Head Occupational Therapist (Community Eating Disorders)
The closing date is 11 November 2025
Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist ready to lead with purpose and compassion? Join our small, friendly and highly supportive multidisciplinary team in our Day Unit for Eating Disorders, where collaboration and innovation truly make a difference. As the Head OT, you'll take a leading role in assessing and treating the complex occupational needs of adults living with the challenges of moderate to severe eating disorders. You will bring your clinical expertise, creativity and leadership to shape recovery-focused interventions that help individuals rebuild independence, meaning and quality of life. This is an exciting opportunity to influence service development, mentor and supervise OT ATP, and work alongside passionate colleagues who value holistic care and teamwork. If you are driven, compassionate about eating disorders and ready to take the next step in your OT career, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
A highly motivated and skilled Head Occupational Therapist to lead and coordinate the OT component of patient care within the day unit, providing specialist assessment and evidence based treatment for adults with moderate to severe eating disorders. You will be required to design, deliver and evaluate both group and individual programs that address individual occupational needs, enhance occupational performance, participation and recovery. You will champion excellence in OT practice, leading on audit, service evaluation and implementation of best practice to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of OT provision. You will work collaboratively with all members of the MDT, patients & carers contributing to holistic care planning. You will support the Team Leader in the daily management of the unit, including deputising in their absence. You will provide professional leadership, mentorship and supervision to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner, fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. Part of this role will require you to support future workforce development, acting as practice educator for OT students and promoting learning opportunities across the service. In addition, you will engage in strategic and service development, working closely with Day Unit Leadership and AHP Lead for Specialist Services to represent the OT perspective and contribute to local, divisional and Trust-wide AHP and Community Eating Disorder objectives.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
To manage a caseload of clients within the day unit, with highly complex OT needs, using evidence based/client-centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions on the Day Unit and within the local community.
To apply in depth knowledge of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and other standardised assessment approaches relevant to the clinical setting.
Following specialist assessment, to undertake case formulation to highlight occupational strengths and limitations and to inform the intervention plan moving forward.
To provide highly specialist Occupational Therapy advice, intervention and support to service users and their carers.
To work and liaise with other statutory and non-statutory service providers involved in service user care and treatment.
To provide daily leadership to the OTATP and other junior staff, through supervision, training and appraisal
Work alongside the Team Leader and under the management of the Operational Manager to develop the day unit service.
To maintain high standards of record keeping, ensuring that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standard
To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects including the day unit
* To deputise for the day unit Team Leader as required.
* To work as part of the Divisional AHP leadership team actively contributing towards Divisional and Trust AHP objectives.
Please see the full job description for more detailed information.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
* BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
* HCPC registration
* Evidence of clinical post registration training
* Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages
* Membership of RCOT, including specialist section
* Solution Focussed Brief Therapy Training/CBT/MANTRA
* AMPS/ESI/SI training
* Training courses related to adults with eating disorders
* Leadership training/ First line management training
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
* Significant post qualification in a clinical mental health setting: and/or demonstrable experience highly related to the clinical field - Eating Disorders
* Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions
* Highly Specialist knowledge and experience of using and applying the Model of Human Occupation assessment tools, or others appropriate to area
* Experience of other specialist Occupational Therapy assessment tools, e.g. AMPS, Pool Activity Levels
* Applied knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
* Documented evidence of continuing professional development
* Experience in providing advice, support and clinical supervision to junior staff and/or students
* Evidence of service development activities
* Experience in research or audit
* Previous experience of having worked at Band 7 level
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.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
£50,008 to £56,908 a yearper annum, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)
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