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Job summary

Main area
Neuroscience - Occupational Therapist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
391-RFL-7732606
Employer
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Free Hospital
Town
Hampstead
Salary
£64,156 - £71,148 per annum inclusive of HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

NHS

Band 8a Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist – Neurosciences

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community.  This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.

Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free


 

Job overview

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Neuro-Occupational Therapist to drive quality improvement, provide leadership and clinical expertise to our dynamic Neurosciences Therapy Service at the Royal Free London Hospital in Hampstead. Working alongside Neuro Clinical Leads for Speech and Language and Physiotherapy, leading our acute stroke and neurology inpatient and sub-acute rehabilitation services.

We pride ourselves on maintaining a high quality, research active and teaching-focussed environment. Our acute stroke unit has consistently excellent SSNAP ratings, we have strong relationships with our local stroke networks and share training and rotations with our local Level 2b neuro rehab unit at Edgeware.

Our innovative service Neuro REACT (Rehab and Complex Therapy) provides intensive neurorehabilitation and complex condition management for patients transitioning from critical care. Preliminary service data, presented at external forums, has demonstrated excellent outcomes.

Therapy Services at the Royal Free are truly inter-disciplinary with a strong emphasis on supportive supervision, active learning, and staff wellness at all grades. We have established in-service training programmes and dedicated Therapies Education and Therapies Research and Development Teams.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will lead the inpatient Neurosciences Services at Royal Free London alongside the Neuro Clinical Lead  Physiotherapist and Speech and Language Therapist, including:


  Acute stroke unit and neurology inpatient ward
  Neuro REACT (Rehab and Complex Therapy) 

-  Share professional lead duties for the Occupational Therapy acute inpatient services, alongside the other five Clinical Lead         Occupational Therapists.
-  Responsibility for continued professional development within neurosciences, producing up to date clinical competencies for occupational  therapy staff and providing clinical supervision to the band 7 occupational  therapists, including critical care

Provide expert advice and guidance on managing patients with highly complex neurological presentations, to staff members across the inpatient services, providing training internally and external to Trust. 

-  Responsibility for quality improvement, clinical audit, research, developing  guidelines and implementing best practice within the inpatient neurosciences services.
-  Demonstrate advanced communication skills, compassionate and inclusive leadership.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests. 

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.

For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Person specification

Education

Essential criteria
  • Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
  • HCPC Registration
  • Evidence of continuous professional development, including postgraduate training or development in clinical skills up to a masters degree level
  • Postgraduate training or development in management and leadership skills
  • Active membership of special interest group e.g. RCOT-SSNP

Values

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Substantial specialist postgraduate experience in neurosciences, including considerable experience at Band 7 level (Minimum of 6 years)
  • Experience of working in an acute physical healthcare environment
  • Proven experience of working within the following areas of neurosciences services: stroke, progressive neurological conditions, neuro-rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, functional neurological disorders
  • Experience of working independently, self managing time and using excellent organisational skills
  • Evidence of having supervised senior qualified staff
  • Experience of leading a service
  • Excellent team building and team working skills
  • Active involvement in clinical audit, research and policy/guideline implementation
  • Confident carrying outy teaching to unidisciplinary/multi-disciplinary groups
  • Experience in service development activities
  • Experience of facilitating change by collaborating with stakeholders across other professions and organisations

Skills and aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Highly specialist knowledge and application of current best practice, to include stroke, neurological conditions and neuro-rehabilitation
  • Demonstrates a clear understanding of multidisciplinary issues and ability to work efficiently and effectively in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Demonstrates an understanding of the research process
  • Demonstrates an understanding of governance requirements
  • Excellent communication / interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, in English
  • Excellent negotiation and conflict management skills
  • Excellent time management and prioritisation skills
  • Ability to manage frequent interruptions of job tasks during the working day
  • Committed to best practice and aware of national standards and evidence
  • Clear understanding of NHS reforms and policies and their impact on the service

Personal Qualities & attributes

Essential criteria
  • Professional attitude
  • A commitment to professional development of self and others
  • Flexibility in approach to change in service needs
  • Innovative and creative thinker

Others

Essential criteria
  • Ability to carry out manual handling tasks in line with trust guidelines
  • Competent IT skills
  • Familiar with NHS and social care policies
  • Active advocate for equality and diversity including championing local EDI policies

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleDisability confident employerTimewise PartnerCare Quality Commission - Requires improvementEnei MemberArmed Forces Covenant

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
Rachel Nandy
Job title
Inpatient Lead for Therapy Services
Email address
[email protected]
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