Job summary
- Main area
- Community Enhanced Rehabilitation - Mental Health Services
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 350-MHC7437121
- Employer
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Yew Trees
- Town
- Liverpool
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 Per anum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 07/10/2025
Employer heading
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Band 4
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.
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Job overview
An amazing opportunity has opened up within the Community Enhanced Rehabilitation Team, the post holder will be responsible for the planning and delivery of therapy interventions under the guidance of Specialist Occupational therapists within the Multidisciplinary team for those people experiencing Severe and Enduring Mental Illness and rehabilitation.
The post holder will be responsible for assisting in the delivery of therapy support, under the direction and supervision of a qualified Therapist.
The Post Holder will be expected to work in an innovative way to support the smooth running of the Service and will be required to offer individual and group activities alongside other Therapy staff and under the indirect and direct supervision of a Qualified Therapist.
Main duties of the job
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner will work within defined competencies and without direct supervision to provide a flexible range of therapeutic activities for individuals and/or groups of service users within the community and in the therapy areas.
Alongside the occupational therapy and Community learning disability nursing team the Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner will design, co-ordinate and support the facilitation of therapeutic intervention activities under the guidance of the Occupational Therapist.
To have an understanding of the effects of mental and/or physical ill health on occupational performance of adults with mental health and learning disabilities.
To work closely with the Occupational Therapist on complex assessments and assist to provide interventions to minimise risk and enable service user independence.
To complete screening assessments to identify the need for further Occupational Therapy interventions.
Provide support, supervision and guidance for Occupational Therapy volunteers, support staff and nursing support staff involved in the delivery of activities within community settings.
To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality occupational therapy service.
Working for our organisation
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Carry out skilled / technical creative and specialised support work engaging patients in therapeutic activities to promote independence, wellbeing and social inclusion, adjusting interventions accordingly.
Carry out therapeutic interventions as required within set procedures and care plans and within defined competencies as delegated by registered occupational therapists, in order to support the patient to achieve their agreed goals and treatment plan.
To work effectively as a member of both occupational therapy and Community teams, providing a programme of therapeutic activities within community settings and working with wards.
According to service needs, to be responsible for a designated caseload under supervision, monitoring and recording patient’s progress.
Undertake delegated tasks to contribute to the safe and smooth running of the occupational therapy service.
To deliver occupational therapy interventions in a variety of environments, including the person’s home environment, therapy areas and community resources.
Ensure all clinical interventions are based on evidence supporting care delivery.
Person specification
Knowledge/ Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience working in a mental health setting working with vulnerable adults/carers.
- Experience working within a multidisciplinary team.
- Previous experience working within the NHS.
- Experience working as a therapy assistant or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the Occupational Therapy process
- Knowledge of the model of human occupation.
- Familiar with electronic patient records.
- Experience of coping independently with distressing or emotional situations in challenging work environments.
- Awareness of Rehabilitation in mental health
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Willingness to progress through Technical Instructor competencies
- NVQ level 4 or Relevant experience working in Mental Health.
Desirable criteria
- Trained in a variety of assessment tools.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Multidisciplinary team working
- Time and self-management skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to motivate service users to engage with therapy programmes
- Good interpersonal skills
- Ability to work on own initiative where appropriate
Desirable criteria
- Hold a valid UK Driving license and ability to travel across Merseyside
- Able to manage a caseload of service users.
Values
Essential criteria
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rose Van Heesewijk
- Job title
- Lead Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0151 351 8421
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