Band 6 - Occupational Therapist Emergency Medicine & Acute Admissions in Watford

We are looking for an Occupational Therapist to join our friendly and supportive Occupational Therapy team within the Inpatient Therapy Department at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The post is based within Emergency Medicine and the Acute Admission wards. This role would be suitable for current Band 6s or experienced Band 5s looking to progress their career within Emergency Medicine.

You will join an established team of occupational therapists and physiotherapists, working closely with clinical navigators, emergency and medical doctors and nurses, as well as the wider team of social care colleagues. You will manage a clinical caseload, completing specialist assessments and discharge planning. The post has core hours of 08:00 am– 16:00 pm and forms part of our 7-day working service. You will be included in the weekend rota, currently 1:6 weekends, with rest days provided in the following week. The role will involve using evidence-based clinical skills to support patients, as well as supporting junior members of the team. Please note that the anticipated start date for this role will be from November 2026.

Main duties of the job:

• You will clinically manage a caseload, completing detailed assessments and treatments in the Emergency Department, Acute Admission Unit or Early Assessment Unit.
• Discharge planning skills are key to this post, and you will need to be able to make timely decisions.
• You should have a caring, committed and quality-focused approach to the provision of patient care.
• In this post, your development will be supported by Band 7 therapists, with regular supervision and appraisals, as well as opportunities to complete further CPD.
• You will need to be a dynamic team player with excellent communication skills.
• You will also have the opportunity to teach, supervise and appraise junior staff, assistants and students.

Working for our organisation:

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• You will clinically manage a caseload, completing detailed assessments, treatments and discharge planning, while providing clinical supervision and support to junior therapists and therapy assistants.
• You will be supported by Band 7 Occupational Therapists within the teams, alongside well-established probation, supervision and appraisal processes.
• We also support our Band 6 staff with their professional development through development programmes and access to both internal and external courses.

Person specification:

• Occupational Therapy degree qualification or equivalent & NHS experience.
• Registration with the Health Care Professions Council.
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development and reflective practice.
• Membership of RCOT.
• Broad band 5 or band 6 NHS experience relevant to post.
• Attendance at post-graduate course(s) in relevant field.
• Understanding of Occupational Therapy structure in NHS.
• Understanding of Occupational Therapy models of practice.
• Professional ethics and their application in practice.
• Commitment to lifelong learning.
• Relevant Standardised assessments and outcome measures.
• Previous experience of working in the acute hospital setting.
• Previous experience of working in emergency medicine or acute admissions.