Senior Occupational Therapist

Job summary

The Senior Occupational Therapist role within Older Adult Mental Health In-Patient Service, based at the Crystal Centre, Chelmsford, provides an exciting opportunity to deliver specialist, recovery-focused occupational therapy for older adults with complex mental health needs.

Working as valued member of a multidisciplinary team, you will play a key role in assessment, care planning, rehabilitation, risk management, and discharge planning to support positive patient outcomes. You will work closely with ward and community colleagues to deliver holistic, person-centred care, while also providing supervision and support to junior staff, therapy assistants, and students.

The successful candidate will join a supportive & experienced team with access to regular clinical and management supervision, and ongoing professional development opportunities, while contributing to service development and quality improvement initiatives.

Main duties of the job

Provide specialist OT assessment and treatment. Manage and prioritise a clinical caseload. Develop and review person-centred care plans. Support rehabilitation, recovery, and discharge planning. Deliver individual and group interventions. Work closely with the multidisciplinary team. Liaise with community and partner agencies. Contribute to ward rounds and MDT meetings. Supervise junior staff, assistants, and students. Support audit, quality improvement, and service development. Maintain accurate clinical records and reports. Participate in supervision, training, and CPD.

About us

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you. Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential. Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks. If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.

Benefits 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service. Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay. Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits. £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Job responsibilities

Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate occupational therapy interventions for older adult in-patients. Undertake specialist assessments and manage complex clinical cases. Develop individualised treatment plans and work collaboratively with patients, carers, and the multidisciplinary team. Liaise with community services, social care, housing providers, and other agencies to support discharge planning and continuity of care.

Facilitate therapeutic interventions in both individual and group settings. Provide supervision, leadership, and operational support to junior staff, assistants, and students. Contribute to service development, clinical audit, research, and quality improvement initiatives. Maintain high standards of record keeping, governance, and professional practice.

Person Specification

Knowledge · Essential

HCPC registration Previous work experience in a Mental health / older adults, /neurology/ LD/ Social service provision. Knowledge of occupational therapy theory and models of practice. Minimum of two years' post-registration experience as an Occupational Therapist

Desirable

Experience of supervising or supporting students, assistants, or junior staff.

Skills · Essential

Competent IT skills, including electronic patient record systems. Ability to build effective working relationships with service users, carers, MDT colleagues, and external agencies. Ability to maintain accurate clinical records and produce clear reports. Effective organisational and time-management skills.

Desirable

Experience of service development, audit, or quality improvement projects.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) . From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).