Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Occupational Therapist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
395-KM347-25
Employer
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Kent and Medway Adolescent Hospital
Town
Staplehurst
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 pa pro rata (plus HCAS)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
20/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust logo

Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 7

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Lead Occupational Therapist to join the Kent and Medway Adolescent Hospital (KMAH), part of the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT). KMAH is a 14-bed general adolescent inpatient unit, including three eating disorder pathway beds, set in a modern hospital within beautiful grounds. The role offers the chance to work in an experienced multidisciplinary team (MDT) delivering evidence-based, person-centred care to young people and families, supporting recovery and smooth transitions back to the community.

The successful applicant will provide clinical leadership within the MDT, reporting to the Clinical Lead and Matron. They will supervise a Band 6 OT and several OT Assistants, ensuring delivery of consistent, evidence-based interventions. Key duties include maintaining and enhancing the existing ward OT programme, delivering sensory assessments, and creating individualised therapeutic plans. Collaboration with the Intensive Home Treatment Team (IHTT) will also provide opportunities for community-based interventions.

KMAH works closely with NELFT’s locality teams, eating disorder and neurodevelopmental services, and provides a Section 136 health-based place of safety. Staff benefit from strong training, CPD, and research opportunities, including CYP-IAPT and leadership development. This role offers the chance to shape and enhance OT practice across a dynamic adolescent mental health service.

Main duties of the job

The role will require the successful candidate to work as part of the team based in the inpatient setting but with interface with other NELFT services and external stakeholders to ensure service delivery is of a high quality and provided 365 days per year. 

As part of the Inpatient service we can offer you: 

  • Regular clinical  and managerial supervision
  • Support from a robust multi-disciplinary team
  • Training and development opportunities

The post holder will utilise a range of skills and experience gained in clinical practice to perform a specialist, comprehensive assessments using clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques to formulate a treatment plan based on clinical findings. Excellent communication skills are essential as well as good knowledge of current OT best practice and the ability to work as an effective team member across multi-professional team.

Working for our organisation

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.  All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.  As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.  The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.

Certificates of Sponsorship

 

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.

 

Person specification

Quualification

Essential criteria
  • fully qualified Occupational Therapist
  • HCPC registered
Desirable criteria
  • RCOT Registered
  • Community experience

face to face interview

Essential criteria
  • Clinical Skills
  • Leadership
Desirable criteria
  • Computer it
  • administration

face to face interview

Essential criteria
  • Communication
  • training
Desirable criteria
  • car driver

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Employers for CarersApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldEmployers Network for Equality & InclusionTop 10 Employer 2023

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
Sarah Warnock
Job title
Interim Modern Matron
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
03003001985
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies