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Job summary

Main area
Occupational Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time
Job ref
363-TH8341499
Employer
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Burdett House, Mile End Hospital
Town
London
Salary
£66,582 - £77,368 Per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/11/2026 23:59

Employer heading

East London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Borough Lead Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 8b

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced and visionary Borough Lead Occupational Therapist (Band 8B) to provide strategic, professional, and operational leadership for Mental Health Occupational Therapy services across Tower Hamlets. The successful candidate will spearhead the development and delivery of high-quality, recovery-focused occupational therapy services for adults, older adults, and individuals with learning disabilities, ensuring these align with the NHS Fit for the Future Plan, the Trust's strategy, and population health priorities.
 
As a senior leader within the Borough Senior Leadership Team, you will advocate for the importance of Occupational Therapy, foster innovation and quality improvement, and build strategic partnerships across health, social care, and voluntary sector organizations. Your efforts will ensure that occupational therapy services significantly enhance service user outcomes, improve staff experiences, and add value to the overall system.
 
This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned Occupational Therapist with strong leadership abilities, a passion for transforming services, and a commitment to promoting recovery, inclusion, and occupational engagement for individuals facing mental health challenges.

Main duties of the job

As the Borough Lead Occupational Therapist, you will provide strategic, professional, and operational leadership for Occupational Therapy services across adult mental health, older adult, and learning disability pathways. Your role will involve leading the development and delivery of high-quality, recovery-focused, and evidence-based services, ensuring they align with Trust priorities, national policies, and the needs of local communities.
 
As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will drive service improvement, innovation, and transformation. You will ensure that Occupational Therapy significantly contributes to clinical outcomes, population health, and the overall experience of service users. Additionally, you will provide expert professional leadership, oversee clinical governance and risk management, support complex decision-making, and ensure the effective use of workforce and financial resources.
 
You will develop strong partnerships with multidisciplinary teams, service users, caregivers, local authorities, community organizations, and other system partners to promote recovery, independence, and social inclusion. The role also involves leading workforce development through supervision, appraisal, education, recruitment, and leadership initiatives, fostering a positive culture where staff can thrive and deliver excellent care.
 
s the health and care system.

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to positively impact people's lives by enhancing the quality of life for everyone we serve. Our core values are: We Care, We Respect, and We are Inclusive. We seek individuals who embody these qualities in their support for service users and carers, as well as in their relationships with colleagues within the Trust and our partner organizations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see JD (Job Description) and PS (Personal Specification) for full details of role requirements.
Please consult the attached job description and person specification associated with the vacancy profile of this advertisement.

Person specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Advanced clinical knowledge and leadership skills to support service decision making in complex scenarios
  • In depth understanding of NHS strategy and policy agendas
  • In depth knowledge of Clinical Governance principles, including their sound application in novel settings
  • To have highly developed interpersonal skills, political awareness and sensitivity to support change within the service, the wider organisation and externally. Ability to negotiate, influence and manage conflict as required
  • Ability to maintain the profile of OT within a MDT and the organisation
Desirable criteria
  • Good organisational and time management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential criteria
  • Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy
  • Further qualification at Master’s level or equivalent experience
  • Experience of CPD and role development activities
  • HCPC Registration
Desirable criteria
  • Fieldwork Educator Training
  • Training in Quality Improvement methods

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Substantive experience in a number of senior manager roles including professional leadership experience
  • Evidence of Service Development activities
  • Recent significant experience at a senior level in the NHS with proven track record of using professional knowledge to bring about change
  • Experience of staff leadership development to support service improvement
  • Experience in mental health services
  • Proven track record and significant experience of working with users and carers
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of other healthcare settings

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Capital Nurse, LondonCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveHSJ Best places to workArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.

Applicant requirements

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
Dadai Gwendoline Dandato
Job title
Deputy Borough Director
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
Teams/Email
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