Senior Practitioner Occupational Therapist

Are you a confident, proactive, and compassionate Occupational Therapist looking for your next challenge?

About Us

West Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day. This is a great opportunity to join us as a Senior Practitioner Occupational Therapist in our friendly CarePoint Team that prides itself on their supportive culture. CarePoint provides a first point of contact for customers requiring a needs assessment under the Care Act 2014. It also provides an access and triage point for referrals from the police.

The aim of Adult Care Point 2 - Initial Contact (ACP2) is to meet need at the earliest opportunity in a person’s journey. As part of a multi-disciplinary team that supports, prevents, reduces and delays the need for long term services, you will provide specialist advice to social care professionals and social workers within the ACP2 team.

We provide a working environment that values professional supervision and support. This provides our workforce with what they need to deliver the best possible outcomes for our residents. We work to ensure that innovation and evidence-based practice underpins what we do and that we maintain an environment within which our occupational therapists can develop and progress in their careers. If you have the talent and ambition to achieve the best for the people we serve, then we will support you to progress and develop throughout your occupational therapy career.

In this fast-paced position, you will:

• Manage a varied and complex caseload, supporting individuals and their families/carers
• Lead on best practices, professional standards, and service improvements
• Develop, mentor, and support registered and unregistered social care practitioners
• Play a key role in delivering high-quality occupational therapy services
• Work collaboratively with health, housing, education, statutory, voluntary, and independent agencies

About The Job

Salary: £46,731 to £49,764 pro rata (£30,312 to £32,279 per annum for 24 hours per week)

Working Pattern: Part time, 24 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Horsham office base

We are seeking a Senior Practitioner Occupational Therapist to join our dynamic Care Point 2 team, supporting and deputising for the Team Manager in day-to-day operations, team development, and performance management. You need a strong understanding of advanced occupational therapy theories, methods, and concepts. You will need detailed organisational knowledge relating to the delivery of professional Occupational Therapy services, particularly in managing complex cases.

You should have an advanced understanding of key interventions, including:

• Strengths-based and solution-focused practice
• Systemic and evidence-based decision-making
• A strong grasp of the wider organisational landscape—including health, housing, education, and statutory, voluntary, and independent sectors

Additionally, you will need knowledge of management strategies to confidently handle internal and external challenges. You will model, coach, and develop others, using your supervisory and leadership skills to enhance best practice, professional standards, and service outcomes.

What We’re Looking For

• A confident communicator who can handle complex situations with compassion and empathy
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously and flexibly
• Sound IT and keyboard skills
• A qualified Occupational Therapist with Fieldwork Educators accreditation and experience in clinical/fieldwork education
• The ability to lead, coach, and influence best practices within the team
• Willingness to travel across the county - some locations may not be easily accessible by public transport.

Experience and Skills

Please review the role profile for the full list of key skills, qualifications and key skills required to be considered for this role, ensuring you cover each point, with examples as appropriate, within your application.

To be considered for this role you are required to have the following:

• Diploma/BSc Occupational Therapy or recognised equivalent Occupational Therapy qualification.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Experience of undertaking assessments in complex situations and occupational therapy intervention planning, implementation, and review by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.
• Extensive experience of working in partnership with those who access the service and maintaining a focus on the needs and strengths of the people, and the outcomes they want to achieve, whilst handling conflict and disagreement.
• Experience of managing risk within a risk enablement approach.
• Excellent, up-to-date working knowledge of relevant legislation e.g., Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005) etc.
• Valid, full driving licence.

Rewards and Benefits

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05609.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Melissa Maer (Team Manager) at melissa.maer@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.

To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to HCPC registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.