Team Lead Occupational Therapist – Paediatrics

Team Lead Occupational Therapist – Paediatrics

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Occupational Therapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 309-UCLH-8355527

Site University College London Hospital Town London Salary £58,133 - £65,261 Per annum inclusive of HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 26/10/2026 23:59

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We are recruiting for a Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist to join our Inpatient Paediatric Therapy Team. The post holder will have joint responsibility for the therapy team with the Team Lead Physiotherapist and will carry a clinical caseload. The team provide advanced assessment and treatment of patients aged 0 - 24 within General Paediatrics, Paediatric Oncology, Radiotherapy and the Teenage Cancer Trust unit.

We are seeking an Occupational Therapist with relevant clinical experience, looking to develop in a supportive environment. The role is ideal for an experienced Band 6 or a Band 7 looking for a new challenge. The successful candidate will be welcomed into the UCLH Paediatric & Teenage Cancer Therapy Service and the wider Cancer Therapies Team. You will have the chance to develop expertise in paediatric, teenage and young adult cancer care alongside nurturing your highly specialist occupational therapy skills as well as the opportunity to build clinical leadership skills.

The post holder will be joining an innovative and award winning Paediatric and Teenage therapy team. Cancer care is one of the top three strategic priorities for UCLH, therefore it is an exciting and dynamic area to work in. The Trust is the largest paediatric and young adult centre for radiotherapy in the UK with a close partnership with other paediatric centres. Our Teenage Cancer Trust Unit is the UK’s first and largest unit.

Main duties of the job

• To provide high quality occupational therapy assessments and treatments independently managing a caseload of patients and ensuring an excellent standard of clinical care.
• To provide expert advice, guidance, and information to patients, carers, schools and other health care professionals.
• To work with patients and families to agree the best course of occupational therapy management and to develop patient centred discharge plans in conjunction with the MDT.
• To facilitate effective and timely management of patients at various stages of the cancer trajectory.
• To understand and apply national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care, occupational therapy practice and the care of paediatric patients.
• To work with the MDT to incorporate and contribute to the evidence base for this clinical specialty.
• To be jointly responsible for co-ordination, delivery, evaluation, and development of the Inpatient Paediatric Therapy Team at UCLH, with the Team Lead Physiotherapist.
• To ensure effective induction, supervision/appraisal and training of qualified and non-qualified (support staff and students) within the Inpatient Paediatric Therapy Team.
• To maintain high professional standards, continuously promoting and developing the occupational therapy profession.
• To be responsible for your own professional development.

Working for our organisation

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working .

Person specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in occupational therapy
• State registered Occupational Therapist (HCPC)
• Evidence of relevant post-graduate courses and CPD
• Good written and spoken English
• Masters level qualification in occupational therapy practice or relevant topic

Experience

• Significant experience as an Occupational Therapist at Band 6 level or above.
• Post-graduate experience working as a paediatric Occupational Therapist at band 6 level or above.
• Post-graduate experience in a wide range of paediatric specialities including orthopaedics, neurology, and developmental.
• Highly specialist knowledge and experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of complex occupational therapy needs.
• Evidence of working independently and to take full responsibility for clinical care of patients
• Experience of audit or service evaluation or developmentAbility and willingness to work within the Trust and NHS performance, framework, and targets
• Previous experience of formal presentations to MDT groups.
• Post-graduate experience in paediatric and/or adult oncology/haematology.
• Post-graduate experience working with radiotherapy patients
• Experience of working across acute and community services.
• Experience leading a team.
• Experience of research
• Clinical experience working with children and young adults with life-limiting conditions

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team
• A creative, problem solving and flexible approach to work
• Caring attitude towards patients and their families/carers
• Competent in use of IT programmes: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet, e-mail and databases
• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development and the requirements of Clinical Governance

Communication

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with patient and families, MDT members and other internal and external agencies in person, over the phone and in writing
• Experience of close working relationships with education institutions

Personal and People Development

• Experience of supervising Occupational Therapy staff, support staff and students. Experience of appraisal
• Clinical leadership ability
• Experience of team building and team working skills
• Experience of teaching clinical skills to student Occupational Therapists and undergraduates
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Ability to recognise work related stress and pressures in yourself and others

Specific Requirements

• Able to join a seven day service if required

At UCLH, we have a real ‘One Team’ ethos, and our values – safety, kindness, teamwork and improving, are central to the way we work. This is supported by our staff, who voted us as the #1 NHS Acute Trust to work for in the whole of England.

At UCLH we take equality of opportunity seriously and are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer, with a culture that creates a real sense of belonging and trust. It is our fundamental aim, to recruit, retain and promote a diverse mix of people who are representative of our local communities. Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to support our world class research, innovation and creativity.

We offer our permanent staff an interest free season ticket loan for travel, all our staff have access to free independent and confidential support, large retail discounts, a staff discount platform, cycle to work scheme and on-site accommodation to name a few.

Additionally, UCLH Arts and Heritage’s staff wellbeing programme, Creative Comfort, offers a variety of ways to engage with the arts as a member of UCLH staff. You can try out the weekly choir, weekly art club and join the Culture Club for exclusive access to free and discounted tickets for opera, exhibitions, theatre and more.

We recognise, reward and thank colleagues by nominating them for our annual Celebrating Excellence Awards, which are funded by UCLH Charity.

You must already have the right to work in the United Kingdom or fully meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. We welcome applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship; however, we can only consider these where all UKVI requirements are met. Before applying, please ensure that both you and the role satisfy the relevant UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) points‑based system criteria, as applications that do not meet these requirements cannot be progressed. For more information about the criteria, as applications that do not meet these requirements cannot be progressed.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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