Specialist Occupational Therapist

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local NHS trust in Tees Valley seeks a Specialist Occupational Therapist to join the multidisciplinary team. The role requires providing assessments and interventions for clients with mental health needs, with a focus on developing self-care and productivity skills. Applicants should have relevant qualifications and experience, especially in mental health contexts. Opportunities for ongoing training and a supportive work environment are provided, along with flexibility in travel across the locality.

Benefits

Ongoing training and development

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 months post qualifying experience of occupational therapy delivery.
• Experience of supporting people with mental health issues.
• Experience working in a Multidisciplinary Team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and interventions for occupational therapy.
• Engage with adults with mental health needs.
• Provide supervision and support within the team.

Skills

Experience with mental health issues

Client-centred approaches

Communication skills

Education

Appropriate professional qualification

Current registration with regulatory body

Post graduate training in relevant area

IELTS level 7 for international recruits

Job description

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 18 December 2025.

The Middlesbrough Community Mental Health Team are looking to recruit a confident, and enthusiastic Specialist Occupational Therapist (Band 6) to join their team working alongside our existing Lead Occupational Therapist, and Occupational Therapist, as part of a diverse multidisciplinary team.

This post is suitable for an existing Band 6 or a post-preceptorship Band 5 therapist who has developed their skills and is ready for a new opportunity within community adult mental health services.

The OT Hub provides specialist advice, assessment, support and intervention for people with a mental health diagnosis.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for receiving requests for occupational therapy, triaging and prioritising these, completing evidence-based assessments and interventions to address key occupational areas of self care, productivity and leisure.
• To use client-centred approaches to co‑producing negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these with service users collaboratively.
• To participate in clinical/professional and management supervision.
• To contribute to multi-disciplinary team working.
• To contribute to and lead on service improvement and quality initiatives.
• To use the Trust electronic patient record system.
• To abide by all Trust policies and procedures.
• To be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenges.

About us

This post is based in Middlesbrough.

The multi-disciplinary team works with adults who may have mental health needs and/or neurodiversity. Occupational Therapy plays a key role within the service to support individuals to develop and maintain their occupational performance skills.

You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network across TEWV, to develop a way of delivering a high quality, needs‑led OT service, utilising core occupational therapy skills to ensure all of the people we work with have a robust occupational therapy assessment and intervention plan in place.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will provide evidence-based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway.

All team members must be committed to providing the best possible care for the people we work with and involve families/carers.

The ability to engage and communicate with adults with mental health needs and/or neurodiversity as well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential.

Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the supervising Occupational Therapist as identified by the relevant Lead OT. The post holder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to the wider OT service developments.

You must be able to demonstrate experience of delivery of occupational therapy, keenness to continually develop themselves and others, and a particular interest in this field of OT. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings.

There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal.

Please refer to the attached job description and person for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

Due to the nature of the role it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Person Specification

Qualification

• Appropriate professional qualification for occupational therapy role.
• Current relevant registration with specific regulatory body.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 7 (SLT =8) for International recruits.
• Post graduate training in relevant specialist area.

Experience

• Minimum 12 months post qualifying experience of occupational therapy delivery.
• Experience of supporting people with mental health issues, learning disability or autism.
• Experience of working in Multidisciplinary Team.

Knowledge

• Understanding of the needs of people who use our services with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.
• Awareness of professional standards and their application to practice.
• Clinical risk assessment and application in practice.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice in designated specialist area.

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.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust