Senior Community Occupational Therapist

Fixed term – 12 month (maternity leave cover) QPP Community Mental Health Hub is seeking a motivated and experienced Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our team. This is an excellent opportunity for a therapist who is ready to take the next step in their career and develop occupational therapy skills within a community mental health setting. We are looking for someone passionate about delivering high‑quality care, proactive, engaged, and committed to supporting people in their mental health recovery. The successful candidate will join an Occupational Therapy service that prides itself on innovation, excellent service delivery and continued learning. You will also be part of a Hub of services that includes Nursing, Psychology, Community Navigators, Lived Experience Practitioners and Employment Specialists. This post is based in Queens Park and Paddington Community Hub, but you will be required to visit patients across the Boroughs depending on service demand. We operate a five‑day service and working hours run from 9 am to 5 pm.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of service users with multiple, enduring and complex mental health needs through provision of therapeutic care and treatment in the individual’s own home and other community venues.
• Provide specialist, culturally appropriate, evidence‑based occupational therapy assessments within the hub to establish and meet occupational needs.
• Deliver full vocational needs assessment, advice and ongoing intervention related to individual vocational needs.
• Select and use validated standardised assessment tools routinely and in practice, including Model of Human Occupation measures.
• Carry out evidence‑based occupational therapy interventions, both individual and group, underpinned by relevant theoretical approaches and in line with the Trust’s Research and Development Strategy; lead and supervise junior staff as required.
• Plan, implement and review individually tailored programmes of intervention using individual and group work approaches.
• Support service users and colleagues to ensure that care plans are developed in partnership with the individual and reflect recovery goals that are strengths‑based and oriented towards reinforcing a positive identity and valued social roles.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions against clear aims, objectives and outcome measures in line with evidence‑based practice and in conjunction with service users, carers and other professionals.
• Identify opportunities and needs for group work in the community and plan, implement, facilitate and evaluate community groups that promote social inclusion for service users.
• Establish links with the CNWL Recovery College; deliver courses within the college alongside peer trainers where appropriate.
• Provide training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the service user’s social and physical environment, applying a high level of understanding of mental illness effects.
• Determine the impact of mental and physical conditions on service users’ functional ability and make recommendations for equipment, aids and adaptations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support service users to meet their functional goals, including discharge planning and facilitation of independence.
• Assist in developing resources and protocols for community group activity.
• Participate in audit and research projects to enhance service quality.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings and case conferences.
• Ensure compliance with safety and safeguarding policies.

Person specification:

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC registered Occupational Therapist.
• Practice Educator training.
• Post‑qualification training in relevant mental health therapeutic skills.

Previous experience:

• Extensive post‑qualification experience working in mental health settings as an Occupational Therapist.
• Experience with service users presenting with a wide range of complex mental health conditions.
• Experience delivering healthy lifestyle interventions.
• Experience in assessment and interventions related to physical healthcare needs.
• Experience using a range of standardised OT assessments.
• Experience working in a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Experience working in a multi‑cultural environment.
• Experience drafting group protocols and setting up/facilitating group programmes.
• Supervision of OT students or non‑qualified staff.
• Experience of partnership working to promote socially inclusive opportunities for patients.
• Experience completing HONOS screening clustering tool or risk assessment tools.
• Experience in adult mental health community team.
• Experience in audit or research projects.

Skills and knowledge:

• Clear understanding of occupational therapy practice models.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including use of IT and communication systems.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Prioritisation and initiative in workload management.
• Creative engagement strategies for patients.
• Timely reporting and record keeping.
• Active supervision of OT students and unqualified staff.
• Commitment to continuing professional development.
• Recovery‑focused approach to service delivery.
• Respect for service users with dignity and culturally sensitive practice.
• Capability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy.
• Understanding of risk assessment and risk management strategies that support recovery.
• Awareness of safeguarding principles and how to implement them.
• Research and development experience at graduate level.
• Knowledge of the theory underpinning the Model of Human Occupation.
• Completion of OT medication management training.
• Completion of practice placement educator course.

Attitudes, aptitudes and personal characteristics:

• High personal motivation.
• Team collaboration, facilitation, directorship and understanding of diversity.
• Organisational skills and effective delegation.
• Encouragement of patient participation and delivery of customer service.
• Flexibility of approach.
• Self‑awareness and initiative.
• Conflict management constructively.
• Willingness to develop knowledge and skills.
• Responsibility-taking.
• Positive role model for junior staff.

Employer statements:

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.