Specialist Occupational Therapist

South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider in the UK seeks a dynamic and motivated individual to support the Autism service. In this role, you will assist a Lead Occupational Therapist in delivering post-diagnostic support for autistic individuals, engaging in peer support, managing clinical records, and promoting community resources. The position offers opportunities for professional growth and values diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Dynamic, highly motivated, and able to provide practical and emotional peer support.
• Able to co-produce and deliver a Post Diagnosis Support Service.
• Experience in supporting service users and maintaining clinical records.

Responsibilities

• Promote and model peer support.
• Engage and participate in learning events.
• Support service users through 1-1 sessions.

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a dynamic, highly motivated individual to join us in developing our Autism service. You will be an integral member of the team with a role supporting a Lead Occupational Therapist to design and deliver Post Diagnostic support to individuals diagnosed with Autism. Under the guidance of the Specialist Occupational Therapist you will:

• Promote and model peer support.
• Provide both practical and emotional peer support.
• Co‑produce and deliver a Post Diagnosis Support Service for autistic people alongside a Specialist Occupational Therapist.
• Engage and participate in learning events when required.
• Encourage and amplify feedback from autistic people accessing the service.
• Ensure clinical records are regularly updated in accordance with Trust policy.
• Work autonomously to support services users referred to the service.
• Support service users through 1‑1 sessions and, with colleagues, in a group setting.
• Assist people in understanding their options for support, their entitlements, and rights.
• Maintain extensive knowledge and links with community resources.
• Provide practical support that helps people become aware of and navigate community resources.
• Provide support where needed with advice on self‑management approaches and healthy living.
• Involve carers, family members and supporters where this is the person's preference to support the process of reporting allegations of harm or exploitation.
• Undertake such tasks and duties as may be necessary to provide appropriate support to people accessing the service, i.e. listening and talking time, writing reports, updating support plans, filing paperwork.
• Help people accessing the service to access information on health promotion.
• Assist in the development and implementation of educational and peer facilitated support groups.
• Identify service users' strengths and assist them to recognise and use them.
• Support people to explore and build on their strengths, interests and personal goals.
• Use personal, experiential knowledge and share lived experience as appropriate in the role.
• Attend and actively participate in team meetings/care plan review meetings and team training as appropriate.
• Use a motivational approach to working with people.

Professional Development

Peer Support Workers will be supported to complete accredited Peer Support Worker training and will have access to ongoing personal and professional development. This may include opportunities to progress into senior peer roles, specialist peer posts, or training and facilitation roles within the Trust. Development plans will be agreed through regular supervision and appraisal.

Diversity & Inclusion

At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

• BME (Evolve) Staff Network
• Christian Staff Network
• DiverseAbility
• Deaf Staff Network
• Mental Health Staff Forum
• Women's Staff Network
• LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability. We are a smoke‑free Trust.