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Job summary

Main area
Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
333-G-HCS-1149
Employer
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Alexandra Health&Social Care Centre
Town
Harrow
Salary
£44,485 - £52,521 per annum incl HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/09/2025 23:59
Interview date
15/10/2025

Employer heading

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

 

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond.  We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. 

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation.  We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference.  We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles.  For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our   Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

The Harrow Paediatric Occupational Therapy team is looking for a motivated, flexible and innovative therapist to work with children and young people in Harrow. This is a rotational role which rotates through a variety of community paediatric areas.  It will allow you to develop you skills, in pre-school, mainstream schools and special schools.

We are a friendly, dynamic and innovative team who are passionate about supporting children, young people and families in Harrow.  We have an established internal training programme along side regular opportunities for external training. 

 We are based at Alexandra Avenue where there is a high level of integration and collaboration between different health, education and social care services.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an enthusiastic Occupational to join our Paediatric rotational scheme. This scheme offers the opportunity to gain a broad experience in Paediatrics through yearly rotations in the following areas of services: 1) Pre-school, 2) Mainstream school, 3) Secondary/ Special schools

This post will involve working  in a mixture of clinics, mainstream schools and special schools. Our service is keen to focus on evidence based family-centred care principles, and applying best practice guidelines to enable occupational participation. We are open to new ideas and constantly reviewing and modifying the way we work.

The post holder will contribute to departmental meetings, clinical audit/research and projects. They will provide advice and deliver training to other professionals and parents/carers on all aspects of paediatric occupational therapy. He/she will provide clinical education and training to physiotherapy students and will supervise the work of the PTA’s and LSA’s.

Working for our organisation

We are:  

  • A large supportive, sociable and friendly MDT team of 60+therapists
  • Committed to the well-being of our staff
  • Easily accessible via public transport from central London and neighbouring counties.

We can provide: 

·      Time to ensure access to regular and ongoing CPD

·       Opportunities for shadowing in a range of settings

·       Clearly structured caseloads and prioritisation system

·       Highly structured induction 

·       Access to clinical specialists in all areas

  • Flexible working

In joining you will receive: 

  • Regular and ongoing developing therapist training as well as peer supervision
  • Opportunities to take a lead in projects and working groups linked to specialist areas of interest

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  1. To communicate complex patient related information effectively ensuring collaborative working with multidisciplinary team members across health, education, social services and the voluntary sector. To work in particular with teaching staff, or medical/ nursing staff to ensure the delivery of a well coordinated care/individual education plans/programmes, facilitating the development of physical skills
  2. To share information with others, observing confidentiality and data protection guidelines and having due regard for local guidance on sharing information with colleagues in health, education, social services and the voluntary sector.
  3. To communicate complex condition related information (both verbally and in the written form) from assessment, to CYP, Parents/carers, and members of the multi-disciplinary team/other professions. This includes child specific information as well as training packages to parents, teachers and other professionals regarding physical disability/difficulties, sensory/perceptual and functional difficulties. To have due regard for the cultural and linguistic differences of children/families concerned.
  4. To work closely with CYP, carers and families, involving them in decision making, regarding intervention approaches, demonstrating empathy and ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to understanding exist (i.e. communication difficulties, EAL and learning difficulties). This may involve the use of interpreters.
  5. To employ excellent communication skills such as persuasion, motivation and explanations to encourage/reassure CYP and carers to undertake treatment programmes.
  6. To demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
  7. To form productive relationships with others in particular parents/carers who may be under stress and/or have challenging communication difficulties.
  8. To provide specialist clinical reports for CYP
  9. To provide written advice for education and health care plans, describing the impact of the child’s difficulties will have on their learning environment.

Person specification

Other qualities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent organisational skills.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people of all ages and abilities
  • Excellent interpersonal skills – including observation, listening and empathy skills.
  • Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal (English)
  • Negotiation and problem solving skills
  • Ability to work in an unpredictable environment and to prioritise own and others workload.
  • Good analytical and reflection skills

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Occupational Therapy Degree Qualification
  • UK Health Professional Council- Licence to Practice
  • Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
  • Evidence of Completion of specialist short courses relevant to children with special needs/ disability i.e. splinting, neurology, seating
Desirable criteria
  • Member of the CYPF RCOT specialist section

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Post graduate experience of Working in other clinical areas, Paediatrics, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Social Care
  • Writing clinical notes and reports
  • Managing own caseload
  • Teaching other professionals/parents
  • Supporting assistants and OT students
  • Clinical audit
Desirable criteria
  • Working in the community
  • Working with children/young people and their families

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Well established knowledge of assessment tools and appropriate therapeutic interventions relevant to the Occupational Therapy process.
  • Well established knowledge range of specialist aids, equipment and seating systems available including wheelchairs, seating and assistive technology.
  • Working knowledge of the roles of other professionals in Health, Education and Social Care
  • Understanding and application of standards of record keeping and reporting
  • Working knowledge of clinical governance/audit
Desirable criteria
  • Working knowledge of occupational Therapy in the Education system
  • Working knowledge of National policies and procedures in particular safeguarding children, SEN and disability act, SEN reforms, Childrens and families act, National Service framework for children, the children’s bill and foundation stage and National curriculum’s.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDWe are a Living Wage EmployerEmployers for CarersPurple SpaceHealthy Workplace - Excellence 2018Veteran AwareNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeNational Autistic SocietyDisability confident committedStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.AccessAbleStonewall Gold 2022Step into healthCarer Confident -AccomplishedNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeArmed Forces CovenantStonewall Top 100 2024Stonewall Gold 2024Working Chance - unlocking women's potential

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
Elizabeth Poultney
Job title
Clinical Lead Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0203 911 6988
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