Specialist Occupational Therapist

Together Trust; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A North West England charity is seeking a Specialist Occupational Therapist. This role involves delivering high-quality OT services primarily in schools, managing caseloads, and supporting educational staff. Candidates must have a degree in Occupational Therapy and experience with children having complex needs. The position offers generous benefits, including a pension scheme and training opportunities.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Occupational sick pay

Reward and Discount platform

Cycle to work scheme

Refer a friend scheme

Training and development opportunities

Promotion of wellbeing

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Occupational therapy.
• Registered with the health care professionals council as fit to work in the UK.
• Experience working in schools with children having complex needs.

Responsibilities

• Manage a clinical caseload of students across schools.
• Undertake assessments using clinical observation.
• Support families and carers where necessary.

Skills

Experience of working in mainstream school settings

Experience of working with young people with complex needs including autism spectrum conditions

Knowledge of learning disabilities and associated conditions

Knowledge of autism spectrum conditions

Knowledge of relevant safeguarding requirements

Education

Degree or equivalent in Occupational therapy

Current registration with health care professionals council

Job description

About us

Together Trust is a charity that champions the rights, needs and ambitions of the people they support. They work across the North West of England, providing a range of services including education, residential care, fostering, and community support.

Job responsibilities

Are you a passionate and experienced Specialist Occupational Therapist ready to take the next step in your career? Do you thrive in a collaborative, child-centred environment where your leadership can make a real difference?

Together we make a difference, develop and learn, and support each other. Every day with us is different, but our mission remains the same: To champion the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support – they are at the heart of everything we do. We stand by them and we work together for change.

Alongside an incredible team of like-minded peers, you’ll be working behind-the-scenes to support our staff, volunteers, families, and supporters. You will be helping our work happen across the charity; enabling us to care for and champion the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support.

Location

Greater Manchester

Hours

30 hours per week, 41 Weeks/Year - Term Time

Contract

Permanent

About the role

The purpose of the Specialist Occupational Therapist role is to ensure delivery of a high-quality OT service, primarily to mainstream schools, on an outreach basis. The postholder will be a skilled and experienced practitioner who can work autonomously to provide consultancy, training, advice and direct therapy interventions for pupils and staff.

The therapist will offer support to families and carers where necessary. The post-holder will work within Together Trust processes to ensure that interventions are evidence based and that professional guidelines are met.

Key Responsibilities

• To independently manage a clinical caseload of students across a number of schools, working in collaboration with teachers and class teams.
• To undertake assessments utilising clinical observation and judgement, combined with specialist theoretical knowledge, taking a holistic perspective of the students needs.
• To undertake an annual appraisal, setting and agreeing targets linked to service development plan priorities with their line manager.
• To manage the appraisal and supervision of junior colleagues within the Occupational Therapy Team as appropriate.
• To be a positive role model, treat people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture.
• To monitor and evaluate risk within the workplace and to provide support to team members to develop risk awareness.
  • To participate in professional development maintaining compliance with HCPC regulations for mandatory training and external training opportunities.
  • To invest in Special Interest Groups and discussions relevant to practice.
• To contribute to service development in a clinical area and in line with department and operational needs.

About you

• Degree or equivalent in Occupational therapy
• member of the royal college of occupational therapist
• Current registration with health care professionals council as fit to work in the UK
• Experience of working in mainstream school settings
• experience of working with young people with complex needs including autism spectrum conditions
• Knowledge of learning disabilities and associated conditions
• Knowledge of autism spectrum conditions
• Knowledge of relevant safeguarding requirements and how to help young people with communications difficulties stay safe

Benefits

• Generous pension scheme and death in service benefit, up to 7% company pension contributions initially rising with length of service and up to 6 x basic salary death in service benefit.
• Occupational sick pay and family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
• Reward and Discount platform offering discounts at high street shops, travel, insurances etc.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Eligibility to apply for Blue Light card
• Proud to be a real living wage employer
• Refer a friend scheme, be rewarded for recommending a friend to work with us
• Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including apprenticeship qualifications
• Long service awards including cash gifts and extra holiday.
• Promotion of Wellbeing across the organisation including Mental Health First Aiders offering wellbeing support from trained colleague and free weekly yoga session in person or online
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for you and adults at your home

Curious about us?

Watch our quick career video as a Therapist/Occupational Therapist:

https://youtu.be/Hb-9Dg-qK-s (OT)

Safeguarding & Regulation

The Together Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we support and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Safeguarding checks will be undertaken for the successful candidate in line with our safer recruitment policy, including an Enhanced DBS check (at no cost to yourself).

This role will involve regulated activity.

Applications

Applications are very welcome from all regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socio-economic background. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments for disabled people. We positively encourage applications from those with lived experience.

If there is any part of your lived experience you want to keep confidential in some way please talk to the Recruitment or HR shared service teams and we will do what we can to support you.

Person Specification

Please refer to job description above