Community Occupational Therapist in King's Lynn

Following recent investment in line with Norfolk and Waveney Urgent and Emergency Care Priorities, our Urgent Community Response (UCR) Therapy Team has an exciting opportunity for a part time Band 6 Occupational Therapist. We welcome conversations with all interested applicants.

Are you an experienced Therapist with excellent clinical and interpersonal skills? Are you flexible, approachable, and a team player? If so, we would love you to join our friendly, supportive team based in King’s Lynn and covering West Norfolk.

The post provides an exciting opportunity for applicants looking to build on a broad clinical skill base in line with our competency framework to triage and respond to a variety of Urgent Community Response and wider pathways across West Norfolk. You will be expected to work collaboratively and in liaison with our community teams and system partners.

The ideal candidates will have:

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• A positive, problem-solving approach to provide quality outcomes for patients
• Resilience and flexibility in dynamic situations
• Experience with supervision of staff and students is desirable

The Urgent Community Response Therapy team operates 7 days per week between the hours of 8am and 8pm. There is a requirement to work weekends and bank holidays.

Main duties of the job:

• To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.
• To make risk assessments, establishing the safety or otherwise of a patient’s ability to stay at home, or return safely from another care setting, providing and arranging as necessary supportive packages of care.
• To provide evidence-based clinical/therapeutic interventions based on best practice in order to improve health outcomes and promote choice.
• To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to assess and prescribe care pathways for patients in a crisis situation with long-term conditions, the frail and elderly, palliative and end-of-life care and/or rehabilitation needs, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.
• To provide in-reach to inpatient units and step up and step down beds where required.
• To act as the patient’s advocate, facilitating choice and patient empowerment.
• To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non-statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users.
• To triage referrals on a rotational basis for the Urgent Community Response Team.

This role is for 7 days per week, 365 days per year service, operating between 08:00 - 20:00 so candidates must be prepared to work shifts in these times.

You will receive clinical supervision from a Band 7 Clinical Lead Therapist and join an experienced, friendly, supportive team that values collaboration and professional growth. We offer excellent opportunities for ongoing development to help you progress in your career.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is proud to be rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) — the highest possible rating and the first standalone NHS community trust in the country to achieve this.

Our base at Park View Resource Centre, King’s Lynn is easily accessible from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and South Norfolk, making it a convenient location for work and travel.

Please note, the selection processes at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills. The use of AI in applications is monitored, and we remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that does not accurately reflect their skills.

With effect from 1 April 2026 Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust will be merging with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust to form a new organisation. The new Trust will provide a wide range of community health and social care services to over 4 million people, with a budget of circa £380 million and a workforce of over 7,000 people.

Job responsibilities:

• Undertake comprehensive therapy assessments of patients including those with a complex presentation, using investigative, analytical and clinical reasoning skills, and inform the development of a differential diagnosis.
• Formulate and execute individualised occupational therapy management and treatment plans of patients including those with complex presentation, in collaboration with the Urgent Community Response Team, other agencies and the patient, utilising a range of treatment skills.
• Be aware of Assistive Technology and make referrals for this as required.
• Assess patients holistically, communicating complex and sensitive information to patients and carers as to their assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan.
• Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building to enable patients to engage in their treatment/care/management plan.
• Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care coordinated appropriately.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
• Ensure activity data and clinical information is recorded on SystmOne and is completed on a daily basis.
• Plan and organise specialist services within the Urgent Community Response Team.
• Demonstrate dexterity, coordination and palpatory skills for assessment, and manual treatment of patients, including using specialist equipment and fine tools, manual and mobilising skills.
• Order equipment and contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
• Ensure informed consent is obtained prior to initiating interventions.
• Be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products daily, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: Diploma or 1st level degree in Occupational Therapy, or equivalent experience; Current HCPC registration; Clinical educators course.
• Experience: Evidence of working at relevant level; Good observational and reporting skills; Good interpersonal skills; Concentrate when undertaking patient care & inputting data/patient records; Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs; Demonstrate good IT and standard keyboard skills; Experience in complex moving and handling; Experience in training and supervising staff.
• Skills, Abilities and Knowledge: Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses; Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language; Highly motivated; Flexible & Resilient; Communication; Tact & diplomacy; Empathy & sensitivity; Ability to use own initiative.
• Personal Attributes / Behaviours: Ability to manage stressful situations; A team player; Professional appearance; Must have a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle; Kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments; Manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg; Manoeuvre patients using handling aids.

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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.