Job summary
- Main area
- Lead Occupational Therapist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 333-J-BR-0739
- Employer
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Park Royal Centre for Mental Health
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £51,883 - £58,544 per annum inc Outer HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/07/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 25/07/2025
Employer heading
Lead Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
Come and join us and be one of the friendly and supportive 350+ Occupational Therapists in CNWL. We work in many different teams in both physical and mental health, as well as a number of specialist areas. You could have a career for life with us & maintain your dual skills.
OT's in CNWL are very fortunate in having a long-established professional structure & this includes an AHP director, Trust-wide Professional Head of OT, borough and specialist Head OTs.
Personal and professional development is a high priority for the profession and is underpinned by our OT R&D strategy, R& D specialist groups and OT clinical networks. This enables us to invest in the development of our staff by providing excellent internal training as well as commissioning specialised external training and providing quality supervision. This ensures all our OTs reach their full potential at every stage of their career. Our commitment to research, audit and EBP is made possible by our strong links with local universities.
The ideal candidate:
- Wants to work in a managerial role whilst continuing to develop their clinical expertise
- Has an interest in service development
- Demonstrates good leadership skills
- Committed to CPD for themselves and their team
- Experienced & motivated Band 6 or 7
- Can develop relationships with multiple stakeholders and work in a fast paced environment
- Likes working in an environment of change & the opportunities that bring for improvement and development
Main duties of the job
If you are an OT who strives for excellence and wants to develop to your full potential then we would welcome your application.
Band 7 OTs enrich teams and the service with their managerial and clinical expertise. We recognise this and therefore view them as staff we are committed to fully supporting in their clinical and managerial development. There will be opportunities to lead on trust wide OT projects, shadow senior managers and develop in areas of interest
The post holder will oversee the Tamarind team which is made up of 5 OTs, 1 OT apprentice, 4 Activity Coordinators, 2 Fitness Instructors and a Peer Support Worker. It is a busy team, integral to the day to day delivery of activity and therapy provision across 4 Acute Wards and 1 PICU.
This is a great time to join our team as there are exciting development plans in process, providing loads of opportunity to hone skills and gain experience in service development and improvement. Whilst leading and supervising a team and providing expert clinical care.
Important information: Shortlisted candidate will be invited to attend assessment day on 25th July - from 9am - 2pm. Please ensure you are available
Working for our organisation
Our offer to you:
- Receive monthly supervision from the Head OT for Brent Mental Health
- Exciting opportunities to develop Brent OT Acute Provision; working collaboratively with a multifarious MDT including third sector organisations and volunteers.
- Get involved in the established Research and Development structures in Occupational Therapy, including specialist forums and valuable networks.
- Represent OT and the trust by attending conferences and relevant opportunities or events.
- Experience organising and chairing OT meetings that include CPD activities such as reviewing new research/articles, sharing best practice, reflective space
- A bespoke 1:1 induction by Head OT tailored to your specific needs.
- A truly inclusive and diverse workspace
- Nationally leading trust wide staff networks
- Staff health and wellbeing schemes
- QI training and support to bring your strengths and skills to service development
- Flexible working
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description for full details on the role.
- To provide professional and day-to-day clinical leadership, and expertise to the Tamarind Team.
- To work effectively in partnership and collaboration with a range of agencies and professionals that support service users in their recovery.
- To ensure that all interventions amplify an individual’s self-management skills in line with the principles and ethos of recovery and social inclusion.
- To be involved with the development and implementation of the Ward Group Programmes
- To manage a defined complex occupational therapy caseload using evidence based and person-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate specialist OT treatment.
- To work in conjunction with the Borough Head OT and other Lead OTs in the Trust to support the development of and promote evidence-based OT within the acute roles.
- To work in conjunction with senior staff in the MDT and our acute service to support the development of OT and Activity services at Park Royal Centre for Mental Health.
- To provide training and education to occupational therapists and other professionals with regard to how occupation may assist the recovery of service users.
- To jointly work with other Lead OTs in acute services in CNWL to develop services including specific projects, audit and research
- To act as an educator to students on practice placement.
- To act as mentor for OT apprenticeships as required
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 1. Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
- 2. HCPC registered Occupational Therapist.
- 3. Practice Placement Educator’s Course.
- 4. Mental health specific workshops and short courses
Desirable criteria
- 1. Post graduate training specific to clinical specialty
- 2. Management & Leadership training.
- 3. PSI Training.
- 4. RCOT membership
Experience
Essential criteria
- 1. Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services.
- 2. Experience in participating in audit / research projects.
- 3. Experience in leading and/or developing a service/component of a service
- 4. Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments including MOHO assessments
- 5. Experience of supervising and appraising staff / unqualified staff; recruitment and workforce planning
- 6. Experience in managing resources e.g. financial, stock, equipment etc.
- 7. Experience of effective partnership working, with external providers, in promoting socially inclusive opportunities for service users.
- 8. Experience in completing Risk Assessment Tools.
- 9. Experience in partnership working with external agencies.
Desirable criteria
- 1. Experience in community mental health
- 2. Experience in Inpatient mental health
- 3. Experience in completing PSI investigations.
- 4. Experience in managing complex HR issues with staff e.g. the management of performance / long term sickness.
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Individual and group work assessment and intervention skills.
- Ability to deal with sensitivities and complexities, using interpersonal skills
- Effective leadership skills through the management of designated projects, audits and research.
- Excellent communication skills i.e. written, verbal, listening and proficient use of up to date systems of communication i.e. IT systems, e-mail, fax, telephone etc
- Skills in producing timely, accurate and informative reports and notes.
- Knowledge of personal recovery principles and their application to service delivery
- Clear concept of Occupational Therapy and models of practice.
- Ability to work autonomously, on own initiative and under pressure to meet deadlines; & to make and action decisions independently within agreed time frames.
- Ability to deputise in the absence of the Head OT.
- Ability to prioritise workload, delegate effectively and to support junior staff to do so
- Ability to regularly identify and undertake appropriate learning and development opportunities as part of ongoing CPD
- Ability to ensure the application of risk assessment and risk management strategies which facilitates a service user’s recovery.
Desirable criteria
- R&D experience at post graduate level.
- Delivery of formal presentations and teaching sessions.
- Chairing of senior meetings.
- Membership of BAOT and Specialist Sections.
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
- Aila Bruce
- Job title
- Head of OT Brent MH and LD
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would encourage informal chats or visits prior to application and I am happy to offer further information. Please email me to arrange a convenient time.
List jobs with Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors