Band 5 Paediatric Occupational Therapist Epsom

As a Band 5 Paediatric Occupational Therapist, you will be part of our valued team in our Surrey Child and Family Health Service, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including:

• Band 5 AfC Salary with NHS Pension and full Agenda for Change terms and conditions.
• Membership of My Reward Hub, giving you access to discounts on everyday purchases like grocery shopping as well as cashback and voucher offers for treats for you and those special to you.
• Access to your wages as you earn them to help cover life’s emergencies and avoid overdraft fees or high interest rates.
• Online and face-to-face help with your mental and physical wellbeing from healthy recipes and activity challenges through to post-trauma support, legal, debt and life management help, as well as career coaching and counselling.
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways and opportunities for continuing professional development through our Outstanding learning and development team, The Learning Enterprise.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Children’s Occupational Therapist to join our multidisciplinary Children’s Community Health Team in Surrey. In this role, you will deliver high-quality Occupational Therapy assessment, diagnosis and treatment to children with a range of developmental, physical and sensory needs. You will work closely with families and carers, supporting them in developing effective self-management strategies to promote independence and wellbeing. You will be based at one of our Surrey office hubs, with the flexibility to work in a hybrid pattern as part of HCRG Care Group's flexible-first approach. Our teams are agile and collaborative, ensuring you are supported while making a meaningful difference to the lives of children and their families across the county.

Main Responsibilities:

• Providing day-to-day support and guidance to therapy colleagues.
• Managing and prioritising your own caseload with independence and confidence.
• Assessing children’s needs and offering clear, practical advice to help them and their families manage challenges at home and in school.
• Recommending and arranging specialist equipment when needed.
• Helping the Team Lead and Therapies Manager meet service goals and quality standards.
• Taking part in team supervision, training and regular meetings.

Patient Care:

• Carrying out assessments, making diagnoses, planning treatment and delivering therapy tailored to each child’s needs.
• Communicating sensitively with children and families, especially when discussing complex or emotional information.
• Working closely with parents, carers, schools and professionals from other services to ensure joined-up support.
• Training families and school staff in the safe use of equipment and therapy strategies.
• Adapting your approach to suit each child’s cultural, linguistic and personal needs.
• Contributing to reports for Education, Health and Care Plans and attending relevant meetings when required.
• Ensuring safe practice, including incident reporting, mandatory training and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Supporting the wider team by working flexibly across the area when needed.

Ideal Candidate:

• Qualified Occupational Therapist with HCPC registration.
• Experience working with children and confidence using a range of paediatric assessments and interventions.
• Good understanding of child development, neurodevelopmental conditions and specialist equipment.
• Able to assess, plan and deliver personalised therapy programmes using clear, achievable goals.
• Strong communication skills - warm, clear and sensitive when supporting children, families and professionals.
• Confident working as part of a multidisciplinary team and building positive relationships with schools, health and social care colleagues.
• Able to keep accurate records, write professional reports and use IT systems effectively.
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, problem-solve and stay calm under pressure.
• Awareness of safeguarding, moving and handling, and Education, Health & Care planning processes.
• Emotionally resilient, reflective and able to seek support when needed.
• Physically able to take part in play-based activities and safe manual handling.
• Able to work independently while engaging in regular supervision.

Desirable:

• Membership of relevant specialist interest groups.
• Practice Educator training.
• Experience working in community children’s services or the NHS.
• Experience teaching, presenting or supporting student learning.

Other requirements: The post holder must be a car driver with a full valid driving licence.