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Job summary

Main area
Adult Mental Health Services - Occpational Therapy
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
346-DDA-036-26-A
Employer
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Lanchester Road Hospital
Town
Durham
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 (pro rata) per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust logo

Specialist Occupational Therapist

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

The post is designed to attract an existing B6 Occupational Therapist or someone with considerable experience as a B5 and who is interested in progressing to competencies that support them being a B6 Specialist occupational therapist in TEWV.

You will manage an increasingly complex caseload independently, assessing occupational performance and delivering specialist occupational interventions, demonstrating adherence to the Trust Values at all times and operating as a leader in the team, service and organisation.

You will operate as part of the 'Durham & Darlington Occupational Therapy Hub'. The clinical area is Adult Mental Health and the team work across both inpatient and community settings.

This vacancy is part of a comprehensive recruitment drive to re-build our occupational therapy service within Durham / Darlington.  A personally tailored learning, development and support package is also available.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Main duties of the job

Occupationally focused assessments and interventions will be delivered as part of a dynamic service delivery model that has a strong commitment to collaborative working at its core whilst recognising the unique skills of all professional groups represented in the team.

Additional focus is on delivering high quality evidence-based services that support recovery, occupational formulation and occupational engagement. The delivery of 1:1 and group interventions that are occupationally focused is required.

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 collaboratively.

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

The D&D OT Hub is a centralised service split across the 2 sites. The primary pick-up points for the team are the acute wards at Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham and West Park Hospital in Darlington. Our Team works across inpatient and community adult mental health settings with a primary focus on the delivery of recovery focused occupational therapy.

A commitment to occupational formulation, and the delivery of 1:1 and group interventions that are occupationally focused is required.
Overall, the team covers 90 acute beds with the option of post-discharge support for residents of Durham & Darlington. The team works as an effective part of the MDT and delivers clinical supervision to activity coordinators who work into both sites.

Professional leadership is strong and provides supervision, support and clinical assurance. To work best in the team we are looking for candidates who are highly patient focused, confident in their emerging skills set, dynamic and resilient.

The post will offer varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal. Well defined supervision systems are in place.

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 linked to Adult Mental Health across Durham and Darlington, and offer input to individuals, their families and carers.

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 service users as well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential.

Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the supervising Occupational Therapist as identified by the relevant Lead OT. The post holders will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to the wider OT service developments.

You must be able to demonstrate experience of delivery of occupational therapy, keenness to continually develop themselves and others, and a particular interest in this field of OT. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings.

There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal. The B6 post in the D&D OT Hub is supported by B7 OT Supervision with OT assistants in place to ensure that role fidelity is maintained, and that each member of the team is working to their optimum. Successful candidates will be responsible for their own caseloads and will fully interface with the team via formal and informal supervision, team huddles and interface with the MDT via all clinical forums available.

Please note that shortlisted candidates will be expected to provide a presentation at interview, title to be confirmed. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Appropriate professional qualification for occupational therapy role
  • Registration with HCPC
Desirable criteria
  • Post graduate training in relevant specialist area

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Minimum 12 months post qualifying experience of occupational therapy delivery
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of supporting people with mental health issues, learning disability or autism
  • Experience of working in Multi-disciplinary Team

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Understanding of the needs of people who use our services with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
Desirable criteria
  • Clinical risk assessment and application in practice
  • Knowledge of evidencebased practice in designated specialist area
  • Post graduate training in specialist area if applicable to post (e.g. dysphagia, autism diagnostics)
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Experience of managing complex occupational therapy cases
  • Awareness of professional standards and its application to practice

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good observational skills and ability to describe such observations verbally and in writing
  • Record keeping and report writing
  • Collaborating with people who use our services and carers and their families in accordance with the principals of coproduction
  • Manage own complex caseload and prioritise effectively
  • Support other to manage their caseload and prioritise effectively within a supervisor or educational relationship
  • Effectively manage complex clinical and social issues
  • 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 appropriate digital technologies

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthArmed Forces CovenantBetter Health at Work Gold Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Paul Meylan
Job title
Lead Occupational Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01325552000
Additional information

 

 

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