Job summary
- Main area
- Adults with Learning Disabilities
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- 9 months (Secondment ends on 31.03.2026 (willing to consider part-time applicants))
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
- Job ref
- 196-LIS9583
- Employer
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Lambeth Team for Adults with Learning Disabilities
- Town
- East Dulwich
- Salary
- £54,320 - £60,981 p.a. inc HCA
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist, Adult Learning Disabilities
NHS AfC: Band 7
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.
Job overview
Are you looking for a new opportunity? Are you a band 6 looking for a band 7 role? Or a band 7 looking for a new challenge? Do you have an interest in working with people with learning disabilities? Do you value strong multidisciplinary, multiagency working?
We have an exciting secondment opportunity to work with us in the Lambeth learning disability occupational therapy team, whilst we develop the occupational therapy role in a community based intensive support team for adults with learning disabilities who engage in behaviours of concern.
We are looking for an occupational therapist to join our team either directly working with people who would use the intensive support service, or else working with the community caseload, whilst existing clinicians to pick up the intensive support work. In either role, successful candidates will be expected to work with the multidisciplinary team and multiple agencies, bringing occupational therapy expertise to contribute to the development of individualised assessment, intervention plans and occupation-based strategies with adults with learning disabilities.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for providing a highly specialist occupational therapy service to adults referred into the Lambeth team. Offering comprehensive assessment of the impact of a person’s learning disability on their occupational life and development of person-centered intervention plans to meet identified occupational needs. Providing an occupation focused service that supports individuals to develop their skills to maximise their independence and live a life as a valued member of their community.
The post holder will be responsible for identification and delivery of relevant training and support to families and carers to promote and develop occupational therapy approaches, both universally and in relation to individual need.
Working for our organisation
In exchange for your professional skills, passion, commitment to the highest standards of person-centred care, we can offer you:
A supportive working environment where people with learning disabilities come first.
A strong team ethos of personal and professional development where we value sharing our knowledge & skills within the team.
Opportunities to access both internal and external training in line with personal development plans.
Direct supervision, peer supervision, and regular appraisal.
The post offers excellent opportunities to work jointly with other occupational therapists who specialise in Adults with Learning Disabilities, as well as other members of a multi-disciplinary health team and other multi-agency colleagues.
Applications for part time hours will be welcomed.
Consideration will be given to a fixed term position where a secondment is not possible.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To take responsibility for the assessment, development and delivery of an effective and highly specialist Occupational Therapy service to people who access the Lambeth service
- To support other professional team members to develop their awareness and skills around occupation, occupational rights and occupational justice
- To manage a caseload, of adults with learning disabilities across Lambeth who have occupational challenges that require occupational therapy inputs
- To provide specialist occupational therapy assessments as part of a broader multidisciplinary/multiagency health and social care process, with a high level of understanding of the complex interaction between health and social issues and their impact on the person’s occupational life
- To assess capacity to gain valid informed consent. To be able to utilise best interest procedures in the event that the person lacks the capacity to consent to assessment/ treatment, in order to work within a legitimate legal framework
- To undertake occupational therapy assessment and intervention as identified, in line with individual need
- To identify and select, with the person with learning disabilities and their network, the most appropriate intervention options, which balance the complex interaction of risk, safety, client choice, independence, areas of conflict and cost effectiveness
- To assess and support the person to take measured risks in order to achieve greater independence
- Where appropriate, to utilise standardised assessments and processes with people, for example, Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), Sensory Profile, Residential Environment Impact Scale (REIS), Pool Activity Level (PAL) Checklist
- To analyse the assessment findings, plan and implement a range of interventions, to ensure that the person’s occupational performance is maintained and/or improved
- To contribute occupational focussed information and strategies as part of the establishment and development of individual positive behaviour support plans where required
- To plan and deliver specialist training to support staff and significant others in the most effective use and development of any occupational strategies with people who are receiving services
- Evaluate outcomes of occupational therapy intervention alongside the persons overall goals and review ongoing input as required
- To contribute to the knowledgeable transfer of clinical treatment plans between placement types (ward to community and vice versa) and geographical areas (in and out of borough)
- To be accountable for all clinical decision-making pertaining to own caseload
- To always put the person first: involving them in developing and reviewing their programmes, and ensuring they are at the centre of the service delivery
- To provide joint assessments and training with other occupational therapists, MDT members and other agencies ensuring the person’s needs are met in the most comprehensive way
- To co-ordinate and communicate with MDT members, social services and other professionals and agencies regarding service needs of people receiving occupational therapy services.
- To provide specialist clinical information and contribute to discussions at occupational therapy meetings, multi-disciplinary team meetings, planning meetings, CTR’s, case conferences, best interest meetings etc.
- To consider the views and wishes of the person, their carers and families, respecting their lifestyles and diversity when providing occupational therapy services
Person specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
- Registration with HCPC
- Post graduate training in sensory integration
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of post graduate training relevant to working with adults with learning disabilities
- AMPS calibrated
- Post graduate certificate in Sensory Integration
- Membership of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant post qualification experience of working as an occupational therapist with adults with learning disabilities.
- Significant post qualification experience of working as an occupational therapist with adults with learning disabilities and/or autism and behaviours that can be described as challenging.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
- Experience of community working.
- Proven case management experience with people learning disability and additional complex needs.
- Experience of working within a positive behaviour support framework
Desirable criteria
- Experience of running training sessions
- Experience of student education
- Experience of presenting at local /national/ international conference and study days
Skills
Essential criteria
- Detailed knowledge of the legislation pertaining to the delivery of care to adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
- Knowledge of current research and best practice in the field of learning disabilities and/or autism and occupational therapy
- The ability to undertake detailed and accurate assessments and plan interventions accordingly.
- The ability to develop occupational based guidelines for individuals, families and paid carers
- Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, active listening, tact, diplomacy and reflection
- Evidence of well-developed team work skills
- Evidence of well-developed organisational, prioritization and time management skills
- The ability to organize and lead on service development/working parties as required
- The ability to influence and develop excellent working practices with the team.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- The ability and willingness to be flexible in response to the changing needs and demands of the service, people and carers
- The ability to respond to change and positively adapt to new ways of working
- Computer literate in range of applications
- Able to use mobile electronic devices to the standard required
Desirable criteria
- Experience of planning, devising, delivering and evaluating occupational therapy based training
- Confident in setting up and using databases
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to work within stressful environments including managing frequent interruptions, and competing demands
- Ability to travel within and across the three boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham with equipment and mobile devices
Desirable criteria
- Car driver
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
- Jo Dwyer
- Job title
- Lead Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02039890550
- Additional information
Please email [email protected] if you would like a link for the drop in session emailed directly to you.
You might also be interested in this video by Annabelle, one of the Lambeth occupational therapists, where she outlines her role
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