Band 7 Occupational Therapist

About Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is a disability charity offering care, education, vocational and rehab services. The charity also provides residential care, nursing, and supported living. Within the education sector, Shaftesbury has one school, Shaftesbury Victoria School, and two further education colleges, Shaftesbury Millie College and Shaftesbury Nash College. The school is for students aged 3-19, and the colleges are for students aged 16-25. All students have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), as well as physical and/or intellectual disabilities, and some have profound and complex learning needs.

About the Role

This pivotal role ensures the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based clinical services that support students to access further education, achieve their EHCP outcomes, and develop independence for adult life after college. You will be responsible for delivering high-quality assessment, intervention, clinical support and review within your professional scope of practice, while leading the local therapy and wellbeing team, including therapists, nurses, and assistants. The post holder will maintain exceptional standards of care, fostering a culture of safety, compliance, and excellence to support meaningful learning experiences for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

This is an exciting opportunity to maintain a varied and rewarding caseload or area of professional practice, while developing leadership and management experience. The successful candidate will be a passionate and student-centred occupational therapist or speech and language therapist with excellent professional skills, who is effective and leads with empathy. You will need a calm and adaptable approach, excellent leadership skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver assessment, intervention, clinical support and review for students with SEND and a range of health, communication, physical, sensory or learning needs, within your professional scope of practice.
• Lead, provide clinical supervision, guidance and support to the local therapy and wellbeing team including therapists, nurses and assistants.
• Use evidence-informed approaches and adapt support according to each student’s cognitive ability, sensory needs, health presentation, behavioural presentation, and communication style.
• Support students’ access to learning, participation, communication, wellbeing, health, and independence through appropriate professional input and multidisciplinary planning.
• Work collaboratively with education staff, families and external agencies to promote student participation and achievement of their goals.
• Support local governance activities, including audits, quality improvement and service development initiatives.
• Be part of Nash College Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the ongoing development of provision and integrated working.
• The postholder will typically spend approximately 70% of their time undertaking clinical duties and 30% supporting leadership, management, quality improvement and service development activities.

Essential Skills & Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification in occupational therapy or speech and language therapy, with current professional registration as applicable.
• Membership of the relevant professional body, where applicable.
• Experience working with young people with SEND and a range of health, communication, physical, sensory or learning needs, or transferable skills relevant to the setting.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or supporting other staff members.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, clinical governance, quality assurance, and maintaining professional standards.
• Strong communication, organisational and multidisciplinary collaboration skills.

Why Join Us?

• The opportunity to combine clinical practice with leadership and service development.
• Working as part of a supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary team.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference and contribution to our students’ lives in preparation for adulthood.
• Opportunities for continuing professional development.
• Benefit from the rare opportunity to combine a rewarding clinical career with term-time working, offering the flexibility to support your work-life balance and personal commitments.

Safeguarding

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Shaftesbury Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and staff. It is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to an enhanced DBS check and will follow our rigorous safer recruitment processes.

Equality and Diversity

Shaftesbury is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. Shaftesbury aims to create and sustain an inclusive work environment which provides equality of opportunity for everyone and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. The post holder is required to uphold the Equality and Diversity policy and comply with the code of conduct which sets out our standards of behaviour towards those who use our services or work within them.