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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
8 months (Fixed Term contract ending when OT returns from maternity leave - 01.06.26)
Hours
Part time - 30 hours per week
Job ref
354-AN-20885
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Forget Me Not Unit
Town
Worthing
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust logo

Occupational Therapy Technician

NHS AfC: Band 4

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

The Forget-Me-Not unit is an inpatient unit in Worthing supporting people with dementia who are experiencing an acute episode in their symptoms. The unit has two male wards and one female ward, each of which has 10 beds. Our Occupational Therapy team use a range of assessments, interventions and approaches to maximise functional ability, independence and safety, enabling people to do the things that are important to them and which enhance their quality of life and wellbeing. This work helps identify the support needs of the patients in the long-term, helping prepare for what they will need when they are discharged, and also helps to maintain or improve their abilities to undertake tasks and engage in roles and routines.

 

Main duties of the job

We are looking to recruit an occupational therapy support worker to assist the Occupational Therapists in the delivery of interventions with our client group. The OT support worker role primarily involves undertaking some appropriate aspects of the treatment or intervention, as outlined by the occupational therapist, helping the client work towards their functional goals. This will include supporting people whose dementia is impacting their ability to use their skills and abilities to undertake their normal daily activities, which can involve helping people to practice tasks, increase their confidence, and work with families to help them understand how best to support their loved one within tasks and activities.

This post is offered as 30 hours per week for a fixed term up until the end of May 2026. It may be suitable for someone who is looking for experience working in a clinical setting, or someone who is considering applying for OT training and would like some direct experience of the role.

The successful applicant will work across all three wards with robust support from the occupational therapy team.  This is a pilot to see how this role can benefit our care pathways. We will be seeking the persons feedback about the role. You will also have the opportunity to undertake some training to help increase your skills and will receive regular formal supervision as well as informal support from the wider team.  

Working for our organisation

Join Sussex Partnership and you'll be part of an NHS trust that allows you to thrive and, in turn, thrives because of you. We believe in the vibrancy of our fantastic people. And how that leads to even better support for the people who use our services.

We offer a wide range of rewards and benefits to our staff. Here are some of the perks that make working at Sussex Partnership a great choice.

From the stunning South Downs National Park and Areas of Outstanding Beauty, to 140 miles of coastline, Sussex has it all. It is home the vibrant cities of Brighton and Chichester and historic towns of Lewes and Hastings, with plenty of picturesque villages in between. What's more, it boasts some of the sunniest spots in the UK. Read more about living and working in Sussex

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • Manage a defined caseload of service users on with support from OT team. 
  • Support service users to establish helpful routines, maintain and develop roles, grow motivation and confidence and develop and improve skills across the domains of occupation (self-care, productivity and leisure).
  • With support from OT become familiar with OT specific assessment tools (from the Model of Human Occupation; MoHO, and dementia specific assessments), in order to facilitate interventions which focus on meaningful goals and areas of focus for individuals, informing treatment and care plans.
  • Co-ordinate and deliver a programme of occupationally-focussed interventions within the unit (both individual and group sessions), according to the need of the service users and evaluate the effectiveness of these using outcome measures.
  • Work alongside and provide supervision to Activity Co-ordinators. 
  • Support OT students on placement with the service 
  • Support the development of the OT service informed by evidence based practise. 

Please refer to job description for more information. 

 

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Health care or relevant NVQ level 3 or equivalent skills acquired through experience plus Formal teaching qualification to diploma level equivalent. A City and Guilds Final Certificate or equivalent in a relevant subject

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant work experience in health/social care/teaching setting
  • Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
  • Experience of working with groups/activities
  • Experience of training others in technical/leisure/creative skills
  • Experience of working as part of a team

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStep into healthPride In Veterans

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

Due to high numbers of applications this vacancy may close before the advertised closing date. We will not be able to accept late applications to this post.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Claire Baldwin
Job title
OT Clinical Specialist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0300 3043348
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