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Job summary

Main area
Occupational Therapist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
259-7929731NUH
Employer
Barts Health NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Newham University Hospital
Town
Newham
Salary
£45,953 - £54,254 per annum inc
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/05/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Barts Health NHS Trust logo

Specialist Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity to join the Newham Hospital therapy team has come up.  We are looking for an Occupational Therapist to provide high quality interventions to a wide variety of patients across our Accident and Emergency Department, Acute Assessment Unit and Care of the Elderly service. This role provides the opportunity to work within a dynamic and resilient team providing advanced assessment and treatment of patients, with a focus on occupational engagement and performance in the acute medical setting  

The successful applicant will demonstrate an occupationally focussed, patient-centred approached to practice including the provision of individual and group education and treatment, provision of assistive devices and equipment, recommendations for minor structural home adaptationsprovision of complex disability management and recommendations for onwards care, and intervention and support to optimise occupational engagement and participation post discharge from hospital 

The role includes opportunities to experience other services within the Newham collective, which link with our partner services including Adult Social Care, Hand therapy, Acute and Community Mental Health teams, Extended Primary Care Team (EPCT) and Enabled Living.  

Main duties of the job

Please refer to job description attached to this advert for full details of the main duties of the advertised role. 

Working for our organisation

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.  

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.  

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.  

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
  • Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.
  • Evidence of ongoing CPD (courses, reflective practice, in‑service training).
Desirable criteria
  • Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant post‑registration experience as a Band 5 OT, including: Acute inpatient settings (required). Experience in Emergency Care, Acute Assessment or Older Adults (desirable)
  • Experience in safe and effective discharge planning, including liaison with community and social care providers.
  • Experience working within a multidisciplinary team in a fast‑paced environment.
Desirable criteria
  • Practice Educators training
  • Experience supervising or supporting junior staff/students
  • Experience participating in audits, quality improvement or evidence‑based practice activities
  • Experience supporting service provision and delivery of care in the absence of senior occupational therapist.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • In‑depth understanding of Occupational Therapy models and the impact of illness, disability and ageing on function and occupational participation
  • Knowledge of RCOT and HCPC standards, including professional accountability and legal frameworks
  • Understanding of Clinical Governance and its implications for occupational therapy and client care
  • Knowledge of key available treatment options (and their evidence base) in a range of patient populations
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of quality systems, audit processes and evidence‑based practice methodology.
  • Understanding of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care (e.g., Mental Capacity Act, Safeguarding, Discharge to Assess).
  • Understanding of NICE guidelines and national strategy documents and their implementation in practice.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to independently assess, plan, implement and evaluate OT interventions using both standardised and non‑standardised tools
  • Ability to use information gathered within assessments to come to clear conclusions about patient needs
  • Highly effective communication skills, including working with patients with communication barriers and using interpreters appropriately.
  • Strong skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, collaborative MDT working and able to deliver bad news (e.g patient not improving with rehab).
  • High standard of written communication, including producing specialist reports and maintaining accurate, compliant records
  • Ability to identify own learning needs and take an active role in continually building knowledge, skills and experience.
  • Ability to assess and manage risks in relation to patient assessment, treatment and discharge planning
  • Ability to detect the deteriorating patient and escalate appropriately
Desirable criteria
  • Development of specialist clinical skills in terms of: Sitting and seating, Postural management, Upper limb assessment and treatment, Energy conservation/fatigue management, Therapeutic manual handling, Cognitive assessment and treatment, Capacity assessment, Delirium management, Falls assessment and prevention
  • Ability to coordinate clinical activity and support team workflow when required.

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to adapt quickly within a high‑pressure acute environment and remain calm and effective
  • Self‑motivated, reflective, and proactive in seeking learning opportunities and service improvement
  • Ability to work flexibly to meet the demands of the service, including the potential for working over a 7-day roster, should the service require it.
  • Ability to work effectively with a culturally diverse community
  • Proficient IT skills
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to present information visually and verbally to a varied or large audience
  • Ability to identify and assess the potential risks involved in work activities and processes for self and others
  • Ability to identify how to manage risks and help others manage risks
  • Knowledge of current and emerging NHS strategy and policy
  • Demonstrates leadership potential and willingness to act as a positive role model

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Green@Barts HealthNHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Pregnancy Loss PledgeDisability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Happy to Talk Flexible Working

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.

Application numbers

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Hannah Holmberg
Job title
Professional Lead Occupational Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02073638416
Additional information

Available via telephone call Monday - Friday 8am to 4.30pm. 

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