Specialist Occupational Therapist
North Cheshire And Mersey Nhs Foundation Trust
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Children’s Community OT Service. You will deliver expert support across Halton and Warrington, focusing on early identification, inclusive practice and staff coaching within universal, targeted and specialist levels.
You will work with families, schools and partner agencies to promote participation and independence for children and young people, while maintaining strong professional
Qualifications
- Post-registration experience in paediatrics.
- Experience delivering OT in education/health settings.
- Ability to supervise students and contribute to service development.
Responsibilities
- Provide OT interventions to children aged 0–19.
- Lead and deliver school-based OT training and coaching.
- Collaborate with schools, families and partners to enable inclusion.
Skills
Education
Job description
Are you an experienced and enthusiastic Band 6 Occupational Therapist passionate about supporting children and young people?
Join our Childrens Community Occupational Therapy Service as one of 4.1 WTE Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapists delivering Experts at Hand across Halton and Warrington. The service supports educational settings to identify needs early and provide inclusive support so children and young people can participate, learn and thrive. Through consultation, coaching, modelling and training, you will build staff confidence to provide support at universal, targeted and targeted-plus levels, working with families and partners to reduce barriers and secure the right help at the right time.
You will join a supportive, collaborative team whose approachable leaders value wellbeing, work-life balance and professional development. You will receive high-quality clinical supervision and opportunities to strengthen specialist practice, contribute to service improvement and share occupational therapy expertise.
If you are an innovative, motivated occupational therapist with strong clinical reasoning, communication and collaborative working skills, we would be delighted to welcome you.
At North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, our values of Kind, Open, Fair and One Team guide how we work. You will demonstrate them through compassionate care, open communication, inclusive practice and partnership working that improves outcomes for children and young people.
As a Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist within the innovative Experts at Hand service, you will provide specialist occupational therapy advice to help schools develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people with occupational performance, participation and independence needs.
You will develop and deliver engaging whole-school training, consultation and coaching, enabling education staff to embed inclusive occupational therapy approaches and use appropriate targeted, evidence-based strategies. You will work collaboratively with colleagues, sharing specialist knowledge and contributing to reflective practice and service development.
You will deliver drop-in consultation sessions within schools, supporting staff to identify occupational needs early, agree practical strategies and navigate pathways so children receive support at a universal, targeted or specialist level. Working collaboratively with education staff, families and partner agencies, you will promote inclusive environments and help embed effective approaches into everyday routines across school communities.
You will contribute to the evaluation and continuous improvement of the service by recording outcomes, gathering feedback and using performance information to demonstrate the impact of the Experts at Hand model on staff confidence, inclusive practice and outcomes for children and young people.
Provisional interview dates: 21st & 22nd October 2026
Flexible working will be considered for all roles.
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.
Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.
Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM). They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.
We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other
We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn
- Kind: We are caring, supportive and respectful to everyone
- Open: We are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
- Fair: We listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
- One team: We work well together and with our communities
To provide Occupational Therapy intervention to children (aged 0 to 19 years), with a variety of conditions.
To work across the geographical areas within the allocated borough.
To manage a defined caseload using evidence based/client centre principles to access, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
To regularly supervise Occupational Therapy students on practice placement.
To provide leadership and clinical supervision for other staff as delegated.
To continue own professional development.
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work and to maintain overall accountability for delegated duties of treatment to junior staff for patients on your caseload.
- To use a wide variety of Occupational Therapy assessment methods to identify clients who require Occupational Therapy intervention.
- To prioritise referrals and caseload using local guidelines/care pathways.
- To insure interventions take place in the most appropriate setting, e.g. hospital or clients homes
- To plan, prepare and undertake client assessments for a designated caseload.
- To identify areas of occupational performance and skill deficit in all functional activities of daily life.
- To work with clients and/or carers to identify goals as part of an overall care plan in co-operation with the multi professional team.
- To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions in collaboration with clients using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
- To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for clients with multiple needs/pathology in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
- To demonstrate and apply a broad level of understanding of the effect of disability and recommend adaptations to the clients physical and social environment.
- To justify own clinical judgments when differences of opinion occur
- To act as an advocate for patients needs when necessary
- To demonstrate effective communication skills with carers, team members, occupational therapy colleagues and other agencies.
- To be able to take a lead in Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings.
- To maintain good working relationships.
- To convey information on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plans in a range of verbal and non-verbal forms that clients/relatives can understand.
- Using a variety of skills gain consent and co-operation to treatment plans.
- To educate children, parents/guardians and teachers in conditions and their effects in order to achieve maximum development.
- To contribute to client related developments and activities within the multi-professional team.
- To prepare reports for Education, Health and Care Plans within the appropriate timescale, and contribute written and verbal reports for IEPs, annual reviews and transition, contributing appropriately to development of young peoples Health Action Plans.
- To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Trust Policies and Royal College of Occupational Therapy and Health Care Professional Council Standards of Practice.
- To maintain timely statistics and other records as requested by the Occupational Therapy Service and the Trust.
- To monitor the quality of record keeping for support staff and students.
To comply with the Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Guidance and National and Trust Policies and Procedures.
To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
- To participate in the day-to-day organisation and development of the service.
- To contribute to the Trusts clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
- To demonstrate understanding of national and local guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service delivery.
- Be responsible for the monitoring of materials and equipment and bring defects or deficits to the attention of the Team Leader.
- To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
- To advise the Team Leader on resources required to carry out the job.
- To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
- To maintain a professional portfolio of Continuing Professional Development recording learning outcomes through participation in internal and external development opportunities.
- To comply with annual PDR and appraisal system.
- To plan and implement the induction of junior staff/students.
- To receive, plan and deliver training for own profession and others.To undertake the supervision of junior staff as delegated by senior staff.
- To regularly supervise, evaluate and assess Occupational Therapy students to include negotiating learning contracts and setting objectives.
- To adhere to Health and Safety Policies and Procedures and carry out responsibilities accordingly.
Please see full job description attached.
- Demonstrable post registration including a specialism.
- Documented evidence of continuing professional development.
- Supervision of students.
- Experience in a broad range of physical and mental health settings.
- Supervision of junior staff.
- Diploma/Degree in OT.
- Health and Care Professionals Council registration
- Relevant postgraduate training courses
- Practice Placement qualification.
- Commitment to client-centred, non-discriminatory practice.
- Able to move and handle children of all ages and disabilities.
- Able to move and handle equipment.
- Knowledge and/or further training in moving and handling techniques.
- The ability to travel independently across the Trust
- The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs
- Membership of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
- Membership of relevant special interest groups
- Do you currently have the unrestricted right to work in the UK?
- If appointed, will you require sponsorship under a UK work visa route (now or in the future)?
- Please note that sponsorship is not available for all roles. Sponsorship will only be considered where the post meets the relevant UK immigration requirements and where the organisation determines that sponsorship is appropriate for the role.
- Specialist knowledge and application of Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions to paediatric client group.
- Extensive understanding of core skills of Occupational Therapy.
- Extensive understanding of Occupational Therapy process.
- Understanding of Occupational Therapy outcome measures.
- Ability to work autonomously.
- Able to set own priorities.
- Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues.
- Supervisory and appraisal skills.
- Able to reflect and critically appraise self and others.
- Ability to organize and respond efficiently to complex information.
- Computer literacy
- Ability to build effective working relationships.
- In depth knowledge of team dynamics.
- Knowledge of current legislation/guidelines around paediatrics.
- Knowledge of principles of Clinical Governance.
- Presentation and training skills.
- Knowledge of models of Occupational Therapy practice.
- Experience of audit of Occupational Therapy outcomes.
- If you are related to a director or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer name: North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)
Address: Warrington Child Development Centre, Sandy Lane, Orford, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 9HY, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://northcheshireandmersey.nhs.uk/
Employer contact details: For questions about the job, contact: Candiss Argent candiss.argent1@nhs.net
Date posted: 29 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9835-HC26-133
Job locations: Warrington Child Development Centre, Sandy Lane, Orford, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 9HY, United Kingdom; Halton Child Development Centre, Crow Wood Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3LZ, United Kingdom
Privacy notice: North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (BCH)'s privacy notice
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