Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy Assistant - Autism and ADHD
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (12 Months from start of contract)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Job ref
- 301-KM-25-7337516
- Employer
- Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sevenfields Health Village Shrewsbury
- Town
- Shrewsbury
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/07/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 08/08/2025
Employer heading

Occupational Therapy Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 4
Job overview
Community Secondary Mental Health Services across Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin have identified an increasing need for tailored mental health support for neurodivergent adults, particularly those with Autism and ADHD.
We are launching a 12-month pilot project aimed at developing and delivering a series of online psychoeducational workshops designed to meet the unique needs of this population.
As part of this role, you will:
- Facilitate engaging and informative online workshops for neurodivergent adults.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin.
- Attend networking and planning meetings using a hybrid approach (a mix of remote and face-to-face working).
- Contribute to the ongoing development and evaluation of the pilot programme.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an innovative initiative that aims to improve access to meaningful mental health support for neurodivergent individuals.
Main duties of the job
- Carries own case load which remains the responsibility of the registered Occupational Therapist. Service users may demonstrate behaviours that challenge or have difficult family situations of relevance.
- Carries out initial assessments as part of overall occupational assessment (e.g. observations, questionnaires, physiological measurements etc.) with input from the service user, carer, other healthcare professionals as appropriate and feeds back findings to the registered Occupational Therapist.
- Assesses and manages risk effectively in clinical and community settings including the service user’s own home.
- Develops and implements session plans for own service users, individually or in groups, within a treatment programme prescribed by a registered Occupational Therapist.
- Monitors service user progress making adjustments to activities (within established parameters) and feeding back to the registered therapist in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Uses technical and creative skills to engage service users in therapeutic activities and encourages service users/carers to support them in achieving their identified goals.
Working for our organisation
Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.
We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.
We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.
We are ‘United in our Uniqueness’ and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications
Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information relating to this vacancy please refer to the attached job description and job specification
If you are an internal applicant and wish to apply for this role as a secondment, please prior to application seek approval from your line manager and Head of Service
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Essential criteria
- Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)
- Qualifications amounting to 104 UCAS points or above (A-levels, AS levels, and BTEC qualifications)
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
- Previous experience working as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)or Support, Time and Recovery Worker (STaR), working alongside Occupational Therapists, or closely related work e.g. nursing/care or AHP assistant.
- Experience of supporting people with mental health conditions, neurodevelopmental conditions (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia) or learning disabilities.
- Experience working as part of a team.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of presenting to groups of people.
- Experience of running group sessions.
- Experience of delivering training packages.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
Essential criteria
- Basic understanding of the needs and difficulties of service users with mental health conditions, neurodevelopmental conditions or learning disabilities.
- Understanding of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
- Ability to communicate information (verbal and written) effectively in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation.
- Ability to work collaboratively with members of the MDT to provide an effective service.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to plan and organise a given caseload and prioritise effectively.
- Basic therapeutic terminology and therapeutic procedures.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Essential criteria
- Ability to work on own in a variety of settings using initiative appropriately.
- Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.
- Ability to demonstrate the positive application of our behaviours: • Respectful • Honest and Trustworthy • Caring and Compassionate • Taking the time to talk and listen • Working together and leading by example
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
- Hannah Oliver-Willets
- Job title
- Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 303 1601
- Additional information
Jessica Millington
0300 303 3426
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