Job summary
- Main area
- Paediatric
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 333-G-HCS-1150
- Employer
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Alexandra Avenue Health & Social Care Centre Primary Care Hub,
- Town
- Harrow,
- Salary
- £53,751 - £60,651 Per annum incl. HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Highly Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist: Mainstream School
NHS AfC: Band 7
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Job overview
Harrow Occupational Therapy are thrilled to announce that new funding has been secured for this fantastic opportunity to join our dynamic and inspiring OT team!
If you’re a passionate Band 7 ready for an exciting new challenge, or a motivated Band 6 eager to take the next bold step in your career, we want to hear from you!
Join us as a creative and forward-thinking Band 7 OT, delivering specialist assessments and interventions for children aged 5-19 within the mainstream school settings. You’ll enjoy managing your own clinical caseload while making a real difference in young lives across schools and clinic environments.
This role offers more than just clinical work, you’ll have the chance to lead innovative service developments, champion the growth of your colleagues and OT students, and be fully supported by a collaborative, passionate leadership team. If you’re ready to grow, lead, and inspire, this is the perfect next step for you!
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support in the co-ordinating and leading of a highly specialist Occupational Therapy service to children and young people attending mainstream schools within the borough of Harrow. This role will involve working with mainstream schools in Harrow to ensure they have the adequate skills, knowledge and training to support children and young people in their educational setting.
You will work alongside the other Band 7 pathway leads to ensure that a high quality, evidence based Occupational Therapy service is being delivered for our children, young people and families. The post holder will support the development of the service for children with both physical disability and learning needs, providing opportunities for service development projects and training within the team.
The post holder will support and promote OT service development including provision of a targeted service to schools and parents through training and support of the wider workforce and parent groups as required by the department.
Working for our organisation
We are a very friendly and dynamic team who are passionate about supporting children, young people and families in Harrow while also supporting you and your wellbeing!
We strongly encourage staff input and influence to help design the OT service and the wider MDT team. We value personal development and we have an established internal training programme along side regular opportunities for external training.
We are based at Alexandra Avenue where there is a high level of integration and collaboration between different health, education and social care services.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. To communicate complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working with multidisciplinary team members across health, education and social services and the voluntary sector. In particular to work with school staff to ensure the delivery of a well co-ordinated care plan and/or individual education plan which facilitates the development of sensory, perceptual, motor and daily living skills.
To work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team in /Schools
· to support access to and differentiation of the Foundation stage and National Curriculum for children with physical difficulties/developmental disabilities.
· to advise on manual handling risk assessment, access school environments and provision of specialist equipment (seating and hoisting equipment) and aids to daily living
2. To manage a highly specialist and complex caseload of CYP with SEN particularly those attending specially resourced provisions for CYP with ASD. This includes:
· Gaining appropriate consent
· Lead clinician for provision of comprehensive specialist assessment and differential diagnosis of individual children with diverse and complex presentations using a range of specialist assessments/techniques
· Planning, delivering and evaluating highly specialist treatment programmes in the area of mainstream school provision,
· Referring on to other services/professionals as appropriate in particular, Harrow Wheelchair services, Community equipment store, Consultant Paediatricians,
· Using specialist knowledge and demonstrating advanced skills in dealing with complex issues, including those where there are conflicting clinical indicators, to generate appropriate strategies for caseload management and wider issues relating to service provision for school children
· Negotiating with CYP parents/carers, and others around individual case management
· Writing reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge and providing specific advice for statutory assessment of special educational needs
· Analyse clinical and social information from a range of sources and integrate into assessment and development of care/treatment plan
3. To demonstrate established negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
4. To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and report to Line Manager or Head of Paediatric Therapy Service.
5. To form productive relationships with others in particular parents/carers who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.
6. To write clinical reports as per departmental standards reflecting highly specialist knowledge.
Person specification
Other
Desirable criteria
- Car Driver
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Recognised Occupational Therapy Degree Qualification or equivalent
- Health Professions Council – Licence to Practice
- Evidence of CPD in portfolio including attendance of specialist short courses relevant to CYP with special needs/ disability
- Training in Moving and Handling people with disabilities
Desirable criteria
- Advanced training up to Masters level equivalent in area of Paediatric Occupational Therapy e.g. Assisting Hand Assessment, parent coaching, child development sensory Integration modules
- Member of College of Occupational Therapy
- Member of CYPF RCOT specialist section
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive experience to of working with school aged children: • with complex needs • physical and learning disabilities • perceptual-motor disorders • Neuro-developmental disorders
- Extensive experience of : • Assessment, treatment and management of CYP with complex needs • Working as part of an MDT within an early years setting • Managing own caseload • Working with parents / carers • Writing clinical notes and reports
- Experience of: • Teaching other professionals/parents • Clinical audit, research. • Line management/Supervision of staff. • Contributing to Appraisal of others • Leading teams/projects.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of a range of specialist aids, equipment and seating systems including wheelchairs and assistive technology
- Knowledge of foundation stage and National curriculums
- Knowledge of the Balanced system and its application within OT
Skills and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Well established knowledge of assessment tools and appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to CYP with complex needs physical difficulties
- • Well established knowledge range of specialist aids, equipment and seating systems available to CYP including wheelchairs, seating and assistive technology.
- Working knowledge of the roles of: • Other professionals in Health, Education and Social Care involved with CYP
- • Occupational Therapist in the Education system.
- • Understanding and application of standards of record keeping and reporting
- • National policies and procedures in particular safeguarding children, SEN and disability act, SEN reforms, Childrens and families act, National Service framework for children, the children’s bill and foundation stage and National curriculum’s.
- • Clinical governance/audit
Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics
Essential criteria
- • Excellent organisational skills
- • Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people of all ages and abilities
- • Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills
- • Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal (English)
- • Negotiation and problem solving skills
- • Ability to work in an unpredictable environment and to prioritise own and others workload
- • Good analytical and reflection skills
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
- Elizabeth Poultney
- Job title
- Clinical OT Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0203 911 6984
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