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Job summary

Main area
Occupational Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity cover)
Hours
Part time - 32 hours per week
Job ref
346-DDL-042-25-A
Employer
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Chester-le-Street Health Centre
Town
Chester-le-Street
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 pro rata, per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/01/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust logo

Specialist Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job overview

We have a fantastic opportunity for an existing Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist or a competent Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join the North ALD integrated team on a fixed term basis for 12 months. 

The ALD North Durham integrated team offers a specialist assessment, support and intervention to people with a learning disability and/or autism diagnosis.

The post holder will have the exciting opportunity to embed and shape the Occupational Therapist role and TEWV OT Pathway into the service, with support form their Lead Occupational Therapist. We are looking for an Occupational Therapist that can support this journey, to deliver high quality and innovative occupational therapy assessment and intervention.

We encourage all applicants to reach out to the team to speak more about this fantastic role opportunity!

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for receiving requests for occupational therapy, triaging and prioritising these, completing evidence-based occupational assessment and intervention to address key occupational areas of self care, productivity and leisure. 

To use client-centred approaches to co-producing negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these collaboratively.

To participate in clinical/professional and management supervision

To contribute to multi-disciplinary team working

To contribute to and lead on service improvement and quality initiatives

To use the Trust electronic patient record system

To abide by all Trust policies and procedures

To be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenges

Working for our organisation

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will provide evidence-based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway delivered within Adult learning disabilities integrated service, offering input to individuals in community settings.

The ability to engage and communicate with people with learning disabilities and/or autism , as well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential. 

Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the Lead OT. The postholder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to wider OT service developments. 

You must be able to demonstrate experience of delivery of occupational therapy, keenness to continually develop yourself and others, and a particular interest in this field of OT. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings. 

There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal.

You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network in the Adult learning disabilities teams in TEWV, to develop a way of delivering a high quality, needs-led OT service, utilising core occupational therapy skills, ensuring all of the people we work with have a robust occupational therapy assessment and intervention plan in place.

Contact Details:

Fiona Plummer
Lead Occupational Therapist

Adult learning disabilities service Durham

[email protected]

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Appropriate professional qualification for occupational therapy role
  • Current relevant registration with specific regulatory body
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 7 (SLT =8) for International recruits
Desirable criteria
  • Post graduate training in relevant specialist area

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Minimum 12 months post qualifying experience of occupational therapy delivery
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of supporting people with mental health issues, learning disability or autism
  • Experience of working in Multidisciplinary Team

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Understanding of the needs of people who use our services with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
Desirable criteria
  • Clinical risk assessment and application in practice
  • Knowledge of evidence-based practice in designated specialist area
  • Post graduate training in specialist area if applicable to post (e.g. sensory processing, function and cognition)
  • Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
  • Experience of managing complex occupational therapy cases
  • Awareness of professional standards and its application to practice

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthArmed Forces CovenantBetter Health at Work Gold Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Fiona Plummer
Job title
Lead Occupational Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07585880390
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