Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational Therapy Assistant

The closing date is 22 October 2026

As an occupational therapy assistant in TEWV you will provide support to service users (inpatient adult mental health) to engage in a therapeutic programme of care, as delegated by an occupational therapist, demonstrating adherence to the Trust Values at all times and operating as a member of the team, service and organisation.

We are looking for occupational therapy assistant who can work flexibly to meet service need and have the vision, energy and inspiration to support in the delivery of creative, imaginative solutions to delivering occupational therapy with adults experiencing mental health crisis and their families/carers.

You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network in Durham & Darlington in supporting the delivery of a high quality, needs-led OT service, utilizing your technical and creative skills to engage service users in therapeutic activities and supporting service users/carers to achieve their identified goals.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position.

Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Main duties of the job

The successful postholder will be responsible for working with delegated service users and contributing to assessments and interventions to address key occupational areas of self-care, productivity and leisure.

You will engage service users and their carers in therapeutic programmes of care, supporting them in achieving their identified goals and promoting independence and well‑being through a client‑centred approach.

In addition to this, the post holder will participate in clinical supervision, contribute to multi‑disciplinary team working and contribute to safety and quality improvement activities as part of occupational therapy team.

You will use the Trust electronic patient record system, abide by all Trust policies and procedures, and be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenge.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the person specification within the attached job description to ensure you meet the essential criteria for the post prior to applying. Applicants must meet the shortlisting criteria to be considered for this post.

The post holder will support occupational therapists in the provision of evidence‑based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway and offer input to individuals, their families and carers.

All team members must be committed to providing the best possible care for the people we work with and their families/carers.

The ability to engage and communicate with service users well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential.

Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the supervising Occupational Therapist as identified by the relevant Lead OT. The postholder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to the wider OT service developments.

You must be able to demonstrate experience of working alongside occupational therapists or experience of paid or voluntary work with people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities. And a keenness to continually develop yourself and others. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings.

There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal.

This job advert may close early if a high volume of applications have been received. If interested, please apply for this post as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Relevant NVQ Level 3 in Care or equivalent
• or Appropriate AVCE in Health & Social Care
• or Willingness to undertake within agreed timescale
• And Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)

Experience

• Experience of paid or voluntary work with people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
• Experience working alongside occupational therapists

Knowledge

• Awareness of needs of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.
• Awareness of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Understanding of therapeutic terminology (within agreed timescale)
• Understanding of a variety of therapeutic approaches (within agreed timescale)
• Awareness of health & safety issues (within agreed timescale)

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

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

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