Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Occupational Therapist to join our Integrated Community Team (ICT) working in Tewkesbury, Newent and Staunton (TNS). The ICT consists of Community Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Reablement workers. We have close links with our Adult Social Care colleagues. TNS is part of the Forest ICT but this post will be based in Tewkesbury and only cover Tewkesbury, Newent and Staunton area.

We work in partnership with GPs, community hospitals, mental health services and voluntary organisations to enable people to live as
independently as possible at home. 

You will be part of a rota covering urgent response and triage and also have a case load working with patients with a wide range of needs. Treatment may involve moving and handling, provision of equipment, minor and major adaptations.

We are looking for a flexible Band 6 Occupational therapist wanting the opportunity to work in a community team at the forefront of development across the urban and rural communities of Gloucestershire. Experience in triage, moving and handling and long-term adaptation is required for this role. It will also offer the opportunity to develop leadership skills, support students and junior members of staff.

Expressions of interest or informal enquiries should be directed to the Occupational Therapy Professional Lead, Caroline Bennett on 07974 494734 or [email protected]

Main duties of the job

Applicants will need to demonstrate skills in clinical triage and experience of delivering urgent responses for rapid assessment of patients’ needs, planning and providing timely rehabilitation or compensatory strategies/aids.  Our philosophy is that supported self-management is key to personalised and positive outcomes for people.

This is an ideal opportunity for a Senior Occupational Therapist wishing to develop their leadership skills within a community setting at the forefront of development across the locality.

When applying for this position, please ensure that your supporting statement makes it clear how you meet the person specification, especially with regards to the values and behaviours expected of all colleagues. 

If you would like to work in a team that values it’s staff, aims to deliver the best care with compassion to all patients, their carers’ and families we would like to hear from you!

Working for our organisation

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us.  In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views.  It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement.  However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.