Job summary
- Main area
- MHSOP
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent: Days to be arranged at interview, hours are 8am-4pm
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week (No additional working pattern)
- Job ref
- 346-TSM-010-25-A
- Employer
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Woodside Resource Centre
- Town
- Middlesbrough
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 pro rata, per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/04/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Specialist Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Intensive Community Liaison Service, working with patients experiencing difficulties with activities of daily living or occupational performance, where organic or functional mental health presentation is key issue impacting on their ability to engage, including:
- Older people with mental health problems living in care (including those who may be able to return to wider community living)
- Those at risk of hospital admission, readmission or admission to long term care who require intensive input
We are offering a permanent position at 0.6 WTE Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapists. You will work alongside another Occupational Therapist in the team to prioritise caseloads.
We are looking for an OT who can work flexibly to meet service need and has the vision, energy and inspiration to develop creative, imaginative solutions to delivering occupational therapy.
Clinical supervision will be with Lead OT for Mental Health Services for Older People in Tees and the clinical governance requirements to attend the monthly Occupational Therapy Learning and Governance Network provides fantastic CPD and learning opportunities. Line management will be from Team Manager.
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 collaborative
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
Working for our organisation
As a Specialist occupational therapist in TEWV you will manage a complex caseload independently, assessing occupational performance and delivering specialist occupational interventions, always demonstrating adherence to the Trust Values and operating as a leader in the team, service and organisation.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.
The post holder will provide evidence-based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway and offer input to individuals, their families and carers, for our inpatients.
All team members must be committed to providing the best possible care for the people we work with and their families/carers.
The ability to engage and communicate with older people as well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential.
There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
- Registration with HCPC
- Clinical Supervisory Skills course (or willingness to undertake within agreed timescale).
- Trust training in Appraisal and Recruitment (or willingness to undertake within an agreed timescale)
- Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)
- Successful completion of preceptorship year as a graduate occupational therapist (or equivalent in non-NHS sectors)
Desirable criteria
- Accredited Practice Placement Educator (APPLE)
- Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience in Occupational Therapy including experience working with service users in mental health or learning disabilities with complex needs.
- Experience of supervising students on placement
- Experience of participation in quality improvement activities
- Experience of participation in clinical governance activities
- Experience of developing and delivering training
Desirable criteria
- Day to day supervision of staff
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- National guidance and key standards in own specialist area
- Health and Safety legislation and its application in practice
- Legal aspects of Moving and Handling
- Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act and its application in practice.
- Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice
- Clinical Governance and its application in practice
- Care Programme Approach and its application in practice
- Safeguarding and its application in practice
- Significant knowledge to post-graduate level of the needs and difficulties of service users in designated specialist area
- Significant knowledge of evidence based practice in designated specialist area
- Research and development methodology
- Knowledge of the Trust’s Quality Improvement System (or willingness to learn in agreed timescale)
Skills
Essential criteria
- Communicate complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation
- Solve complex clinical problems
- Record keeping and report writing
- Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Manage own caseload and prioritise effectively
- Motivate and work positively and constructively with other members of the team.
- Delegate tasks appropriately
- Apply latest research evidence and evaluative thinking in practice
- Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision
- Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings
- Breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale)
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours
- Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers
- Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances
- Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team
- Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently as appropriate to the band
- Committed to continual quality and service improvement
- Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
- Committed to promoting a positive image of the Occupational Therapy Service.
- Self aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to reflect and critically appraise own performance and accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need.
- This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Willett
- Job title
- Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01642 368900
- Additional information
Kelly Peare
07909064064
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