Specialist Occupational Therapist

NHS; South Shields; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in South Shields is seeking a Specialist Occupational Therapist to join their inpatient team. You will manage a caseload, provide therapy assessment and treatment, and supervise junior staff. The role involves working closely with community partners and requires a high level of communication and clinical reasoning skills. The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Occupational Therapy and have significant experience in a physical health setting. Ongoing professional development and flexible working options are available.

Benefits

Access to training and professional development

Fitness Centre usage

Qualifications

• Significant experience as an Occupational Therapist in a physical health setting.
• Evidence of multidisciplinary team collaboration.
• Experience with caseload management and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist therapy assessment and treatment.
• Document patient records accurately.
• Supervise junior therapists and students.

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Supervisory skills

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Current HCPC Registration

Job description

Go back South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 14 January 2026

We are looking to recruit a Specialist Band 6 Occupational Therapist into our inpatient team at South Tyneside District Hospital. You will work predominantly in the clinical speciality of Medicine but may be required to use your skills and knowledge to support other specialities when required. There will be a requirement to supervise staff, including undergraduate and pre‑registration students on clinical placement. This is a challenging and demanding, but very rewarding post with lots of opportunity for ongoing personal and professional development.

The acute therapy teams work closely with our community partners as part of the hospital discharge planning process, and this is a great opportunity to help shape future services as a senior Occupational Therapist.

Main duties of the job

The inpatient Occupational Team at South Tyneside District Hospital sits within the directorate of Therapy Services and provides intervention and assessment to facilitate safe and timely discharges from hospital. As a Specialist Occupational Therapist, you will hold your own caseload of hospital inpatients, and you will use your skills and knowledge to plan and deliver safe and effective discharges from hospital whilst working as a part of the wider multidisciplinary team and with community partners. You will need comprehensive and concise knowledge of discharge pathways and of the principles of Discharge to Assess and Home First. Due to the demands of acute care, you will need to be flexible, innovative and resourceful to ensure you are able to meet the daily requirements of the post and you are contributing to effective patient flow through the hospital.

You will need to be able to document patient notes efficiently and effectively and provide supervision to junior and support staff. We have a Band 5 rotation in place; you will be required to provide support to rotational staff to ensure they gain the knowledge and skills required within their rotation period. Also due to the need to sometimes visit patients’ homes as part of the discharge planning assessment, you must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role.

About us

Please add your telephone number to your application form so we can contact you quickly if required.

One Team One Trust – There are many reasons to work at our Trust. From our commitment to putting people first to our accessible services and award‑winning teams. We have a passion for research, innovation and tackling inequalities. We are committed to respect, fairness and civility and promote a compassionate, caring and positive culture / working environment.

We welcome all applications irrespective of peoples race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups. Looking after our workforce’s health and wellbeing is a priority for us. We also provide access to high quality education, training, career progression and support. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy.

The Trust employs around 8,746 people and provides a range of hospital services to a local community of around 430,000 residents. We also provide a range of more specialised services outside this area. We offer our staff outstanding benefits – Fitness Centre (SRH), libraries at both hospital sites, chaplaincy support and access to a Care Co‑ordinator to help staff with childcare arrangements.

If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Job responsibilities

• To work as an autonomous practitioner using advanced clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist therapy assessment, treatment and advice to an independently managed caseload which will incorporate a range of presentations of conditions.
• To be involved in clinical practice issues, raising the profile of the service and offering specialist advice to planning and service development in order to assist the team leader/service manager in the implementation of service improvements.
• To work towards improving quality services including implementing evidence based practice.
• To work toward the achievement of specific response time targets.
• To complete effective, concise documentation of patients records in line with Trust, professional & department standards.
• To ensure accurate data entry takes place in line with departmental standards.
• To participate in the clinical education of staff within the specialism and be responsible for the supervision of unqualified, newly qualified therapists and undergraduates who work under your direct supervision.
• To participate in the service and patient pathways in line with clinical standards and best practice.
• To participate in research activities pertinent to the role.
• To assist in raising the profile of the service.
• To maintain professional development through participation in relevant professional training programmes.
• To comply with the Trust’s vision, values and behavioural compact.
• PLEASE SEE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE ROLE

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant previous experience working as an Occupational Therapist in a physical health setting.
• Evidence of high level communication skills within a wide variety of settings
• Evidence of working within multidisciplinary, cross agency teams
• Evidence of attendance at courses relevant to the role or evidence of CPD in relevant topic areas
• Evidence of an understanding of Clinical Governance
• Evidence of an understanding of Health & Safety relating to work activities
• Significant previous experience working as an Occupational Therapist at Band 5 level in the speciality area
• Evidence of planning, delivering and evaluating training to others
• Evidence of a sound understanding or clinical governance and risk management
• Experience of completing audits within Therapies

Skills and Knowledge

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills
• Highly developed written communication skills including report writing and maintaining patient records
• Developed analytical & judgemental skills
• Skills to prioritise workload and make judgements on priorities when there are several competing demands.
• Able to present information, written and orally in a clear and logical manner
• Basic IT skills
• Presentational skills
• Knowledge of evidence based guidelines e.g. NICE guidelines and of current health and social care legislation
• Ability to supervise lower grade staff and students.
• Evidence of ability to be innovative and proactive
• Experience of participating in audits

Physical Skills

• Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and to work within an environment with competing demands
• Ability to assist patients to move as per Trust Moving and Handling Policy
• Ability to drive the OT department vehicles/meet the travel requirements of the post.
• Ability to sit at a work station to complete electronic patient records and other tasks on a computer

Qualifications

• Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Evidence of appropriate learning in speciality area (e.g.: short courses or CPD activities)
• Current HCPC Registration
• Comprehensive experience as a therapist in the relevant profession incorporating experience within a range of specialities in a physical health setting.
• Evidence of specialist level knowledge and experience in Occupational Therapy.
• Knowledge of the speciality area
• Post graduate education/CPD activities relevant to the role.
• Evidence base in specialism developed from the application of post‑graduate study.
• Evidence of maintaining CPD activities.
• Developed knowledge of current best practice principles
• Post graduate qualification in relevant healthcare area such as post graduate diploma
• Post graduate training in leadership
• An understanding of South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction & achievements
• Membership of relevant professional body Royal College of Occupational Therapy

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust