Job summary
- Main area
- Community Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (4 days a week)
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 277-8181016-CMH
- Employer
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Beckenham Beacon Hospital, Beckenham
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £45,953 - £54,254 pro rata pa inc
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/08/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 17/08/2026
Employer heading
Occupational Therapist
Band 6
Job overview
Main duties of the job
- Manage a specialist occupational therapy caseload of service users with complex mental health needs.
- Deliver occupational therapy assessments and interventions through both individual and group work.
- Support service users to maximise independence, recovery and participation in meaningful activities.
- Work collaboratively as a member of the multidisciplinary team to provide coordinated care.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of the ADAPT occupational therapy pathway and borough-wide group programme.
- Provide specialist occupational therapy advice and consultation to colleagues and partner agencies.
- Supervise support workers and occupational therapy students on placement.
- Undertake risk assessments and contribute to risk management plans.
- Participate in service development, audit, research and quality improvement activities.
- Promote the role and value of occupational therapy within mental health services.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will manage a defined caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, undertaking comprehensive occupational therapy assessments and implementing evidence-based interventions to support recovery and independence. They will work with individuals and groups, identifying occupational goals and developing therapeutic programmes relating to self-care, leisure, education, employment and daily living skills.
Working as part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder will contribute to assessment, care planning, implementation and review of interventions within the Care Programme Approach framework. They will undertake risk assessments, contribute to risk management plans and ensure that care is delivered safely and effectively.
The role requires the application of specialist occupational therapy knowledge and skills to assess functional ability, evaluate outcomes and modify treatment plans as required. The post holder will provide specialist advice to colleagues, facilitate service user involvement and ensure interventions are evidence-based and aligned with national guidance and best practice.
The post holder will contribute to the ongoing development of occupational therapy services through active participation in service improvement initiatives, clinical governance activities, audits and research projects. They will support the development and implementation of care pathways, policies and protocols, promoting continuous quality improvement across the service.
The role includes leadership responsibilities such as supporting, supervising and appraising junior staff, support workers and students. The post holder will contribute to induction, training and education activities and provide regular supervision and assessment of occupational therapy students on placement.
The post holder will maintain accurate electronic and written records in accordance with Trust and professional standards, contribute to effective communication with service users, carers and partner agencies, and ensure compliance with Trust policies relating to safeguarding, risk management, health and safety, information governance and professional practice.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
- Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and commitment to maintaining a professional portfolio.
Desirable criteria
- Fieldwork Educator qualification or willingness to undertake training.
- Additional training relevant to mental health occupational therapy practice.
- Evidence of postgraduate study or specialist training in mental health, vocational rehabilitation or psychological interventions.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Post-registration experience as an Occupational Therapist, including experience working within mental health services.
- Experience of undertaking occupational therapy assessments and delivering individual and group interventions.
- Experience of working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within community mental health services.
- Experience of supervising students, support workers or junior staff.
- Experience of participating in audit, research, service development or quality improvement activities
Skills / Abilities / Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Specialist knowledge and application of occupational therapy assessments and interventions relevant to mental health.
- Ability to work autonomously, prioritise workload and manage a clinical caseload effectively.
- Risk assessment, risk management and care planning skills.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of current mental health legislation, policy and best practice guidance
- Presentation, teaching and training skills
- Knowledge and use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools and vocational rehabilitation approaches.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Donve Thompson-Boy
- Job title
- Consultant Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 8676 5469
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