Main area COAST - Occupational Therapist Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This service opening hours are 9am to 8pm, weekend and BH included. Working hours will be) Job ref 354-CS-21773
Employer Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust Employer type NHS Site Chalkhill Town Haywards Heath Salary £38,682 - £46,580 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 12/10/2025 23:59
Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 6
Job overview
Are you a registered Occupational Therapist? Are you looking for a new challenge with the opportunity to be involved in developing a new service?
We are seeking to recruit an experienced and creative Occupational Therapist to join an exciting new development of an enhanced crisis / home treatment 7 day a week service as an alternative to inpatient admission for Children and Young People (CYP) who are experiencing acute mental health difficulties.
You will be part of an exciting development to give children and young people living in Sussex a more appropriate integrated range of services to meet their clinical needs. As an Occupational Therapist this will be providing timely, targeted assessment and effective interventions as alternative to hospital admissions including looking at occupational barriers to participation through individual's values, roles and interests alongside environment barriers.
The aim of the Crisis Outreach and Acute Support Team (COAST) is to provide an alternative to admission to support the local network around the young person (aged 12-18) whilst they are in the acute stage of mental health difficulties. You will be working closely and supporting the Occupational Therapy staff as well as alongside nursing, psychiatry, psychologists, family therapy, social worker and mental health practitioners.
Due to the nature of the acute community service, car and drive license are strongly recommended.
Main duties of the job
Working alongside Occupational Therapy colleagues as part of the Sussex COAST team, you will be responsible for the provision of Occupational Therapy assessment, consultation and interventions. In addition, supporting the professional and clinical supervision for the occupational therapy staff and Support Worker.
You will support the young person alongside their parent/carer to explore and/or return to meaningful and valued activity through the provision of support to understand sensory need, sensory strategies, adaptive strategies, re-motivational process and occupational adaptation and environmental modifications.
Working for our organisation
SPFT provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. The trust is rated as ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the CQC.
SPFT encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/life balance brings about huge health related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, flexible start/finish times. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.
You will receive supervision from the CAMHS Occupational Therapy professional lead within the wider CAMHS services and have opportunities to network with Occupational Therapists across Child and Adolescent Mental Health services in Sussex.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation
This is an excellent time for Occupational Therapists to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as we have launched our first AHP Strategy and can offer the following to you:
·Regular professional supervision
·The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.
·Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities including
oA programme of AHP specific training
oQuarterly Occupational Therapy CPD Hubs
oCommunities of Practice (Recovery through Activity and Sensory Strategies)
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In order to be a successful Occupational Therapist in our team you will be:
* Registered with HCPC
* Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
* Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
* Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
* Experienced working in a multi-disciplinary children and young person's environment
* Experienced working with families who are facing tough times and have a particular affinity for working with young people.
It would also be advantageous if you have your own car as the role will involve direct work with young people and their families in their homes and communities across Sussex.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role.
You will receive supervision from the CAMHS Occupational Therapy professional lead within the wider CAMHS services and have opportunities to network with Occupational Therapists across young people services in Sussex.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
* Evidence of post graduate level study/training
* Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
* Management/Leadership training
* Training in the use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools
Knowledge/Experience
* Experience as a qualified occupational therapist in mental health
* Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
* Experience of both group and individual work
* Experience of multidisciplinary working
* Experience of supervising staff and students
* Experience as a Care Coordinator
* Experience in a clinical area related to the post
* Experience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of occupational therapy clinical approaches used in mental health
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.
Application numbers
Due to high numbers of applications this vacancy may close before the advertised closing date. We will not be able to accept late applications to this post.
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