Job summary
- Main area
- Children's
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 285-6025-CYPF
- Employer
- Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Sunflower Centre
- Town
- Stourbridge
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 18/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Children's Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 5
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and we’re hiring people who want to shape what comes next.
Formed on 1 April 2020 through the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, we’re now focused on the future with a new Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme.
What we do
· Adult and older adult mental health
· Children and young people’s mental health
· Specialist learning disability services
· Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley
Why join now
· We’ve got real momentum right now. New strategy, clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.
· Our values aren’t just posters. People are genuinely compassionate, take responsibility, treat you with respect and help you feel confident and empowered.
· You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and chances to learn with coaching and development.
· There’s room to grow. Loads of services to explore and real space to try ideas and be heard.
· It’s a good place to live. Friendly diverse communities, easy transport, good schools and colleges, shopping, food, lots to do, plenty of green space and a lower cost of living than many other city regions.
What it’s like to work here
You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share caseload pressures, and celebrate wins. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate. You’ll have space to do good work, speak up, and see the difference you make.
Who we are
We’re 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re excited about the role but don’t tick every box, please apply. We value potential and transferable experience.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Children’s Occupational Therapy team in Dudley. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in paediatrics within a friendly and supportive service.
Our team supports children aged 0–16 years who have motor, perceptual or sensory needs that impact their participation in everyday activities. As this is a community-based role, you will need to be able to travel efficiently across the local area to meet the needs of the service.
You will benefit from regular supervision and training provided by Senior Occupational Therapy staff, enabling you to progress and develop your clinical skills. There are also frequent opportunities to participate in clinical audits, tutorials and training programmes.
The successful candidate will develop the skills to manage a varied caseload. You will carry out occupation-focused assessments and provide intervention and advice to support functional needs, drawing on a range of approaches including sensory strategies, neurodevelopmental, cognitive and developmental methods. Intervention is delivered both individually and in groups across a range of community settings, including homes, schools, nurseries and The Sunflower Centre.
It is desirable, though not essential, that applicants have some experience within Children’s Occupational Therapy.
This post is available on a full-time or part-time basis and is offered on a permanent contract.
Main duties of the job
- To manage a caseload of clients, using evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual and group Occupational Therapy interventions within the community team.
- To provide a safe, effective, efficient, high-quality service contributing the specialist skills of a children’s Occupational Therapist to the multidisciplinary team.
- To develop skills and knowledge through participation in supervision, appraisal and personal development.
Working for our organisation
The Dudley Children’s Occupational Therapy service supports children aged 0–16 in the community who have functional difficulties associated with physical needs or disabilities.
Our team is based at The Sunflower Centre in Stourbridge, a therapy centre shared with our Physiotherapy colleagues. While the successful applicant will have a base here, they will also work across a variety of community settings within the Dudley borough to support children and families where they live, learn and play.
We have a strong team identity and pride ourselves on delivering a high‑quality, child‑centred service. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and we work closely with families, schools, health professionals and wider agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the children we support.
We are committed to investing in the ongoing professional development of our team members. You will have access to regular supervision, learning opportunities, peer support and CPD activities that build confidence and expand clinical skills. We actively encourage reflective practice, shared learning and the development of your professional responsibilities.
As a service, we value wellbeing, flexibility and a supportive working culture. If you are looking to join a friendly, innovative and forward‑thinking team that is passionate about making a meaningful difference in children’s lives, we would love to hear from you.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
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Competent caseload management. To provide Occupational Therapy assessment, treatment and advice to children and families, establish appropriate treatment programmes and follow discharge procedures.
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To plan and implement client centred individual and/or group interventions, in collaboration with the client, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
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To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for clients in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of the intervention.
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To demonstrate and apply a broad level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the client’s physical and social environment.
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To develop knowledge of and apply a range of paediatric treatment approaches under supervision, e.g. sensory integration, neurodevelopmental, perceptual/motor, cognitive approaches.
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To develop knowledge of a wide range of specialist equipment; seating, splinting, angle boards, pencil grips etc. Assess risks and benefits and prescribe equipment appropriately.
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To establish effective and robust communication networks with clients, carers, other health services, local authority and voluntary sector.
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To participate or work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to client care programmes.
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To promote awareness of the role of Occupational Therapy within the multidisciplinary team and to external organisations.
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To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards and provide specialist Occupational Therapy reports relevant to clinical practice including Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) reports.
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To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of clinical supervision. To maintain a professional portfolio for CPD that meets the requirements for maintaining HCPC registration.
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To prepare and present tutorials for students and other staff.
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To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply it to practice and disseminate findings at a local level. To develop skills through participation in local audit and research projects.
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To adhere to the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, HCPC standards and all relevant policies and procedures.
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To demonstrate understanding of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service provision.
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To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality Children’s Occupational Therapy service.
Person specification
Essential and desirable
Essential criteria
- Degree in OT or equivalent or imminently due to graduate
- HCPC registration or applying for once graduated
- Application of the O.T. process with ability to explain transferrable skills to a paediatric environment.
- Ability to travel around the borough efficiently to meet the needs of this community service
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with children or paediatric placement
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
- Emma Geary
- Job title
- Children's Occupational Therapy Service Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01384 366912
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