Team Lead Occupational Therapist

Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals Nhs Trust; Epsom and Ewell; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking an experienced and motivated Team Lead Occupational Therapist to join our Integrated Stroke and Neurology Service. This role combines advanced clinical leadership with stroke and neurological rehabilitation expertise across acute and community settings.

You will supervise staff, lead audits, support service development, and drive evidence-based practice while managing a varied caseload and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Essential OT degree and HCPC registration.
• Postgraduate training in neurology or leadership is desirable.
• Experience leading and supervising OT staff is required.
• Evidence-based practice and audits are encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a complex neuro/Stroke caseload in both acute and community settings.
• Deliver advanced OT assessments and interventions.
• Provide professional leadership and supervision to OT staff, assistants and students.
• Drive service improvement, audits and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical reasoning

Communication

Supervision

Education

OT degree

HCPC registration

Postgraduate neuro rehab

Leadership training

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Integrated Stroke and Neurology Service as a Team Lead Occupational Therapist. This is an exciting opportunity for a clinician with a strong background in stroke and neurological rehabilitation who is ready to take the next step in their leadership journey. Working across acute stroke services and community stroke outreach, you will manage a varied caseload of patients with complex stroke and neurological conditions, supporting them through assessment, rehabilitation, discharge planning and recovery. You will work closely with a highly skilled stroke multidisciplinary team. Alongside your clinical responsibilities, you will provide professional leadership and supervision to occupational therapists, assistants and students, helping to develop staff, drive service improvement and promote evidence-based practice. The role offers opportunities to lead audits, quality improvement projects and service development initiatives across the stroke and neuro pathway. You will be supported by the 8a Occupational Therapy Lead, who will provide professional leadership and supervision, alongside opportunities to develop your clinical, leadership and service improvement skills within the wider stroke and neurology pathway.

Main duties of the job

• Lead complex caseloads: Manage and prioritise a diverse and highly complex caseload of neurological patients across community settings, ensuring timely and effective interventions.
• Deliver specialist assessments and interventions: Conduct advanced occupational therapy assessments and interventions in various community venues, including patients' homes and care homes, aligning with individual needs and risk factors.
• Ensure professional accountability and quality: Maintain professional and legal accountability for your clinical work, adhering to all relevant policies and professional standards. You will also monitor and support the quality of practice within the team.
• Apply advanced clinical reasoning: Utilise advanced clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice to develop and implement personalized, goal-oriented treatment plans, incorporating therapeutic options, assistive equipment, environmental adaptations, and care services.

About us

Surrey Downs Health and Care deliver care closer to people's own communities through our Primary Care Networks, Community Hospitals, Specialist Services and our innovative partnership of local NHS organisations.

Surrey Downs Health and Care has a track record of providing person centered care that goes beyond organisational boundaries to do what is best for the individual. This partnership includes:

• The three GP federations GP Health Partners, Dorking Health Care and Surrey Medical Network representing practices that operate in the Surrey Downs area
• Epsom and St Helier's University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Surrey County Council

Historically, there have been boundary lines between the organisations that provide care to people in their homes, in GP surgeries and in hospitals, but we have always been united in our mission to provide great care to the people who need us.

It's on those grounds that the Surrey Downs Health and Care was formed - we want local people to receive the care that they need in the right environment. By bringing together our expertise, we can improve patient care and enable local people to access the right support, care and treatment more easily than ever before.

In bringing this partnership together, we are working to the same set of values that will translate into better care for our residents.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy (OT)
• Current registration with HCPC
• Post graduate training
• Undertaken further specialised training, e.g., communication and assertiveness
• Member of RCOT SSNP
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to post

Knowledge and Awareness

Essential

• Sound knowledge of neurological conditions and rehabilitation
• Clinical knowledge of all areas within remit of post
• Awareness of the impact of Clinical Governance on service delivery
• Broad background of Occupational therapy skills
• Attendance at relevant training courses, e.g. National Stroke conferences
• Postgraduate training in neurological rehabilitation or leadership
• Substantial NHS experience working in field of Neurorehabilitation
• Broad experience of Neurorehabilitation - Acute or community
• Clinical supervision of students
• Experience of staff supervision

Skills and Behaviours

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, effective at all levels
• Skilled in planning and organisation, enabling effective management of a patient caseload
• Able to use a risk assessment approach to maximise patients' safety and function
• Lead, develop, and evaluate the service effectively using data collection, audits, and reports.
• Proven experience teaching Neurology, both in formal and informal settings

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Adaptable and resilient in high-pressure situations
• Possesses a full UK driving license and access to a car for work purposes

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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 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 (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).