Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 455-NLFT-8224631
- Employer
- North London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- North London Forensic Service, Chase Farm Hospital
- Town
- Enfield
- Salary
- £45,953 - £54,254 per annum inclusive of outer London HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/09/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Band 6 Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
Thank you for your interest in North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT).
As of 1 April 2026, NLFT has formally merged with Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust—marking the start of an exciting new chapter. This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation at a time of transformation, where we are strengthening access to mental health services, responding more effectively to complex and specialist needs, and advancing our work in education, research and innovation.
By bringing together our combined expertise, we are building a stronger, more collaborative Trust—one that delivers consistent, high-quality care and improved outcomes for the diverse communities we serve.
At the heart of our approach is The North London Way. We are committed to:
- Working collaboratively at every level, guided by our shared values
- Shaping a positive, inclusive culture where staff and service users thrive
- Empowering our teams with the skills, tools and autonomy to drive meaningful change
- Delivering excellence and continuously improving the quality of care we provide
- Embedding research, innovation and technology across our services
- Taking a trauma-informed approach in everything we do
We are proud to be an inclusive employer that values diversity. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly from our local communities, and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone—including apprentices, veterans and care leavers.
The North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.
Our trust website is: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/
As a values‑driven Trust, we recruit through our values. Our selection processes focus on behaviours, attitudes, and examples that reflect our organisational values and commitment to compassionate, high‑quality care.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.
We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.
Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.
North London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.
Job overview
Band 6 Occupational Therapist - Forensic Inpatient Service - North London
We are seeking a dynamic Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our multidisciplinary inpatient team, supporting individuals with complex mental health needs on their recovery journey. This is an exciting opportunity to use your clinical skills, creativity, and professional expertise to deliver meaningful, recovery-focused interventions that promote independence, wellbeing, and social inclusion.
Working within a supportive and experienced team, you will assess, plan, and deliver evidence-based occupational therapy interventions, lead therapeutic groups and 1:1 sessions, contribute to service development, and play a key role in helping patients achieve their personal goals and potential.
We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, compassionate, and committed to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. In return, we offer excellent supervision, professional development opportunities, and the chance to make a real difference in a rewarding and specialist clinical setting.
Join us and help individuals rebuild their lives through occupation, recovery, and hope.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking an enthusiastic Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Occupational Therapy team at the North London Forensic Service (NLFS). Working within a secure forensic mental health setting, you will provide assessment, intervention and evaluation for a designated caseload of service users with complex mental health needs.
You will deliver person-centred, recovery-focused interventions that promote functional independence, wellbeing and positive risk management through individual and group work, functional assessments, and multidisciplinary care planning. Working closely with the wider MDT, you will support service users with complex presentations, including psychosis, personality disorder, challenging behaviour and limited insight.
The role also includes supporting the development of junior staff through supervision and acting as a practice educator for occupational therapy students.
This is an exciting opportunity to develop specialist skills within a supportive and experienced forensic mental health team.
Working for our organisation
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.
Our Five-Year Strategy:
- We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
- With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
- We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
Why NLFT?
- We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
- We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
- NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
- Excellent internal staff network
In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more information and detail, please see attached Job Description and Person Specification attached.
Person specification
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
- • Minimum of 1 years post graduate experience.
- • Experience of working in mental health.
- • Experience of planning and running a range of therapeutic groups and 1:1 interventions.
- • Experience in managing and supervising junior staff, e.g. Band 5 OT, Band 4 TI.
- • Ability to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate occupational therapy interventions, demonstrating sound clinical reasoning and judgement.
Desirable criteria
- • Further relevant courses or areas of study
- • Experience of working in Forensic environments
- • Experience justifying and challenging treatment priorities within available resources.
- • Experience in contributing towards OT service development
- • Ability to promote and model high standards of professional communication.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Dip. COT, BSc O.T.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- • Ability to build and maintain positive therapeutic relationships.
- • Committed to collaborative and multidisciplinary working.
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Laura Voyce
- Job title
- Principal Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0208 702 5995
- Additional information
Amanda Owen
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