NCH&C is proud to be the first standalone NHS community trust in the UK to achieve an 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another. Praising NCH&C's "compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels", the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.
Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is committed to continuing to create a modern and inclusive work environment. As part of this commitment we actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible, to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce to maintain and improve their wellbeing. The trust offers a range of flexibility, including flexible working patterns, and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.
We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.
Before applying for this vacancy, please make sure you're familiar with ongoing sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisations ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future.
Specifically for band 3 roles within healthcare please be aware of the salary threshold required for a certificate of sponsorship to be granted, and that unfortunately overseas applicants who are new to care will not reach the minimum salary threshold to obtain a certificate of sponsorship and therefore your application will be withdrawn.
With effect from the 1st April 2026 Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust will be merging with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust to form a new organisation. The new Trust will provide a wide range of community health and social care services to over 4 million people, with a budget of circa £380 million and a workforce of over 7,000 people.
Job overview
We are seeking a compassionate, innovative, and enthusiastic Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our 'Outstanding' community Children's and Young People's Specialist services. You would be joining a friendly and supportive highly specialist multidisciplinary team and would contribute to the development of Allied Health Professional (AHP) provision within our Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Starfish).
The post is 28 hours per week and will work across Norfolk, including Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth, and Norwich. Base is negotiable and flexible working is supported and includes agile/home working where relevant. We will consider applications for 22.5 hours as a minimum.
The Starfish Team offers assessment and intervention for young people of school age (4-18 years) with a diagnosed learning disability who are experiencing significant behavioural and/or mental health difficulties.
This is a secondment post for 12 months, please ensure you have line manager agreement before submitting an application. Please see below contact details if you have any queries or would like an informal discussion prior to application.
Advert
Your role will be varied and will include a range of assessment, formulation, and intervention. This will include direct and indirect work with the children and young people that we support, as well as their families and the professional networks involved in their care.
You will have extensive experience of working with children and young people, and either some skills and experience with learning disability or mental health, and be willing to develop skills in the other area. You will be able to demonstrate excellent communication and time management skills.
You will be passionate and enthusiastic in your approach to service delivery and committed to improving the lives of children and young people. You will manage a complex clinical caseload. You will be an excellent problem solver and be able to give advice and recommendations to families and other professionals alike.
You will be expected to use a range of assessment skills, interviews with parents and carers, and observations in a range of settings, to inform the assessment and diagnostic process as well as the planning and provision of interventions.
There will be opportunities to contribute to the supervision, teaching and training of other professionals within the team as well as students. All staff have regular clinical and managerial supervision.
Working for our organisation
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career in which we will support your career development and progression.
We would love to hear from candidates who have a passion for working with children and young people with learning disabilities. We encourage informal discussion prior to application. Please contact Laura Wetton to arrange - [email protected]
Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an 'Outstanding' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.
Please note, the selection processes at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• To provide specialised support and advice to young people with a diagnosed learning disability and additional mental health and behavioural difficulties and their family in Starfish.
And to support physical needs within the Children's Community OT team.
• Work as part of the multi-disciplinary team around the child.
• To undertake assessment and clinical interventions for children and young people.
• Able to assess and interpret patients' presentation and use this information to inform
treatment delivered.
• Assess, develop and implement occupational therapy programmes with children.
• Monitor and adapt treatment programmes as appropriate to the child.
• Maintain patients' electronic records contemporaneously.
• Communicate condition related information, sensitive diagnostic and prognostic information to patients, carers & relatives, requiring empathy & reassurance.
• Be involved in planning and organising team training sessions and parent psychoeducation programmes as necessary.
• Supervise students as needed.
• Maintain CPD in line with HCPC requirements.
• Work within national codes of practice.
Equal Opportunities - We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). All sites are Smoke Free.
If you need this application in an offline format, please let us know.
Immigration Status - Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. However, potential applicants should note that although the Trust is registered with the Home Office as a sponsor organisation for migrant workers, sponsorship can only be offered against Skilled Worker visas. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self-gained right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.
Please note: Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.
Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to NCH&C staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.
DBS - If this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and you are not a current employee of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust or being recruited as an Apprentice then the cost of the DBS check will be automatically removed from your first month's salary. However if you are registered with the update service this may not be required.
Closing and Interview Dates -This vacancy may close early if sufficient applicants are received.
Data Protection - A privacy notice detailing how we will handle your data is attached to this advert as a document. Your application will be transferred to our recruitment management system (Trac) once the advert has closed and you will receive notification then detailing how Trac will handle your data.
On April 1st 2025, the Boards of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust will come together to deliver services as a group, with a singular board operating across both organisations. Both trusts are high performing specialist community health and care providers working in the East of England. Both have a strong track record, with the highest ratings from the Care Quality Commission, best in class NHS staff survey outcomes, and a decade of experience in innovation and clinical development.
The group model provides health and care services to the population in their homes and neighbourhoods. We provide care that supports people from the very beginning to the very end of their lives.
We will remain two separate employers until further notice, and this role being advertised will be employed by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.