Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
An excellent opportunity has arisen for a dedicated and motivated Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our Mental Health and Wellness Team – North in Barking and Dagenham. This multidisciplinary team provides support to service users within the local community who present with a range of mental health needs.
The successful candidate will be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of their practice, including the management of service users under their care. Responsibilities include conducting advanced occupational therapy assessments, establishing person-centred goals and care plans, supporting daily functioning and independence through participation in activities, promoting social inclusion, physical health, and assessing functional risk in daily activities. The post holder will develop and implement personalised treatment programmes tailored to individual needs.
The post holder will utilise evidence-based practice, occupational therapy goals, and patient-centred principles, operating independently. They will also provide leadership to junior colleagues through regular supervision, appraisal and mentoring.
Under the guidance of the Lead Occupational Therapist and clinical leads, there are opportunities for professional development and skill enhancement, with potential for career progression within NELFT.
Main duties of the job
1. Provide high quality Occupational Therapy clinical expertise and service.
2. Responsible for the delivery a range of evidence-based interventions which promote recovery, social inclusion and normalisation for service users.
3. Manage challenging clinical situations and plan interventions whilst ensuring regular evaluation of the service users care plan.
4. Critically evaluate effectiveness of therapy interventions, in collaboration with service users, carers and other professionals.
5. Provide specialist clinical advice and contribute to clinical information on service users’ progress by attending meetings and ward rounds.
6. Work in partnership with a range of other services to provide support and treatment to service users to facilitate the safe management of their needs.
7. Work within the safeguarding adults and children’s frameworks across the Trust.
8. Take responsibility for an evidence-based clinical audit.
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
We are kind.
We are respectful.
We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at Goodmayes Hospital, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15%of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata for part time).
Use of AI
Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI
during the recruitment process.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
9. •NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
10. •Qualification in Occupational Therapy
11. •Current HCPC professional Registration
12. •Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Experience
Essential criteria
13. Preceptorship Completion
14. At least one year’s experience in the health or social care system working as an Occupational Therapist
15. Working as a band 5 OT for a minimum of 12 months
16. Assess, plan, implement, evaluate OT interventions
Knowledge
Essential criteria
17. An awareness of NHS priorities
18. Demonstrate clinical knowledge and experience and adapt to various settings
19. Thorough understanding of OT processes, models, and evidence-based practice
20. Understanding of principles of recovery and social inclusion
Skills
Essential criteria
21. Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
22. Able to apply basic range of treatment modalities in group and one to one format
23. Communication skills
24. Work effectively in a team and challenging environment
Other
Essential criteria
25. To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
26. Commitment towards own personal and professional development and that of others
27. Enthusiasm
28. Able to work flexibly, including possibility of evening/weekend work
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
29. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
30. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
31. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
32. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.