Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - Early, late and weekend working maybe required.
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-7676111
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bethlem Royal Hospital
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £32,199 - £34,876 per annum Incl. of outer HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 08/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Therapy Enabler
NHS AfC: Band 4
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
We are seeking to recruit an positive, caring and enthusiastic Therapy Enabler. The post holder will join a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing person centred treatment and care to older adults with acute needs associated with their Dementia.
The purpose of the Therapy Enabler role is to provide therapeutic intervention through activities of daily living. The post is key to supporting service users to regain and maintain their independence in day to day living and help in supporting the transition of care from the in-patient wards and specialist care units, back into the community setting.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will help to provide a range of interventions from basic functional activities of daily living to more complex therapeutic interventions such as physical activity, life story work and supporting communication. This will be carried out through 1:1 work and group activity.
The role aims to better incorporate therapeutic techniques into the day-to-day routine of the ward setting, to promote functional independence and provide valuable information to a holistic assessment of the service user’s strengths and needs. The role includes working both on and off the unit, both with and without direct supervision. The post holder will need to develop positive relationships, demonstrate genuine empathy with service users and carers in order to bring about hope, enable recovery and to support service users to improve their quality of life and promote social inclusion.
Working for our organisation
Chelsham House is our Acute Dementia Specialist Assessment ward. Our patients are older adults who have mental health difficulties and / or Dementia and require specialist in-patient care prior to moving back into the community or on to other specialised settings.
Bethlem Royal Hospital is based in a beautiful setting in over 200 acres of green space in the London Borough of Bromley, South East London.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communications and Working Relationships:
· Clinical supervision will be provided by the Ward Occupational Therapist with regular profession specific support also provided by the Speech and Language Therapy and Physiotherapy Team
· Line Management will be provided by the Ward Manager.
· Daily contact with service users, their supporters and members of the MDT.
· The post holder will support the MDT in liaising with relevant community and voluntary groups.
· There will be regular peer support on a bi-monthly basis with the Therapies Team
Job summary:
· To carry out recovery programmes as delegated by the MDT.
· To consistently provide service user focused enablement approaches that promote optimum independence.
· To work with selected service users, as allocated by the MDT, to promote independence and support transition of care to the community setting.
· To promptly report any enablement concerns to an appropriate professional.
· To participate in the early, late and weekend rota where appropriate.
· To participate in data collection and service development.
· To support the Occupational Therapist in implementing therapeutic techniques that promote independence in personal care and other functional activities e.g. in kitchen. Support with home visits as required. Develop and implement 1:1 and group therapeutic activity.
· To support the speech and language therapist in identifying service users who have swallowing or communication difficulties and implement strategies to manage these difficulties with their support.
· To support the physiotherapist through supporting mobility practice, facilitating a simple exercise programme and reviewing the need for and supporting the use of mobility aid.
· To support the nursing team through joint working to demonstrate therapeutic techniques developed for the patient. Carrying out 1:1 enhanced observations, supporting service users at mealtime, preventing and managing behaviours that challenge especially during personal care.
· To support the psychology team through Implementation of case formulation techniques.
· To facilitate and support the MDT to provide group activity on the ward and help identify appropriate groups according to service users wishes and needs.
· Support with maintaining resources and equipment.
· Support service users and their supporters (family, friends and carers) to complete life story work and use the content of life story work to inform individualised activity.
· To support the collection of service user and carer feedback using PEDIC and Tendable
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with adults with mental health difficulties
- Experience of working within a health or social care environment
- Experience of working in an in-patient setting
- Experience of working with a multidisciplinary team
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with Older Adults with mental health difficulties and/or people living with Dementia
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Evidence of a broad-based education
- Good level of literacy and numeracy skills
- Good written and spoken English
Desirable criteria
- GCSE English and maths or equivalent
- NVQ level in Health and social care or promoting independence or Rehabilitation or equivalent training
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Some knowledge and understanding of the needs of older people with mental health problems, including dementia
- Knowledge of application of person-centred care in working with older people with mental health problems
- Knowledge of application of person-centred care in working with older people with mental health problems
- Understanding of issues of consent, capacity and confidentiality
Desirable criteria
- An understanding of the roles of Medics, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists and Psychologists
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to problem solve and work under own initiative in a number of settings.
- Good time management and organisational skills.
- A commitment to undertake continuing professional development.
- To demonstrate a caring, compassionate and empathetic attitude.
- Ability to identify diverse needs of service users and address these needs.
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Regina Abban
- Job title
- Ward Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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