Job overview

A post has become available within the Essex Community ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Service. This service is well-established and respected. It is a small, friendly multi-disciplinary team which provides a service to patients with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia throughout the whole of Essex. The team is based at the Tyrells in Benfleet and the post holder will also be required to work from home on some days, as well as needing to travel to other Essex-wide clinic locations.

We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic band 7 Occupational Therapist (OT) to fill this role. It is an exciting opportunity, and you will need to have experience as a band 6 already, either working in a hospital or working in the community.

This is an ideal opportunity for an OT to enhance their skills in managing patients with conditions that require time, support, and guidance as well as those patients with more complex presentations.  Our patients are seen 1:1 or in groups, face to face or online.

We recognise that this is a very specialist area of OT and so we are looking for someone with ‘transferable skills’ and a depth of character suited to working with this patient group. Further training will be provided, as well as support, guidance, and peer supervision from an OT.

You will also be able to attend our fortnightly team meeting to ensure that communication, support and discussion about patients and service developments are cascaded and discussed as a team.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will have responsibility for assessing and treating their own caseload of patients and maintaining associated records. As a small team of practitioners, there is some overlap of roles but you will also be encouraged to preserve a very clear OT role with the multi-disciplinary team.

For example, you may be responsible for patients requiring fatigue management, well-being advice and lifestyle changes, as well as advice and support regarding employment/ school and college activity as part of their ongoing therapy programme.

You will work 1:1 with patients as well as providing group work to patients alongside your multi-disciplinary colleagues. Both scenarios may be in-person or online.

You will have some experience of working within a health setting as a band 6 OT. There will be a need to work with patients via video link and to be able to work from home, so the post holder will be required to demonstrate some basic computer literacy.

Support and training is also available in conjunction with our CNCC network as well as ongoing supervision and training for the role being provided within the team.

As some travelling is required, a car driver is essential for this role.

Working for our organisation

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is now one of the largest in the country, with a workforce of approximately 15,000 who serve a population of 1.2 million people.

We work together, and in conjunction with MSE Health and Care Partnership, to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients in a compassionate way, and provide a respectful, but vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

From facilities through to consultant specialists we want to be the best, to achieve this we need to recruit not just those who are the finest in their field but also those who have the potential to be. Yes, experience is important but so is outlook – if you are dynamic, forward-thinking and enthusiastic we want you to join us.

We not only offer you a good working environment with flexible working opportunities, but also the opportunity to develop your career with access to appropriate training for your job and the support to succeed and progress