Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-AC-21199
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- New Park House
- Town
- Horsham
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 27/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 5
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
An excellent opportunity has become available to join the West Sussex Community Rehabilitation Service (based at the New Park House in Horsham and covering North West Sussex). Applicants will work alongside service users who have experienced complex psychosis, treatment resistant psychosis, or a related significant mental illness as described within the NICE guidelines for Rehabilitation.
The successful candidates will contribute towards the development of evidence based and recovery focused interventions to maximise an individual's independence and enable people to lead fulfilling lives.
This vacancy is an exciting chance to join an experienced multidisciplinary team that prides itself on working collaboratively and holistically with service users who have severe and enduring mental illness.
In this role you will work in collaboration with other disciplines to support individuals within a recovery focused model of care and there will be excellent opportunities to utilise core occupational therapy skills.
Main duties of the job
To contribute (under the supervision of senior colleagues) to the coordination of the ECRS 16-week short term pathway. This will include: undertaking assessment, treatment planning and delivering therapeutic interventions in community settings.
You will develop an understanding of the role of occupational therapy in the specialism of rehabilitation for individuals who experience complex psychosis.
You will work jointly with the service user and the referring service to identify 3 core rehabilitation goals. You will have the opportunity to deliver group or individual therapeutic interventions and delegate to the other disciplines within the team where appropriate.
You will work as part of the multidisciplinary team, to develop effective working relationships and work jointly with all members of the MDT including Nurses, OT, OT Apprentice, Peer Support Workers, Dual Diagnosis and Family Intervention workers, Housing and vocational specialists, Psychologists, psychiatrists and Pharmacist.
You will establish and develop strong relationships with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors to promote inclusion and access to wider opportunities for service users in their local communities.
You will be involved in the day-to-day planning and facilitation of evidence based and recovery focused activities with support of the OT support and Peer Support workforce.
To attend core mandatory training or profession specific training where available
Working for our organisation
You will be provided with guidance and training in ways of working with the service users we support and will be encouraged to develop your own knowledge and skills in providing occupational therapy interventions.
What you will receive from us:
- A robust induction and early planning to discuss development needs and career aspirations
- Regular line management and professional supervision
- Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities.
- The opportunity to participate in QI work and service innovations
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Practice
· To be a core member of the local clinical team, using mental health and occupational therapy assessments.
· To manage a caseload of clients with mental health needs.
· To plan and implement client centred individual and group interventions, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
· To identify occupational therapy goals as part of the overall care plan.
· To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
· To apply an understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyles changes and adaptations to the client’s social and physical environment.
· To carry out carers assessments and implement a plan of care accordingly.
· Have a basic working knowledge of the medication prescribed for the persons in their care. To include usual dosage, common side effects and the need for any special monitoring. Any reported or observed side effects must be brought to the attention of the prescriber
Communication
· To establish robust communication networks with clients, carers and other health workers and agencies.
· To demonstrate effective communication skills with people whose understanding may be impaired
Documentation
· To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards and to provide specialist occupational therapy reports relevant to practice setting.
Professional Ethics
· To adhere to the College of Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and comply with local and national standards of practice.
· To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
Leadership
· To fully participate in the Trust’s performance review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.
· To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
· Review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal in line with local guidelines
Line Management/Staff/Budgets
· To contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policies.
· To be responsible for maintaining stock, advising on resources to carry out the job, including the responsible management of petty cash.
Service development and delivery
· To participate in the operational planning, and implementation of policy and service development within your team.
· To participate in the delivery of the occupational therapy strategy and development plan.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
- Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
- Experience working as part of a team
- Experience running groups/activities
- Experience of being supervised
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Mark Brooks
- Job title
- Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07990442497
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