Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- 15 hours per week (The post is part time, shifts would be 2 day a week week day, normally 9am - 5pm with one weekend every 4 weeks.)
- Job ref
- 354-AE-21204
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Amberstone Hospital
- Town
- Hailsham
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Occupational Therapy Clinical Support Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 3
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.
As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
We have an exciting and rewarding post for an Occupational Therapy assistant (OTA) at our Amberstone Hospital, part of the East Sussex Rehabilitation Pathway.
We are looking for a friendly, positive, enthusiastic, team player who would like to join the Occupational Therapy team and wider ward MDT to support the wellbeing and recovery of people who come to stay to manage their mental health, predominately Psychosis.
You will be working under the guidance of an Occupational Therapist to offer individual and group interventions that help people engage in activities that support people reach their rehabilitation goals and increase their quality of life. We run a group programme, offer one to one sessions with our aim being to encourage integration into the community and promote independence.
Main duties of the job
You will be guided by the OT in your work and will be expected to work autonomously.
To use a recovery approach in assisting service users to follow treatment plans and work towards their chosen goals.
Complete basic functional assessments as well as monitor, review and evaluate service users progress including 1:1 interventions sessions, graded exposure or home visits.
Good communication skills are required.
General computer and administration skills are required.
To network with community services in assisting service users' integration into the community, such as accessing vocational resources, supporting with administration, applying for bus passes/benefits.
You will be responsible for running groups. It is important that you work dynamically and be able to think of creative and new ideas. Groups will include coffee mornings, learning groups, cooking, gardening and out and about groups off the unit.
Working with people with mental health issues including psychosis is preferred for this post. However, most importantly the successful candidate to be self motivated, keen to learn and have a clear understanding of how to support people's recovery.
Regular supervision by an OT is offered.
The ability to travel is essential for this role due to the location and the nature of the tasks required for this post.
Part time post, 2 day shifts a week (15 hours a week) will be mainly weekdays 9am - 5pm with one weekend every 4 weeks.
Working for our organisation
East Sussex Care Delivery Service (CDS) provides specialist community and inpatient mental health services for adults over the age of 18, living within East Sussex. We believe in providing outstanding quality, safe and effective care and treatment that everyone can be proud of.
Amberstone is a 28 bed Recovery and Rehabilitation unit, situated in rural East Sussex (approximately 2 miles from Hailsham and 8 miles north of Eastbourne) and provides rehabilitation for adults who are recovering from serious mental illness. The focus is to enable people to reach their full potential and achieve a smooth transition into the community. The ward works closely with Community Rehabilitation colleagues as an integral part of the award-winning East Sussex Rehabilitation Pathway.
Wide range of training opportunities within the Trust- including opportunity to apply for the OT apprenticeship.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description
Key responsibilities:
- To work under the guidance of an Occupational Therapist (OT) in the delivery of clinical interventions using a range of technical and creative skills to engage clients in occupational activities
- To monitor the client progress and feedback to the OT
- Under the supervision of an OT, facilitate and participate in planned group work, individual activities, one to one rehabilitation practise and ongoing continuous assessment with supervision
- Contribute to occupational therapy assessments e.g. Activity of Daily Living Assessments (ADL) and treatment plans under the guidance of an OT
- Provide a range of activities, instructing and guiding clients with more complex needs to support them in achieving identified occupational therapy goals, with some supervision.
- To contribute to the generic tasks of the team as directed by a registered OT
- To actively promote client centred OT interventions using a recovery focused, enabling approach
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- A recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical/life skills
- Evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
- Health care or relevant NVQ level 3 or equivalent skills
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental health needs in a paid or voluntary capacity
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
- Experience of being supervised
Desirable criteria
- Experience running groups/activities
- Experience training others in technical/leisure/ creative skills
Skills
Essential criteria
- Establish and Maintain communication with people on routine matters
- Provide and receive confidential client information
- Computer skills to collate and report client progress on daily basis
Desirable criteria
- Experience of lone working
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lucy Howell
- Job title
- Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07738 757569
- Additional information
we would welcome any enquiries about the post or Amberstone Hospital, please contact Lucy Howell Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist to know more.
[email protected] 07738 757569
Amberstone ward 01323 444104
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