Job summary
- Main area
- Driving
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Weekdays (excluding bank holidays) 7.5 hours per day (overtime for travel paid via staff bank))
- Job ref
- 846-7922506-TS
- Employer
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- South East DriveAbility
- Town
- Aylesford
- Salary
- £39,959 - £48,117 pro rata, per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/05/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Driving Advisor
NHS AfC: Band 6
Job overview
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare. Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.
South East DriveAbility (SED) is a service provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. The service has a unique business model and is supported by an annual grant from the Department of Transport (DfT) and income generated by referrals from GPs, Allied Health Professionals, Motability, DVLA, Kent Police and private clients.
SED is led by a Head of Service/Consultant Practitioner. Working from the main office at Aylesford, and reporting to the Head of Service/ Consultant Practitioner, the post holder will provide high quality occupational therapy input into the driving advice and assessment
service to clients referred by the Driver Vehicle & Licensing Agency, Motability, Kent Police, Rehabilitation Companies, Access to Work, Public Carriage Office, Health Professionals and self-referring clients. The assessment process ascertains an individual’s driving ability,
vehicle control and vehicle adaptation requirements.
Please note, this vacancy does not meet the criteria for skilled worker sponsorship and therefore, we are unable to accept applications from candidates that cannot provide documentary evidence of right to work in the United Kingdom.
Main duties of the job
SED consists of full/part time clinical professions (Occupational Therapists), driving assessors, admin staff and vehicle maintenance staff and operates between the hours of 8:30am to 16:30pm Monday to Friday. with a requirement to work out of core hours to provide cover to outreach services on a regular basis. Overtime will be paid by the KCHFT
Bank system.
SED provides specialist fitness to drive assessments with full accreditation from its governing body, Driving Mobility (DM); it is fully recognised by the Driving Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Motability.
Staffed by a Head of Service/Consultant Practitioner, 5 Occupational Therapists, 1 Specialist Driving Assessor, 9 Driving Assessors, 1 Business Manager and 3 Administration Staff, SED is authorised to provide assessment services to clients residing in Kent & Medway, East and West Sussex, west Surrey, south east London and south east Essex from its main office at Aylesford plus 5 outreach centres located across the region.
The postholder will proactively work with a driving assessor in a team setting and, on a pre-arranged basis, will be expected to travel to any Outreach Centres run by SED in the centre’s vehicles (either manual or automatic transmission). This could also involve extended working hours on this day. The postholder will be expected to travel to outreach
centres once weekly, depending upon service needs.
Working for our organisation
Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent
We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences
We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn’t visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission
The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both
See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.
The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.
Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.
We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.
At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.
Find out more about the community difference here.
Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
- Appropriate state registration with the Health Professions Council
- Professional Qualification in Driving Assessment and Outdoor Mobility (Approved by Driving Mobility Academy) - At least 3 modules completed within 1 year or soon after completion of DM/Local Induction - as per Driving Mobility accreditation
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience of working with patients with a wide range of diagnostic groups e.g. Neurological conditions, Dementia etc
- Experience of supervising others in technical skills
- Willingness to complete necessary Driving Mobility education programme within 1 year of appointment, or any other courses required as per Driving Mobility accreditation.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Broad clinical experience from training placements
- Experience in compiling written (typed) reports in a timely manner
Desirable criteria
- Some experience in rehabilitation
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Understanding of clinical governance and its implication.
- Awareness of Health & Safety issues
- Understanding of professional conduct
- Good communication skills both written and verbal
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Accurate and legible note and report writing
- Basic IT skills
- A full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) and the ability to travel independently are essential for this role. Should you require workplace adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, we are committed to supporting you to meet the mobility requirements of the role wherever possible.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to teach clients technical skills
- Demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sian Mitchell
- Job title
- Business Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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