Specialist Occupational Therapist

NHS; Warrington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution is seeking a Specialist Occupational Therapist to join their Acute Medical Therapy Team. The successful candidate will manage a diverse clinical caseload, work in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team, and play a vital role in patient discharge planning. Relevant qualifications include a BSc Hons in Occupational Therapy and HCPC registration. Prior NHS experience is preferred, and the position offers a full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week.

Benefits

Regular professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in managing a clinical caseload autonomously.
• Understanding of the Occupational Therapy process.
• Ability to supervise and support junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage a clinical caseload across various specialities.
• Develop and implement therapeutic plans for patients.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams for effective patient care.

Skills

Specialist clinical skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Patient assessment

Education

BSc Hons Occupational Therapy or equivalent

HCPC Registration

Job description

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 12 October 2025

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Band 5 or existing Band 6 to join the Acute Medical Therapy Team at Warrington Hospital as a Specialist Occupational Therapist. The successful post holder will work across the acute medical inpatient bed base, working in a wide variety of specialities including Frailty, Cardiology, Specialist Dementia and General Medicine. The successful post holder will demonstrate specialist clinical skills and knowledge in occupational performance to support discharge planning, functional assessment and provide therapeutic interventions. The candidate will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team and community partners to ensure safe, effective discharges and prevent hospital re-admissions and deconditioning. Our philosophy is a "Home First" approach, with an emphasis on supporting patient\'s personal choices, strengths, and inclusion in every stage of their care. We adopt an early mobilisation approach which aims to reduce acquired hospital deconditioning, enabling a person to maintain as much of their independence as possible.

We are looking for a talented individual who is committed to working as part of our Therapy Team delivering an excellent, caring service to patients across our inpatient bed base. Our ideal candidate must be confident, enjoy working as a part of a large multi-disciplinary team and be able to demonstrate a desire to actively participate in all aspects of this specialist role.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate must be an effective team player with excellent communication and organisational skills. The main duties will include taking responsibility to manage a clinical caseload entailing the assessment, treatment and discharge planning of acute medical patients. It is essential that the candidate is motivated to promote positive relationships with the MDT and able to work closely with different professions to achieve a smooth discharge for patients under their care. The successful post holder will be expected to provide supervision and support to junior members of the therapies team and engage actively in quality improvement initiatives, service development and professional & personal development.

The working hours for this post are 37.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday. This post may include cross site working at Halton Hospital. Both sites are accessible by public and private transport and there is a bus link for staff between sites.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing an enjoyable and thriving place to work and learn. The therapy community within the hospital is close knit and benefits from regular professional and personal development opportunities.

We welcome visits to the department prior to interview. For further information related to this post, please contact the AMT senior leadership team on 01925 662992 asking for Clare Fairhurst. Alternatively, email [e-mail].

About us

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated 'good' organisation with 'outstanding' features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

We employ nearly 5,000 people from over 80 nationalities, striving to be a diverse, inclusive employer and recognised leader in equality. We support flexible working, welcoming flexible applications. Proud of our many accreditations, we are embedding an anti-racist approach in all we do.

Job responsibilities

As a Specialist Occupational Therapist working in the team, you will be expected to autonomously manage a clinical caseload across a range of specialities. You will utilise specialist analytical skills to assess patients and formulate a make a therapeutic diagnosis. Using enhanced clinical reasoning and knowledge of the OT process, you will develop treatment plans for patients in your care and complete regular reviews to ensure optimum therapeutic outcome.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION ATTACHED

Person Specification

Qualifications

• BSc Hons Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development
• Membership of BAOT/COT
• Attendance at post grad courses in relevant subject

Experience

• Previous NHS experience
• Previous experience of physical inpatient setting
• Previous experience of managing caseload autonomously
• Previous experience of supervising staff and delegating tasks to others
• Attended Clinical Educator course
• Previous experience of working in acute medical setting
• Previous experience of discharge planning
• Previous experience of working with complex patients

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrated range of specialist clinical skills and abilities
• Adherence to COT Code of Conduct and HCPC standards
• Knowledge and practical application of the Occupational Therapy process to inform clinical decision making
• Previous experience of MDT working
• Knowledge of NHS 10 Year Plan
• Participated in audits, service development or research
• Previous use of outcome measures or standardised assessments

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.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT