Specialist Occupational Therapist

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Tr; England; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading community health service provider in the UK is looking for a Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join their Community Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service. The role offers a flexible commitment of 0.8 WTE, focusing on multi-disciplinary collaboration to enhance the service provided to children with complex needs. You will work autonomously and manage your clinical caseload while receiving ongoing professional development. This role is based in Luton and offers a variety of benefits, including a generous holiday allowance and training opportunities.

Benefits

Minimum 6 weeks holiday

Occupational pension

Sickness benefits

Staff support de-brief

Employer supplied computer and phone

Qualifications

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Willingness to learn and engage with national strategies for children.
• Ability to adapt approaches in providing interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical assessment and treatment for children in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Manage a clinical caseload, customizing interventions to each child's unique needs.
• Collaborate with families and professionals in education and health sectors.

Skills

HCPC registration

Excellent communication skills

Sound clinical experience

Knowledge of national strategies for children

Education

Relevant degree or qualification in Occupational Therapy

Job description

Calling Specialist (B6) Paediatric Occupational Therapists!

Are you ready for your next step in your career? Have valuable Paediatric Occupational Therapy experience you want to share? Do you wonder what it’s like to work for a Trust where the community is at the heart of everything we do? Do you want to work in a multi-agency environment where your input is valued? Do you have the experience to be pro‑active in enhancing the service we provide? Then maybe it’s time to join us at CCS. We are currently recruiting to a 0.8 WTE permanent post based at Redgrave Children & Young Peoples Centre in Luton. As a Trust we are flexible and can offer part‑time and flexible working.

What You’ll Have

• HCPC registration.
• Knowledge of national strategies for children, with a willingness to learn more.
• Sound clinical experience, with an appetite for additional training.
• The ability to consider various models and approaches in providing intervention.
• Excellent communication skills at all levels.

What We Offer

• Ongoing development and further training.
• The chance to shape the service we provide.
• A Trust where you are listened to.
• A CQC Trust rated outstanding.
• Opportunities to mentor colleagues.
• A range of benefits and services over and above normal NHS offer.

Community Services are the future of the NHS – come and be part of it!

We look forward to welcoming you.

If you want to know more about CCS, attend a webinar held on the 1st Friday of every month. To book, email [e-mail].

Interview date: 5 February 2026.

Job Purpose

The post holder works as part of the Community Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service. Working autonomously with an emphasis on multi‑disciplinary working and multi‑agency collaboration under the supervision of a Band 7 Occupational Therapist, the post holder has specific responsibility for holding their own clinical caseload and providing clinical supervision and development for more junior staff.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide specialist, evidence‑based assessment, treatment and/or advice to children (aged 0 – school leaving age) referred to the Paediatric Occupational Therapy team, in liaison with families and other professionals within a multi‑agency framework.
• Appropriately involve in Education Health Care Plans and the Education Tribunal process.
• Be responsible for prioritisation and management of a specialist clinical caseload (children with highly complex needs) using specialist paediatric knowledge and evidence‑based practice.
• Work collaboratively with multi‑disciplinary / agency teams to provide a coordinated and integrated approach to patient care (health, social services, education, voluntary sector and families).
• Provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of Occupational Therapy and to ensure a consistent approach to the child’s care.
• Work with and provide specialist information to members of the multi‑disciplinary team regarding the child’s functional ability to:
  • Reach a working diagnosis.
  • Enable subsequent management of relevant functional difficulties.
  • Deliver a comprehensive and coordinated treatment programme to each child, including participation in case conferences, school reviews and discharge planning.
• Use clinical judgement and reasoning for assessment and recommendation of specialist equipment (e.g. postural seating, toileting equipment) from budgets such as education; review and monitor equipment to ensure it meets the child’s changing needs; report any health and safety issues; train children and staff in safe use.
• Work with children and families to identify Occupational Therapy child‑centred SMART goals and recommend the best course of intervention that addresses occupational performance and skill deficits, enabling development in self‑care, curriculum access, life skills, play and leisure.
• Monitor, evaluate and modify specialised, individually tailored treatment (evidence‑based) to measure progress using outcome measures and ensure intervention is effective and complementary to the child’s development, lifestyle and educational programme.
• Assess child/carer understanding of treatment plans, gain informed consent, and work within a legal framework with children and families who may lack capacity to consent.
• Facilitate a child’s return to school following discharge from hospitals, in liaison with relevant services (hospital staff, special needs community nurse, physiotherapist, education staff, speech and language therapists).
• Contribute to planned admissions to hospital in collaboration with other multidisciplinary team members to optimise the child’s care plan.
• Follow Trust procedures for incident reporting and safeguarding, seeking support from appropriate personnel.
• Provide advanced specialist assessment, treatment and/or advice to children referred to the Paediatric Occupational Therapy team, addressing a range of difficulties including neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, developmental, perceptual, genetic abnormalities, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
• Take an active role in organising and presenting at staff meetings, peer review, and external courses.
• Manage and prioritise own workload, balancing clinical, non‑clinical and professional demands; often working under pressure and tight deadlines; use supervision with a more senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist as needed.
• Triage referrals as delegated (not for maternity leave cover).
• Work alone in different environments including patients’ own homes, nurseries and schools; following CCS Paediatric Occupational Therapy lone‑working policy.
• Refer to other professionals/agencies as required.
• Seek assistance from colleagues where further advice or support is needed for patient care.
• Decide on appropriate clinical and non‑clinical tasks to be delegated to assistants, carers, admin staff, school staff.
• Be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work.
• Critically evaluate and benchmark current clinical practice against national guidelines, standards and evidence‑based practice and best practice.
• Interpret conflicting information and recommend the best course of Occupational Therapy intervention to multi‑agency staff (health, education and social care).

Project Work

• Contribute to/lead on projects as required.
• Participate in the Paediatric Occupational Therapy team’s clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
• Adhere to and apply the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice, Conduct and Ethics (RCOT Version 2/2021).
• Implement changes to the service that may impact other services (e.g. OT referral criteria).
• Understand national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on local service provision.

Communication

• Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients, families, carers, the public and all members of the extended health services, social services and education teams, using verbal, non‑verbal, written and presentation skills as required.
• Use appropriate communication skills to overcome language and cultural diversity barriers, including English as a second language, cognitive impairment, expressive and receptive communication difficulties, embarrassment, anxiety, pain, fear and visual/hearing impairment.
• Communicate condition‑related information to patients/relatives, often of a highly sensitive or complex nature (e.g. prognosis and rehabilitation prospects).
• Use verbal and non‑verbal skills to communicate effectively with children, young people and families daily, gaining consent, cooperation and maximizing potential.
• Empathise and support patients and families in difficult or distressing circumstances (diagnosis, bereavement, deteriorating conditions).
• Represent and promote the Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service.
• Participate in working with stakeholders, co‑production and service redesign teams to coordinate and review aspects of the service.
• Contribute written reports to Educational Health and Care Plans for all children on caseload requiring one.
• Provide any additional written advice required for the Education Tribunal process.
• Answer questions within an Education Tribunal, providing clarification and enabling further discussion regarding Occupational Therapy recommendations.

Important Relationships

• Countywide Paediatric Occupational Therapy Team.
• Children and their families/carers.
• Parent Carer Forums.
• Co‑production Team.
• Multi‑agency teams.
• Education staff within special and mainstream school and pre‑school settings.
• Social Services staff.
• Wheelchair Services.
• Acute hospital.
• Voluntary organisations (e.g. REMAP).
• Specialised Units/Hospitals such as:
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.
• Augmentative Communication Services.
• Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
• Second Skin.
• NB: This illustration of important relationships is not exhaustive.

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain up‑to‑date and accurate case notes (including treatment records) in line with professional standards, local Trust policies and medico‑legal criteria, including equipment issued.
• Provide written and verbal reports on all children on caseload at appropriate intervals, including following assessment and at end of intervention.

Title: Paediatric Occupational Therapist – Community Services (B6)

Location: Redgrave Children & Young Peoples Centre, Luton.

Contract: 0.8 WTE Permanent.

Salary: Consistent with band B6 and Multi‑Specialty Pay.

Benefits: Minimum 6 weeks holiday, occupational pension, sickness benefits, staff support de‑brief, employer supplied computer and phone, and a range of additional benefits.

Benefits also include an 8‑hour day on a four‑day week, with a 3‑day rota (Monday‑Wednesday) and a high band rate for Friday. No exclusions or holidays, and corporate discount and local charity season. (This paragraph has been included in the original advert.)

Benefits and Services: We can offer flexibility and will calculate the salary based on the hours you do. We can offer a 35‑hour contract if you want a 5‑day week. We can offer 42‑hour contract if you want a 6‑day week (with a 30‑minute break).

Additional details: We will discuss your benefits and holiday package. This is a 0.8 WTE contract with a standard 5‑day week or you could adjust it to a 4‑day shift.

Candidates with a background in pediatric therapy or with experience in an related setting are encouraged to apply.

Information request: Please email Paul Atkinson at [e-mail] or call 012345678 or leave a voicemail. The application process is faster than at other organisations.

To book a call, email [e-mail]. To identify the job role clearly, please provide your contact number and relevant details as an email attachment. We will note that we have a job role for you.

What is required of the candidate: They can do work full time and arrive at the same time. The answer was, the job advertisement states that the policy is quite new and we are aware that we can supply pure free services like for the next month if there is a great synergy. They must apply quickly. We want to ensure the job is available to ND for the next month (and sometimes the same procedures later).

These jobs have been advertised on our own website, but you can find them all out at bed gritty. We do not need a key point or a summary of the whole role: The business is scheduled and JUST LIMITED.

To apply, please follow the application instructions in your programme of admission. If you have questions about outsourcing, contact the PD for this post.

This advert closes on Wednesday 21 Jan 2026.