Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-7740262
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- River House, Bethlem Royal Hospital
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £44,485 - £52,521 per annum inclusive of outer HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/03/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 26/03/2026
Employer heading
Senior Forensic Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
Job overview
Join Our Team as a Dynamic Occupational Therapist!
Are you a passionate and innovative Occupational Therapist looking to make a real difference? South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a motivated Band 6 OT to join our supportive forensic inpatient team at River House.
About the Role
This full‑time Band 6 position sits within the River House Occupational Therapy Team, where you’ll be a valued member of a dynamic multidisciplinary team. You will take a lead role in coordinating a varied therapeutic activity programme in partnership with the ward Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA).
As the ward link OT and a key contributor to the Recovery Hub, you will deliver impactful, evidence‑based interventions grounded in the Model of Human Occupation and sensory‑based approaches. Your work will support service users through their recovery journeys and help shape safe, effective discharge plans.
We are recruiting three Band 6 OTs:
-Two substantive Band 6 positions
-One Band 6 maternity cover position
Why Join Us?
Collaborative Environment: Be part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team.
Innovative Practice: Use creative, therapeutic approaches tailored to service users.
Professional Growth: Access ongoing opportunities for development.
Meaningful Impact: Play a key role in supporting recovery and independence
Main duties of the job
As an Occupational Therapist in the service, you would be part of a multi professional clinical team and carry a caseload in the A2 (Acute pathway), Specialist, ARP (Assertive rehab pathway) or OPD pathway (Offender Personality Disorder). You would support the delivery of specialist assessments and recovery focused and occupation-based interventions in line with Royal College of Occupational Therapy national practice guidance. You would also be involved in the delivery of core interventions, taking on the clinical leadership for that hub and supporting any innovation and ongoing service development. There would also be opportunity to support variety of involvement projects within the service and the Forensic Recovery College too.
Working for our organisation
We are a diverse and friendly Occupational Therapy team comprising OTs, OT Technicians, OT Assistants, Clinical Exercise Instructors and Education Tutors. We offer a range of Recovery Hub based interventions, including Remotivation, Vocation and Employability, Physical Activities and Health Promotion, Creative Arts and Education. We have a café and library which form the main basis for our commercial vocation schemes and have well established links with mainstream employers and a host of community vocation projects. We work in partnership with CALAT (Croydon Adult Learning and Training) to offer a range of accredited qualifications and deliver these in house.
The service is mainly based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital where we support service users within medium and low levels of security both in River House and Chaffinch ward. In addition, we support service users at Ward in the Community which are based on the Lambeth Hospital site in Clapham. We work with men and women who have a range of mental health problems and a history of offending behaviour, which have brought them into contact with the criminal justice system.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are a diverse and friendly Occupational Therapy team comprising OTs, OT Technicians, OT Assistants, Clinical Exercise Instructors and Education Tutors. We offer a range of Recovery Hub based interventions, including Remotivation, Vocation and Employability, Physical Activities and Health Promotion, Creative Arts and Education. We have a café and library which form the main basis for our commercial vocation schemes and have well established links with mainstream employers and a host of community vocation projects. We work in partnership with CALAT (Croydon Adult Learning and Training) to offer a range of accredited qualifications and deliver these in house.
The service is mainly based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital where we support service users within medium and low levels of security both in River House and Chaffinch ward. In addition, we support service users at Ward in the Community which are based on the Lambeth Hospital site in Clapham. We work with men and women who have a range of mental health problems and a history of offending behaviour, which have brought them into contact with the criminal justice system.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Qualified and HCPC registered Occupational Therapist
- Post registration experience as an OT
Desirable criteria
- Post-registration qualification in related area
- Practice Placement Educ Membership of OT professional body and / or special interest groupators course
- Membership of OT professional body and / or special interest group
Experience
Essential criteria
- Post registration experience as an OT
- Working in groups / Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
- Working with mental health service users (pre or post qualification)
- Advising and supporting / supervising junior staff and students
- Experience of audit, research and clinical governance procedures and their application in practice
Desirable criteria
- Preceptorship programme
- Experience of working in an inner-city, multi-cultural environment
- Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
- Experience of specialist Mental Health settings
- Leadership and first line management experience
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Broad / High level understanding of Mental Health disorders and treatment models
- Sound / Detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to Mental Health and Specialist practice where appropriate
- Applied / Working knowledge of the principles of CPA (Care Programme Approach)
- Applied / Extensive knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management
- Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions and outcome measures, relevant to client group
Desirable criteria
- Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
- Commitment to OT student education
- Skills in applying evidence-based practice and use of outcome measures
- Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
other
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning
- Flexible approach to work to meet service user and service needs
- Must be prepared to work evenings & weekends if required ability to travel efficiently between sites
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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 Cook and Miriam Pucyutan
- Job title
- Joint Professional Heads of Occupational Therapy
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02032288400
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