Children's Occupational Therapist and EHC Lead

We are a community interest company providing occupational therapy services to children up to 18 years of age. The successful candidate will work as the OT Lead for Education and Health Care (EHC) assessments and deliver specialist occupational therapy support across a variety of community and educational settings.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide Education, Health and Care plan (EHC) assessments, reports and reviews, and oversee quality assurance of the EHC assessment provision within the service.
• Exercise specialist understanding in complex cases; support multi-disciplinary colleagues and provide specialist testimony at panels, appeals and tribunals.
• Maintain specialist knowledge of the EHC process and legislation; keep up to date with SEND local offers and promote good practice.
• Manage a complex clinical caseload using evidence-based practice, client-centred care, assessment, goal-setting, treatment and advice.
• Carry out assessments of children’s occupational performance using standardised and non-standardised methods, observation, interviews and questionnaires.
• Line-manage a small team; recruit, retain and provide specialist training and advice to colleagues and students.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to diploma or degree level in Occupational Therapy or equivalent training/study.
• Professional Registration: HCPC registration.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development, including post-registration training/qualifications in relevant specialist areas (e.g., sensory integration levels 1 and 2, CO-OP approach, neurodevelopment and complex needs).
• Post-registration training/qualification in leadership and management, or equivalent experience.
• Comprehensive training in assessment and treatment of children with complex functional needs.
• Up-to-date Moving & Handling training.
• Field Work Educator Course, or equivalent training/experience.
• Training specific to EHC process, including report writing and evidence at tribunals/hearings.

Specific Skills

• Ability to autonomously manage a complex caseload within a community paediatric setting.
• Significant, current and relevant clinical skills with evidence-informed practice and an occupation-based focus.
• Excellent working knowledge of child development and its implication for Occupational Therapy.
• Ability to assess the need for, prescribe/recommend and advise on specialist equipment.
• Ability to analyse a child’s functional abilities using best practice methods.
• Proven leadership and management skills, empowering others in practice and understanding accountability, delegation and escalation.
• Excellent written communication skills, including detailed reports and contemporaneous note-taking within deadlines.

Experience

• Significant post-registration experience within paediatrics.
• Experience working in a community setting.
• Experience with complex caseload management.
• Experience with interventions (moving and handling, specialist equipment) for children with a range of difficulties.
• Significant experience in the assessment and provision of EHC reports.
• Excellent understanding of the SEND Code of Practice, EHC plans and related legislation.
• Established knowledge of national policies, procedures and legislation relevant to Children’s OT, including safeguarding.
• Experience of leadership and management, including appraisal and performance/absence management.
• Experience attending EHC panels.
• Experience providing specialist OT school provision.
• Experience leading policy and or service development.

Information Technology and Information Governance

• Solid IT skills, including use of mobile phone, laptop and Microsoft Office.
• Experience using electronic patient/clinical systems and ordering clinical equipment.
• Experience with electronic diaries and rosters.
• Experience with EMIS and eRoster.

Benefits

• Pension schemes.
• Discounted gym memberships.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Access to home furnishings and electronics.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• Discounts at various retailers.
• Eligibility for the Blue Light Card.
• Opportunity to apply for low-interest personal loans.
• Excellent lease car scheme.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. Discrimination of any protected characteristic is not tolerated. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process.