Specialist Lead Community Occupational Therapist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS Trust in London seeks a Specialist Lead Community Occupational Therapist to lead a small team in delivering high-quality mental health interventions. This role involves managing a caseload, professional supervision, and development of trauma-informed care practices. Join a supportive environment that prioritizes professional growth and patient-centered care.

Benefits

Excellent training and development opportunities

Supportive work environment with a full induction

Opportunities for shadowing and learning

Investment in staff development

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience in mental health services.
• Experience working in trauma-informed services.
• Experience leading or developing a service/component of a service.

Responsibilities

• Manage a defined clinical caseload of service users using evidence-based principles.
• Develop and implement Occupational Therapy services and facilitate therapy groups.
• Provide training and education to occupational therapists and other professionals.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Assessment and intervention skills

Effective leadership skills

Excellent communication skills

Education

Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registered Occupational Therapist

Mental health courses specific to the role

Post-graduate training specific to clinical specialty

Sensory integration trained

Membership of RCOT

Job description

Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Lead Community Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 10 July 2025

We are looking for an Occupational Therapist with experience and passion for working in a Community Mental Health setting. The post leads a small OT team of 1.0 WTE band 6 and 1.0 WTE band 5 across North Kensington and Chelsea.

The Band 7 Community Specialist Occupational Therapist will contribute their specialist knowledge and expertise in OT assessment and intervention, ensuring that all interventions amplify an individual's self-management skills.

The post will sit within the North K&C community hub, using OT clinical expertise and trauma-informed care to design the OT offer. The role will provide professional leadership and clinical and managerial supervision for the OTs in the hub. Line management responsibilities will be with one of the hub managers. The role will provide a service in line with the principles and ethos of recovery and social inclusion.

The post will work closely with the Band 7 OT for South Kensington and Chelsea to develop the OT offer to the borough. As a Band 7, the post will be part of the senior clinician team providing support and advice to the team.

For Occupational Therapy in CNWL, please see the video:

CNWL Occupational Therapy Recruitment (FINAL) on Vimeo

Potential interview date: 29th July 2025

Main duties of the job

• To be involved with the development and implementation of Occupational Therapy, including facilitation of local occupational therapy-based groups and managing a caseload related to OT in the community hub.
• To manage a defined clinical caseload of service users using evidence-based and service user-centred principles to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate treatment. This will include OT-specific cases alongside complex case management.
• To work effectively in partnership with a range of agencies and community providers that support service users in their recovery.
• To work with the Head OT for K&C and other Lead OTs in the Trust to support the development of and promote evidence-based OT within community roles.
• To be an active participant in the community hubs management team and support the management teams in the community hubs with OT issues as needed, including providing duty senior cover.
• To work with senior staff in the MDT to support the development of services in a designated team.
• To provide training and education to occupational therapists and other professionals regarding how occupation may assist the recovery of service users across community services.
• To work with other Lead OTs in community services in CNWL to develop services, including specific projects, audits, and research.
• To act as an educator to students on practice placements.
• To act as a mentor for OT apprenticeships as required.

About us

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust, we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues, and of course patients and service users when working in healthcare settings.

The team will provide a friendly welcome and full induction, including shadowing opportunities and visits to services.

There are excellent training and development opportunities available within CNWL, in addition to local in-house CPD opportunities.

CNWL benefits from a long-established professional structure, including a Head of Therapies, an AHP Associate Director, Trust-wide Professional Leads for all professional groups, and borough and specialist professional leadership.

Personal and professional development are a high priority, with investment in staff development through internal training, external specialized training, and quality supervision. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are priorities, and we expect staff to be culturally competent, reflective, and open to diverse CPD opportunities.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for full details. Feel free to contact us to learn more about the role.

Further information about the service can be found here:

Kensington and Chelsea North Community Mental Health Hub :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC registered Occupational Therapist.
• Mental health courses specific to the role.
• Post-graduate training specific to clinical specialty.
• Sensory integration trained.
• Membership of RCOT.
• Significant post-qualification experience in mental health services.
• Experience working in trauma-informed services.
• Experience participating in audit/research projects.
• Experience leading or developing a service/component of a service.
• Experience using standardized OT assessments, including MOHO assessments.
• Experience in effective partnership working with external providers to promote socially inclusive opportunities for service users.
• Experience in managing a complex caseload.
• Experience supervising students and acting as a clinical educator.
• Experience in various mental health settings.
• Experience completing Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
• Experience managing complex HR issues, such as performance management and long-term sickness.
• Previous senior or leadership experience within a mental health setting.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Interpersonal skills to handle sensitivities and complexities.
• Assessment and intervention skills for individual and group work.
• Effective leadership skills for managing projects, audits, and research.
• Ability to produce accurate and timely reports and notes.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal, listening, and proficiency with IT systems.
• Knowledge of personal recovery principles and their application.
• Ability to deliver presentations and teaching sessions.
• Research and development experience at postgraduate level.
• Experience chairing senior meetings.

Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Personal Characteristics

• Enthusiasm for the post.
• Commitment to working as part of an MDT.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A disclosure check will be required to check for any criminal convictions.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust