Job summary
- Main area
- Occupational Therapist
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed term: 18 months (Monday to Friday 9-5)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 350-CC7994198
- Employer
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Knowsley Resource and Recovery Centre
- Town
- Prescot
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Highly Specialised Occupational Therapist CYP Eating Disorder Service
Band 7
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.
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Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our Children and Young People's Eating Disorder Service Team.
Our team is comprised of many disciplines including; psychiatrists, nurses, dietitians and therapist to provide assessment and treatment of children and young people with identified eating disorders; Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder and OSFED. The team works closely with external and internal professionals across many disciplines including other primary health and paediatric colleagues, CYPMHS colleagues, Educational and Social Care colleagues as well as our Emergency Services at times as well.
This is a newly created post and the successful candidate should be prepared to set up a new Occupational Therapy pathway within the service and work towards national benchmarking standards in order to provide our young people and their families/carers with evidence based treatment to help them recover from their eating disorder, working within a multidisciplinary team.
Ideally, the successful candidate should have experience with Children and Young people or Eating Disorder care. This is not an essential criteria for the role, but is desirable. We work closely with our Adult Eating Disorder colleagues who have Occupational Therapy as part of their therapy offer and can support in the set up of the pathway.
Main duties of the job
To develop and continuously improve the Occupational Therapy offer within the Children and Young People's Eating Disorder Service.
To be accountable for the delivery of the Occupational Therapy interventions and producing outcome measures of the service.
To be responsible for a caseload of service users and complete standardised and non- standardised assessments of service users in line with process and pathways within the MDT.
To work within the model of recovery led practice and facilitate user involvement in all aspects of service delivery.
To utilise Occupational Therapy models/best practice to inform assessments and treatment interventions as appropriate.
In collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, plan, implement and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions for effective coordination of service provision.
To provide training and support to both the CYP EDS team and the wider CYPMHS teams.
Work in collaboration with the Trust’s Research and Development department in development and evaluation of appropriate research initiatives.
Undertake/support clinical audit activity within this service.
Work as a clinical professional contributing to the multidisciplinary team by providing specialist Occupational Therapy advice/input as appropriate.
Ensure that meaningful communication links are established and maintained with service user’s families, carers, other service providers as appropriate.
Working for our organisation
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide leadership within the sphere of responsibility in the delivery of the Occupational Therapy Service
To be accountable for the delivery of the Occupational Therapy interventions and producing outcome measures of the service
To ensure compliance for senior occupational therapy staff against the outcomes of the Trust’s quality dashboard
To be responsible for a caseload of service users and complete standardised and non- standardised assessments of service users in order to identify appropriate Occupational Therapy interventions collaboratively with service users in line with the Care Programme Approach process
To work within the model of recovery led practice and facilitate user involvement in all aspects of service delivery
To utilise Occupational Therapy models/best practice to inform assessments and treatment interventions as appropriate
In collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, plan, implement and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions for effective coordination of service provision.
To undertake project and service development work based on identified clinical and/or organisational need
To assist in the development of underpinning knowledge and skills for direct care staff regarding meaningful service user therapeutic occupation
Work in collaboration with the Trust’s Research and Development department in development and evaluation of appropriate research initiatives
Undertake/support clinical audit activity within this service
Work as a clinical professional contributing to the multidisciplinary team by providing specialist Occupational Therapy advice/input as appropriate
Ensure that meaningful communication links are established and maintained with service user’s families, carers, other service providers as appropriate
Monitor and ensure high standards relating to the planning and delivery of Occupational Therapy activities and comply with Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice, Conduct and Ethics (Royal College of Occupational Therapists, 2021), contributing to good health and the importance of promoting these in line with organisational public health policy
To collate information about local resources including those for older adults with a mental health problem including potential resources for service user’s access/utilisation
To undertake Occupational Therapy assessments of service users including pre and post admissions as appropriate
To receive professional/clinical supervision from an appropriate supervisor in accordance with Occupational Therapy practice
To receive leadership and transformation supervision from the AHP Lead in line with the Trust’s strategic goals.
To maintain active professional links with other Occupational Therapy services, within the speciality, external to the Service
To ensure effective clinical supervision of Occupational Therapy staff in line with the management structure
To ensure opportunities for students are available and that a positive experience is provided by the service with clinical supervision
To participate in the recruitment and selection process for occupational therapy staff.
To chair the interview panel for the recruitment of qualified Occupational Therapists
Attend all mandatory and CIS training as necessary and follow all policies and procedures. Contribute and be aware of personal responsibilities and accountability for helping to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained in accordance with legislation
Any other duties commensurate with role and responsibilities of the post
Attend policies and procedures meeting and influence the development of future policy for the Trust
Communicate effectively with all internal and external stakeholders
Provide clinical and managerial reports and attend relevant meetings with internal and external agencies as and when required
Arrange and attend meetings and liaise with relevant external organisations as and when required
Appraise the AHP Lead regarding service activity and issues of concern
Undergo an annual appraisal of performance in accordance with Trust Policy, and undertake further training and education as identified by personal development profile.
Attendance at service delivery meetings
To investigate any complaints to safeguard service users and staff.
Monitor that training of all staff is carried out and records are kept up to date in conjunction with organisational development department
Develop management and professional skills in staff and recommend additional training, as necessary
Maintain staff morale by means of team building and encouraging initiative
Undertaking the necessary training as required
Ensuring renewal of registration with the Health and Care Professions Council annually in accordance with statutory requirement
Will maintain personal commitment towards and responsibility for the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
Will adhere to the Trust Uniform and Workwear and Attire policy.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Diploma/Degree or equivalent Occupational Therapy Qualification
- Relevant post graduate training to Masters Level or equivalent experience
- Evidence of post-qualification study/short courses and continuing professional development
- Health and Care Professions Council Registration
Desirable criteria
- Leadership/Management Qualifications
- Practice Placement Educator Training
- Membership/Activity of special interest group/networks
Experience
Essential criteria
- Clinical and Environment assessment & management of clinical risk
- Minimum of three years post qualifying relevant experience as an Occupational Therapist
- Development of Occupational Therapy Services
- Application of Occupational Therapy models of Practice & standardised assessment & outcome measures
- Supervision of staff and students
- Involvement in research and clinical audit
Desirable criteria
- Training in OT assessments relevant to area of practice (e.g. Sensory Integration, VdTMoCA, MoCA, VQ, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychosocial Intervention)
- Experience of working with patients with mental health problems
- Understanding and use of Models of Occupational Therapy and their associated assessment tools and outcome measures
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by Mental Health Act 2007)
- Knowledge of Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Awareness of factors contributing to good health and the importance of promoting these in line with organisational public health policy
- Understanding of partnership working
- Awareness of local agenda in health and social care
Desirable criteria
- Familiar with Electronic Patient Records (EPR) system
Skills
Essential criteria
- Leadership Qualities
- Managerial skills
- Ability to provide training, advice and guidance to staff/service users
- Ability to complete assessments and clinical reports in line with the CPA process and/or Royal College of Occupational Therapy guidance
- Demonstrates depth of clinical skills and implementation Occupational Therapy clinical practice and ability to hold a complex caseload
- Ability to work with difficult issues and sometimes in crisis (abuse, sexual offending) make decisions and recognise limits of own competency
- Apply and promote therapeutic skills, to include carrying out assessments, setting clear reablement goals and facilitating a wide variety of therapeutic interventions relevant to clinical area
- Able to apply Person Centred Approaches
- Ability to identify and implement clinical service developments
- Ability to be an effective role model
- Ability to work autonomously as well as effectively with team members and other agencies
- Clear effective written & verbal communication
- IT skills
- Ability to travel across geographical footprint
- Ability to be responsive and flexible when working in a range or settings/environments/teams and client groups
Desirable criteria
- Designing and implementing research projects
- Ability to reflect and critically appraise own and others performance
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
- Nicola Hill
- Job title
- Clinical Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0151 351 8610
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