Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity Leave cover)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday 9.00-5.00)
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-7810510
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bethlem Royal Hospital
- Town
- Beckenham
- Salary
- £53,751 - £60,651 per annum inclusive of HCAs
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Specialist Lead OT
NHS AfC: Band 7
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
Do you thrive on variety in your day? Are you looking to support clinical quality and best practice?
This maternity leave cover may be just what you are looking for.
The Clinical Specialist OT role leads the team of Occupational Therapists , Activity Coordinators and OT Assistants across the busy Croydon Acute Mental Health unit wards, Home Treatment Team and the Rehabilitation ward at Bethlem.
Together they provide OT assessment and activity based programmes on the wards to support service users during their inpatient stays and promote their safe and recovery focussed discharge.
The Band 7 OT provides professional supervision, training and mentorship to the OT Team and consultancy to the MDT. They also have direct clinical input to complex cases through 1;1 and group sessions. The pace is fast and no two days are the same.
They work as part of the Inpatient Services Leadership team to support best practice, governance activities and service development.
This is a great opportunity to develop a wide range of both clinical and managerial skills. The role is supported by the Head OT and there is plenty of opportunity to connect with other OTs across the Trust.
Main duties of the job
The role is about providing clinical leadership and supervision to a dedicated team of Occupational Therapists, Activity Co-ordinators and OT Assistants. The service also regularly offers placements to OT students, AHP students, sessional workers and volunteers.
The OT Assistant and Activity Co-ordinators on each ward are a relatively new resource so supporting the development of these roles is an ongoing part of the job.
Applicants need to have a good knowledge of mental health conditions, dynamic Risk Assessment and excellent communication skills. The ability to prioritise, make decisions and manage a workload flexibly is vital. Experience of providing supervision to a range of people is also essential.
Working for our organisation
The acute service is busy with fast turnover of service users and large ward MDT's. OT is a well respected part of all the teams. The teams focus is on rapid stabilisation of people in crisis, minimum time in hospital and timely discharge back to the community.
The rehabilitation ward works at a slower pace to support recovery and the OT assessment process is dependent on the presenting issues with the service users who have usually already had a number of admissions to the acute wards.
The AHP Services in SLAM are committed to staff support, supervision and CPD.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· To work with the Head of Occupational Therapy to lead on the planning, coordination and delivery of Occupational Therapy assessment and interventions within the Croydon Directorate.
· To work closely with Discharge Coordinators, Service Leads and MDT as well as Occupational therapists to ensure patients recovery goals and plans are at the centre of Clinical practice, and fosters skills and confidence of people to enable people to live as independently as possible.
· To provide Leadership and support Activity Coordinators / OT Assistants and the MDT to encourage therapeutic outcomes via the use of Activity and development of an integrated Therapeutic programme
· To have clinical input through group work or individual complex cases. Use evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate occupationally focused interventions for adults within the acute or rehabilitation service.
· To support the development of the local physical health and wellbeing strategy particularly with regards to ensuring safe and suitable access to physical activity for patients and addressing environmental adaptation for people with complex needs and physical disability
· To take the lead in monitoring, development and evaluation of the necessary standards to ensure consistent, high quality, evidence based and cost-efficient Occupational Therapy provision across the wards and within Westway’s Rehabilitation Service with support from the Head OT.
· To provide professional supervision to Occupational Therapists working on the inpatient wards and in Rehabilitation, so as to monitor and implement professional standards of practice including input to staff appraisal and continuing professional development.
· To liaise with colleagues across relevant services in Croydon borough and establish systems that promote effective communication and best access to recovery pathways across the borough.
· To provide clinical leadership for junior staff, students and volunteers through supervision and training as well as preceptorship.
· To provide training and consultancy for occupationally focused interventions within the Directorate and provide an expert view when developing new ways of working and reviewing models of care and treatment.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Qualified Occupational Therapist
- HCPC Registered
- Post registration qualification
- Post graduate training relevant to practice area
Desirable criteria
- Membership of OT professional body or special interest group
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive post registration experience working with Mental Health service users at Band 6 level
- Extensive clinical experience including group and individual work
- Experience of supervising junior staff and students
- Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- High level understanding of mental health disorders and treatments
- Extensive knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management
- Specialist knowledge and application of OT and generic assessments, interventions and outcomes relevant to the client group
- Understanding of OT Code of conduct and OT core skills and their application in practice.
- Detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to the Mental Health Act and specialist practice
Skills
Essential criteria
- Comprehensive range of high-level verbal and written communication skills including ICT literacy
- Effective leadership planning and decision-making skills
- Ability to work autonomously and set work priorities
- Working knowledge of clinical governance
- Ability to work flexibly and under pressure.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Liz Pine
- Job title
- Croydon Head OT
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07970705077
- Additional information
Anna Adams
Band 7 Clinical Specialist OT (Inpatients)
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