Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist- Neonatology & Neurodevelopment
Band 8a
Main area Neonatal Occupational Therapy Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent: Full or part time considered Hours
* Full time
* Part time
37.5 hours per week Job ref 387-W&C3898-NG
Site Bristol Royal Hospital for Children Town Bristol Salary £57,528 - £64,750 per annum, pro rata for part time roles Salary period Yearly Closing 08/04/2026 23:59
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We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.
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Job overview
A rare, new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist to join our team. The post will provide expert Occupational Therapy to the Neonatal Service at St Michaels' Hospital and leadership to the team at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
As part of this forward thinking and innovative team this post in neonatology will support staff, parents & babies on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital and be instrumental in the continued development of this new service. You will link closely with the South West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network with opportunities for education & learning and be an instrumental stakeholder for any service development within the Bristol Group model
The postholder will be a valued member of the specialist OT team, working collaboratively with the current clinical lead and paediatric therapy lead. We are looking for an innovative, inclusive clinical leader who is passionate about delivering a high-quality patient centred service.
Main duties of the job
* To lead a highly specialised Occupational Therapy service and autonomously carry a clinical caseload, including highly complex specialist neonatal and paediatric patients admitted to the neonatal unit and BRHC.
* To provide direct line management and operational support to a team of qualified and non qualified staff
* To be a core member of the neonatal MDT, assisting in the development, planning and progression of service provision in accordance with best evidence and local and national targets
* To demonstrate advanced knowledge of foetal new-born development, developmental disabilities and promotion of the roles of Occupational Therapy in neonatal services.
* To act as a source of expertise and demonstrate advanced knowledge and experience in the highly skilled management of high risk infants requiring neonatal care.
* Identify, co-ordinate and undertake continual professional development.
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and Person Specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Qualifications & Training
* HCPC registered Occupational Therapist
* Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy
* Evidence of relevant post-graduate CPD equivalent to at least MSc level
* Relevant Neonatal Training courses e.g. NBAS, NBO, FINE, Infant Bobath, Sensory Beginnings, General Movement, EI Smart, Bayley IV, miniAHA
* Registration with RCOT
Knowledge & Experience
* Significant post graduate experience across a wide range of specialities
* Experience working within paediatrics at a senior level (Band7 or above) including neonatal care, neurodevelopment or neurosciences
* Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessment and interventions in neonatal units
* Evidence working within a multidisciplinary team with clear understanding of roles and expectations
* Proven experience of research, audit and/or service development
* Proven experience in developing and delivering teaching, training and supervision of others
* Experience managing individuals and managing team performance
* Experience of hospital discharge planning and caseload prioritisation
* Experience of prescribing specialised paediatric equipment.
Skills & Abilities
* Excellent organisational and time management skills
* Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
* Excellent clinical leadership skills
* Sound IT skills
* Ability to work independently as an autonomous practitioner
* Proven responsibility for own decision making whilst working closely within a team
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
* Ability to fabricate upper limb splints from a range of materials
* Good team player
* Leadership
* Trustworthy
* Hardworking
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
· UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.
IMPORTANT:
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Lisa Mills Job title Paediatric Occupational Therapy Professional Lead Email address lisa.mills@uhbw.nhs.uk Telephone number 0117 3428429
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