Senior Occupational Therapist | East London NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

Band 6 Senior Occupational Therapist

Poplars Ward, Inpatient Mental Health for Older Adults – LU5 5BF

Full Time – 37.5 hours per week – Permanent

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Luton/Bedfordshire directorate, Older Peoples Mental Health inpatient service, for a Senior Occupational Therapist, with knowledge and experience of working with older people with mental health and/or dementia, to work at Poplars ward, which is an 18-bedded acute assessment unit for older people with functional mental illness.

The post holder will be responsible for providing Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention for the treatment of older people within the ward with a functional mental health diagnosis and on occasion dementia/cognitive impairment, utilising assessment and evaluation tools drawn from the Model of Human Occupation. The OT assessments and interventions will be recovery focused and client-centred, supporting and enabling the person to achieve their goals in self-care, productivity and leisure. As part of the multi-disciplinary team your assessments will be essential in informing and planning positive discharge for the service user.

The post holder will work within the already well-established multi-disciplinary team to develop the role of Occupational Therapy, and to enhance the OT programme both on the ward and in the community through 1:1 intervention, group work, and enabling clients in accessing relevant local community resources which would support their discharge.

You will be part of a larger OT service, with a focus on investment in staff development and well-being. A planned and supportive induction period will be developed along with regular managerial and professional supervision will be provided. You will have monthly opportunities to participate in the service’s OT CPD events, peer-support development groups and shape service development through quality improvement. Professional development and training are actively encouraged through the appraisal process.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people\’s lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of clients with complex OT needs, using evidence based/client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions within an inpatient ward setting.
• Provide day-to-day management of junior OT staff
• To provide leadership for junior OT staff, through supervisions and appraisals
• Participate in the planning, development and evaluation of OT services, holding responsibility for defined projects where appropriate
• Regularly supervise OT students on practice placement, following attendance at an approved Fieldwork Educator’s course
• Apply knowledge of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and other standardised assessment approaches relevant to the clinical setting.
• Routinely provide feedback to the MDT regarding observed occupational performance throughout contact, which inform ongoing assessment and therapeutic intervention.
• Maintain clinical records using the electronic patient record system.
• Liaise with carers and other professionals as relevant.
• Exercise good personal time management, punctuality and consistent reliable attendance.
• Attend mandatory training.
• Comply with the RCOT Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national and Trust policies
• Review and reflect on your own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.

See attached full job description and person specification

This advert closes on Wednesday 24 Sep 2025