Senior Occupational Therapist - Home First
NHS AfC: Band 6
Main area: Acute mental health
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part time - 34 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Job ref: 354-AE-21097
Site: St Raphael
Town: St Leonards on Sea
Salary: £37,338 - £44,962 pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 23/03/2025 23:59
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 that 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.
As a Trust, we are committed to making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during the 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
Are you ready to make a difference?
Do you want to lead the way in ensuring people can get back to living their lives to the full in their local communities? We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and innovative Occupational Therapist to join our award-winning Home First team at St Raphael.
Main duties of the job
About the Role
As a Band 6 Occupational Therapist, you will play a critical role in our innovative occupational therapy-led scheme designed to help patients return safely to their homes at the earliest opportunity. This role is all about preventing the loss of skills and confidence, supporting patients and their families/carers during the transition from hospital to home, and promoting continued recovery in the community.
This is a 34 hour per week position Monday to Friday.
Key Responsibilities
* Patient-Focused Care: Identify patients ready for discharge and provide timely assessments and interventions both on the acute ward and in the community.
* Collaboration: Work closely with the ward team, community teams, and link with other Home First teams within the Trust.
* Autonomy and Leadership: Manage your own caseload, perform specific occupational assessments, and deliver recovery-based interventions for individuals with a range of mental health needs.
* Support and Development: Engage in regular professional supervision and access a wide range of training and CPD opportunities.
* Clinical Excellence: Operate as a senior occupational therapy practitioner, promote evidence-based practice, and contribute to the development of clinical guidelines and protocols.
Working for our organisation
Why Join Us?
* Career Development: Be closely involved in developing this new role and evaluating its impact, with excellent support and supervision throughout.
* Professional Growth: Participate in a range of QI work, service innovations, and join our communities of practice, including AMPS, Sensory Strategies, and Recovery Through Activity.
* Team Environment: Collaborate with a friendly OT team, including OT clinical support workers, medical staff, nursing colleagues, psychologists, and community practitioners.
* Training and CPD: Access a programme of AHP-specific training, quarterly Occupational Therapy CPD Hubs, and a variety of CPD opportunities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Requirements
* Skills and Experience: Excellent communication skills, ability to manage your time and caseload effectively, and confidence to work autonomously through the O.T. process.
* Qualifications: Professional qualification in Occupational Therapy and relevant experience in mental health.
* Driving: Ideally, you should be a car driver as Home First outreach work involves home visits across East Sussex.
Ready to Apply?
If you’re passionate about occupational therapy and want to help patients regain their independence and live their lives to the fullest, we want to hear from you! Join us in making a real difference in the community.
Apply today and lead the way with Home First!
Person specification
Qualifications
* Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
* Evidence of post-graduate level study/training
* Registration with the HCPC as an occupational therapist
* Practice Education training
* Training/Use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools
Knowledge
* Experience as a qualified occupational therapist in mental health/related clinical area
* Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
* Experience of multidisciplinary working
* Experience of supervising others
Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.
We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children’s social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.
Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name: Teresa Blunt
Job title: Professional Lead Occupational Therapist
Email address: teresa.blunt@nhs.net
Telephone number: 07920247716
For further information or to arrange a visit please contact:
Fiona Dexter - Home First Occupational Therapist
fiona.dexter1@nhs.net
#J-18808-Ljbffr