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- Tasks: Support young people with diverse communication needs and provide therapeutic interventions.
- Company: Join The Witherslack Group, a leader in special educational needs support.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, full school holidays, and extensive wellbeing resources.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in young lives while growing your clinical skills in an inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: Must be a qualified Occupational Therapist with experience in therapeutic interventions for children.
- Other info: This role includes a £1,000 bonus for referring friends and comprehensive professional development opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 30700 - 36700 £ per year.
£36,507 – £44,103 (including paid school holidays) + excellent benefits
Those Huge Small Victories
Our clinicians are fulfilled by the idea of affecting even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things.
Get out what you put in
This role is based at Westmorland School.
Join our team this September and take the next step in a role that offers rich, hands-on experience with a diverse range of communication profiles. From supporting non-speaking learners and AAC users to working with those who experience developmental language differences and delays, you\’ll have the opportunity to build your clinical skills in a truly inclusive environment. We are looking for someone who brings a compassionate, learner-centred mindset – someone who celebrates and respects every young person’s unique communication style and sensory needs. A passion for special educational needs (SEN) and a commitment to ongoing professional growth are essential, as is an eagerness to engage with reflective practice, seek feedback, and stay current with the latest evidence-based approaches.
Our clinicians are a crucial part of the most joined-up model in SEND. Across all of our specialist schools and children’s homes, we provide unrivalled levels of clinical support, both in terms of our expertise and breadth of provision. Our young people present with a complexity of need including developmental trauma, neuro-developmental conditions and special educational needs.
As part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team you will be supporting educational and residential colleagues to provide therapeutic living and learning environments and, based on clinical assessment and formulation, offer individualised interventions and engagement to our young people.
Our Occupational Therapists work collaboratively within our schools and children’s homes, this ensures that therapeutic support permeates every aspect of the education, care and support we offer all of our children and young people. You will provide consultation, workshops, training and guidance to the educational and residential teams around our children.
What we do for you
We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the sector. With us, you’ll get to make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:
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Training: A full induction and on the job training
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Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays including bank holidays
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Clinical Development: If career growth and professional advancement is your thing, we provide a leading programme of clinical learning and development
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Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here
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Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
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Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
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Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
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A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time
Bring your whole self to work
Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. The kind of person we’re looking for will:
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Be a qualified Occupational Therapist registered with the HCPC
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Have experience and be skilled in delivering therapeutic interventions for children and young people with complex needs
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Need experience of supporting teams around a child or young person to ensure they are being provided with clinically informed living and learning environments and experiences
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Be a confident, engaging and effective, model, guide, leader and
trainer. -
Be highly organised and ready to take the initiative
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Be committed to ensuring the best outcomes for young people
This is a great opportunity to change young lives and have a positive impact on their future. Embedded within our living and learning environments you will be offered the support, resource and platform for you to do great things. You’ll benefit from supervision, a clinical development programme and access to a 220+ strong team of multi-disciplinary clinical colleagues who will be with you every step of the way.
Interested in joining us?
Our young people deserve the best possible future and we feel the same about our teams. You deserve to have the career you want, with a purpose-led employer, in an environment that allows you to be yourself.
The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.
For a full job description and person specification, please click here.
To view our ex-offenders policy please click here.
To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the \’Parents and Carers\’ section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.
Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD
Occupational Therapist employer: Witherslack Group
Contact Detail:
Witherslack Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Occupational Therapist
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific needs of the young people you'll be working with. Research developmental trauma, neuro-developmental conditions, and special educational needs to demonstrate your understanding during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former Occupational Therapists in similar roles. They can provide insights into the work environment and expectations, which can help you tailor your approach when discussing your experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience in multi-disciplinary teams. Highlight any collaborative projects you've been involved in, as this role emphasises teamwork in providing therapeutic support across various settings.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your commitment to ongoing professional development. Mention any relevant training or workshops you've attended, especially those related to evidence-based approaches in occupational therapy for children.
We think you need these skills to ace Occupational Therapist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience and skills that align with the role of an Occupational Therapist. Focus on your work with children and young people, especially those with complex needs, and include any specific therapeutic interventions you've delivered.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for special educational needs and your commitment to ongoing professional growth. Share specific examples of how you've positively impacted young people's lives and how you plan to contribute to the team at Westmorland School.
Showcase Your Qualifications: Clearly state your qualifications, including your registration with the HCPC. Mention any additional training or certifications that are relevant to the role, such as workshops or courses in therapeutic practices for children with developmental trauma or neuro-developmental conditions.
Demonstrate Reflective Practice: Highlight your experience with reflective practice in your application. Discuss how you seek feedback and stay current with evidence-based approaches, as this is crucial for the role and shows your dedication to professional development.
How to prepare for a job interview at Witherslack Group
✨Show Your Passion for SEN
Make sure to express your genuine passion for special educational needs during the interview. Share specific experiences where you've made a positive impact on young people's lives, highlighting your commitment to their unique communication styles and sensory needs.
✨Demonstrate Collaborative Skills
Since the role involves working within a multi-disciplinary team, be prepared to discuss your experience in collaboration. Provide examples of how you've successfully worked with educational and residential colleagues to create supportive environments for children.
✨Prepare for Reflective Practice Questions
Expect questions about reflective practice and how you seek feedback to improve your skills. Be ready to share instances where you've adapted your approach based on feedback or new evidence-based methods you've learned.
✨Highlight Organisational Skills
As the role requires being highly organised and taking initiative, prepare to discuss how you manage your time and prioritise tasks. Share examples of how you've effectively handled multiple responsibilities while ensuring the best outcomes for young people.
