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Job summary

Main area
Paediatrics
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 29 hours per week
Job ref
285-0238-CYPF
Employer
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
The Sunflower Centre
Town
Stourbridge
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Children's Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Across the whole of the region we provide:

  • Adult and older adult mental health services
  • Specialist learning disability services
  • Mental health services for children and young people
  • Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.

We currently employ over 4,000 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.

We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website: blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under ‘Additional documents’.

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic, experienced therapist to join the Children’s Occupational Therapy team in Dudley. The successful applicant will work as part of our supportive and cohesive team who are committed to delivering high quality patient care. We are seeking individuals who have a passion for working with children, young people and their families. You must be able to work as part of a team, have excellent communication skills, think creatively and work independently.

 

The successful applicant will be responsible for a varied caseload of pre-school and school age children. You will provide assessments, intervention and advice to address functional issues. You will be working with children who have physical, perceptual or sensory difficulties using a variety of treatment approaches including neurodevelopmental, cognitive, developmental and sensory-based approaches. Intervention takes place in a range of community settings, including home, schools, nurseries and at the Sunflower Centre.  You will be responsible for assessing and requisitioning specialist equipment, including seating, bathing and for eating and drinking.

 

This is a community service and you must be able to commute to meet the needs of the job. Previous experience of providing Occupational Therapy in Children’s Services is essential; all applicants must have the postgraduate experience and skills to manage a complex paediatric caseload.

Main duties of the job

To manage a caseload of clients including those with complex needs, using evidence based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, providing a safe, effective and efficient service.

 Dimensions:

  • Efficient and effective caseload management
  • To provide leadership and supervision for junior staff and students
  • To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of Occupational Therapy services within a designated area/team, holding responsibility for defined projects
  • To function as an independent practitioner within the community.

Working for our organisation

The Dudley Children's Occupational Therapy service supports children aged 0-16 in the community who have a functional difficulty associated with a physical difficulty or disability. 

 

The team is based at The Sunflower Centre in Stourbridge, a therapy centre which is shared with our Physiotherapy colleagues. The successful applicant will be based here but will be expected to support children in the community across the Dudley borough.

 

We have a strong team identity and work together to deliver a high quality service. We are committed to support ongoing professional development of our team members; helping to build skills and develop levels of professional responsibility.  If you would like to join a friendly, progressive and innovative team then we would love to hear from you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

  • To provide OT assessment, treatment and advice to clients on caseload, establish appropriate treatment programmes and discharge criteria.
  • To plan and implement client centred individual and/or group interventions in collaboration with the client, using graded activity to achieve therapeutic goals.
  • To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment for clients in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of the intervention.
  • 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.
  • To work with children 0-18 years, in a variety of locations including home, school, nursery, clinics.
  • To take responsibility for specific groups and clinics, e.g. football group, bike riding group, children’s autism assessment service, developmental coordination clinic, baby group.
  • To have knowledge of and apply a range of paediatric treatment approaches under supervision, e.g. Sensory Integration, Bobath, perceptual/motor, cognitive approaches.
  • To possess comprehensive risk assessment skills, demonstrating the ability to act appropriately to ensure safety of others and self when working as a lone practitioner.

Communication and Documentation

  • To establish effective and robust communication networks with clients, carers, and other health services, local authority and voluntary sector.
  • To participate or work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to client care programmes.
  • To promote awareness of the role of OT within the team, and to external organisations and agencies, negotiating priorities where appropriate.
  • 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 OT reports relevant to clinical practice.

Education and Training

·       To undertake the supervision and appraisal of junior staff and students.

·       To prepare and present tutorials for students and other staff.

·       To review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of clinical supervision.

·       To apply increasingly complex skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practice as a senior OT.

·       To maintain a professional portfolio for CPD, recording learning outcomes through participation in internal and external development opportunities.

Research and service development

·       To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local level.

·       To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.

General

·       To adhere to the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, HCPC standards and all relevant policies and procedures.

·       To demonstrate understanding of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service provision

·       To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

·       To demonstrate the ability to reflect on ethical issues and to provide guidance to junior staff as necessary.

·       To be responsible for maintaining stock, advising on resources to carry out the job

  • To exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
  • To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality occupational therapy service.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria
  • Degree in Occupational Therapy and registered with the HCPC
  • Relevant post graduate training and experiential learning to demonstrate the required experience to manage a complex caseload
  • Significant post graduate experience within this clinical area
  • Knowledge of current best practice in children's OT and relevant legislation
  • Knowledge of relevant treatment approaches to children's OT
  • Good written communication skills
  • Understanding of team work and the MDT
  • Car driver with UK driving licence
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of supervising others
  • Practice educator qualification
  • Training and facilitation skills
  • Experience of research or audit

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

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
Emma Geary
Job title
Children's Occupational Therapy Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01384 366912
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