and own professional activities under the management of Team Leader.
• To work with the patient and carers to identify and meet OT goals, using standardised and OT assessment tools to assess their skills deficits, occupational needs and achieve functional fitness for timely discharge.
• In collaboration with the patient, to plan and implement single or a programme of interventions using treatment techniques to meet the patient’s needs re; timely discharge. These will be achieved using professional and theoretical knowledge, and specialist clinical reasoning skills.
• To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment interventions to measure progress and ensure effectiveness, involving patient, carer and MDT as appropriate.
• To ensure Therapy goals are integral to the multidisciplinary care plan re: safe and timely discharge.
• To apply an enhanced understanding of effects and impact of illness, frailty and disability on patient’s abilities and provide advice and education regarding lifestyle changes / adaptations to their physical and social environment.

Benefits

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

Next Steps

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Wednesday 10 Dec 2025.