Lead Occupational Therapist (maternity cover)

Due to maternity leave, Family Futures is actively seeking a Maternity Cover for Lead Occupational Therapist / Sensory Integration (Clinical Specialist) to do a fixed term post from April 2026 to end of July 2027. We are looking for a professional who aligns with our ethos and ambition to provide high quality assessments and therapeutic support for children who have experienced developmental trauma and have attachment difficulties. You will be part of a small team that works collaboratively towards making a huge impact on the lives of the children and families we work with. We look for people who want to be part of a service that is innovative, creative and constantly striving to do better.

APPLICANTS MUST EMAIL COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM TOGETHER WITH THEIR CV.

Main duties of the job

• Manage a full caseload within the Complex Trauma Service, carrying out comprehensive assessments and producing high quality reports for children and parents.
• Provide supervision and consultation to Occupational Therapists and other clinical staff across multiple services.
• Oversee key cases, meeting reporting and funding deadlines, and monitoring service finances.
• Maintain strong safeguarding, risk management, and health and safety awareness particularly when deputising for managers.
• Work as an integrated member of the clinical team, delivering assessments, therapeutic support, and occasional out of hours or home-based care to referred families.

About us

Family Futures is a not for profit, independent adoption agency and therapy centre in London, rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2025 for the fifth consecutive time. We have a reputation for innovation and offer a high-quality service - an integrated multi-disciplinary, assessment, treatment and family-finding service for children who are traumatised or have attachment difficulties. We also have our Wellbeing Hub which offers evidence-based, one-to-one therapy for children, young people, and families to improve their mental health, relationships, physical health, and engagement at school.

Job responsibilities

• Provide supervision/consultation for the OT team including sessional OTs.
• Consult with the OT team, oversee key cases, ensure report and funding deadlines, and manage case finances.
• Support and supervise some assessments and treatment cases before, during and after the direct work with families.
• Monitor some assessment and treatment reports for quality control purposes and ensure they are disseminated on time.
• Provide some professional and parent consultations.
• Liaise with external professionals to support FF-referred families and negotiate assessment and treatment contracts.
• Attend and chair some professionals meetings on behalf of Family Futures.
• Collaborate in the monitoring and tracking of the flow of work in the Assessment Service and Therapy Service.
• Have an overview of the finances of the OT Service and the organisation as a whole.
• Ensure that the Therapy Service complies with the requirements for Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Adoption Support Agencies.
• Be aware of Safeguarding, Risk, Care and Control, Notification procedures, and health and safety.
• Liaise with the Assessment and Therapy Services Managers and to deputise for them in their absence.
• Attend various meetings as appropriate in connection with the smooth running of the organisation.
• Fulfil other duties befitting the position's grade level, as directed by Family Futures.

General Tasks:

• Work as an integrated clinical team member, providing support, assessments, and treatment to Family Futures referred children and families, including home visits and out-of-hours care.
• Manage a full caseload within the Complex Trauma Service, including taking on the key worker role as needed.
• Be on the rota for initial enquiries ensuring that initial enquiries are dealt with in an efficient and empathetic manner.
• Participate in clinical work in the iAdopt assessment programme.
• Compile comprehensive assessment, treatment, and other required reports on children and parents.
• Write good quality session/supervision notes and keep a telephone log.
• Maintain good and up to date computer records.
• Efficiently manage caseload, check messages (phone, email) and respond appropriately.
• Contribute to the development and execution of marketing and social media campaigns.

Service Development

• Participate in the continued development of the integrative Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP) model.
• Contribute to the development of the new Neurodiversity Service.
• Take an active part in research projects as well as the monitoring and evaluation of Family Futures services.
• Be involved in the development of the Assessment and Therapy Service as a whole.
• Write/edit articles and books on behalf of Family Futures.
• Contribute to the Education and Development Programme as well as in-house staff training programme.

Manner of Work:

• Adhere to the policies and procedures of Family Futures.
• Ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act and Family Futures confidentiality standards.
• Comply with the requirements for registration of their respective professional body.
• Maintain the highest standards of professional practice and adhere to the HCPC and UKCP guidelines for practice.
• Work in a collaborative and empathetic manner with parents, children and their support networks.
• Be aware of the need for personal therapy due to the nature of the work undertaken at Family Futures.

Person Specification

• Show respect and enthusiasm for the work of Family Futures and its users.
• Recognised qualification as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist trained in Sensory Integration.
• Experience of working with children and families in a therapeutic setting.
• Experience of supervising and consulting on complex cases.
• Excellent time management skills and an ability to meet deadlines and prioritise workload.
• Minimum of two years as a senior practitioner.
• Must be able to travel (when required).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.