Job summary
- Main area
- Specialised Services
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday))
- Job ref
- 267-FS7875261
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Littlemore Mental Health Centre
- Town
- Oxford
- Salary
- £25,760 - £27,476 Plus RSU allowance £1,466 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Occupational Therapy Assistant - Oxford
Band 3
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
Occupational therapists help people to do the activities (occupations) that they want or need to do, using activity to develop their skills and confidence.
If you also believe that occupation is vital for our health and wellbeing and want to support patients to lead meaningful lives then our Occupational Therapy Assistant post is the role for you!
This role is also eligible to receive an additional RSU allowance of £1,446 per annum.
The position is split across 2 inpatient units on the Littlemore Mental Health site in Oxford, working with patients detained under the Mental Health Act. Wenric is a 20-bed low secure forensic mental health unit that provides rehabilitative care for men. Lambourn is a 15-bedded mixed-gender unit supporting patients to step down into the community.
Recovery is a key element of our approach to our treatment, assisting patients in their journey to change attitudes, values, feelings, goals, and skills. The Recovery Approach is about finding and maintaining hope, re-establishing a positive identity, building a meaningful life, and taking responsibility and control.
If you're looking to start your career as an OT within forensic mental health this could be the perfect role for you!
Main duties of the job
Your working week will include working 1:1 with the patients, offering activities and interventions under the guidance of the OT. You will also be involved in group work, taking patients into the community for skills development, and working collaboratively with the wider team to best facilitate the needs of our patients.
Your work will be supported and guided by the OTs, and there is also plenty of scope for you to bring your own ideas and work with your own initiative.
The successful candidate will be required to undertake PEACE (de-escalation and safe physical restraint) training to support them with their role.
Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.
We would recommend you come for a visit or have an informal discussion about this opportunity, so please contact us on the details below to make any arrangements.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Prior skill & experience in a relevant area of work e.g. creative arts, crafts, vocational support
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with people with complex needs and mental health needs
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Active interest in & willingness to participate in delivering a wide range of therapeutic activities
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Time management and organisational skills to undertake activities.
Desirable criteria
- Qualification equivalent to NVQ 2 in a related subject.
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
- Helen Keay
- Job title
- Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01865 902933
- Additional information
At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.
Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application.
List jobs with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors