Professional and Operational Lead for Occupational Therapy
The closing date is 18 January 2026
A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen to be the Professional and Operational Lead for Occupational Therapy at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. This post is a key leadership role within the AHP services at SWFT and also provides direct leadership to the Wheelchair and Community Stroke Services. The Professional and Operational Lead for Occupational Therapy is responsible for managing the diverse Occupational Therapy and Wheelchair services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust with the responsibility for the operational management and business planning of the service across Hospital and Community.
Main duties of the job
The Professional and Operational Lead for Occupational Therapy is responsible for managing the diverse Occupational Therapy (OT) and Wheelchair services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust with the responsibility for the operational management and business planning of the service across Hospital and Community.
The post holder is responsible for:
The effective service delivery of Adult OT and Wheelchair Services through the provision of professional leadership, operational management, supervision and guidance to Adult OT and Wheelchair service staff.
Providing professional leadership, specialist knowledge / advice to OTs across a variety of services and client groups with complex social, health or environmental needs.
The strategic management of OT and Wheelchair services to adults provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust across acute and community services, ensuring that the services are effective, integrated, high quality and well-coordinated across different agencies, teams and service areas.
Managing the diverse OT and Wheelchair services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust with the responsibility for the operational management and business planning of the service across Hospital and Community. This includes leading on innovation, developing and modernising services supporting national, system and local innovation and key objectives such as 'Left Shift' initiatives and the implementation of new ways of working across all services.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Job responsibilities
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide professional leadership and hold management accountability for OT and Wheelchair staff in the Adult OT and Wheelchair department, including registered therapists, non-registered support staff and administrative staff.
To provide senior leadership to the community stroke service
To ensure that agreed performance standards and service targets are met.
To interpret and implement national and local policies relevant to Adult OT and Wheelchairs and stroke ensuring that policy translates into practice.
To provide professional advice on matters relating to Adult OT and Wheelchair staff, and contribute to, the strategic planning of the SWFT board and other organisations/agencies.
To ensure delivery of OT, Wheelchair and community stroke services, including core inpatients and outpatients in acute and Community Hospitals, working collaboratively within SWFT, Coventry and Warwickshire ICB and external organisations.
To advise SWFT and commissioners on all issues of Adult OT, Wheelchair and community stroke service delivery including performance against contract, shortfalls, service pressures and proposed remedial action.
To hold responsibility for the collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of OT, Wheelchair and community stroke data, to provide reports and recommendations to the Board and other organisations. To prepare business cases/proposals for service developments and to be proactive in procuring funding for these developments.
To develop clinical policies, procedure, protocols, prioritisation systems and outcome systems in line with evidence base, professional clinical guidelines, national polies and Trust clinical governance strategy.
To ensure that Adult OTs are actively engaged in the development of training packages and information materials for different client groups, as a key component of the provision of high-quality services
To develop and monitor the professional standards of the Department, in line with RCOT, HCPC and national guidance, ensuring that all staff are supported through appraisal and clinical supervision and are engaged in Continuing Professional Practice activities.
To ensure that principles of Clinical Governance are embedded in professional practice within Adult OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke.
To have responsibility for compiling comprehensive Department Training Plans, and to ensure that a robust system of CPD is in place for all qualified OT and Wheelchair staff, in order that professional registration with HCPC can be maintained.
To attend and take an active role in local, regional and national OT, Wheelchair and stroke activities/professional agenda: to represent the service at the Professional Managers Forum.
To develop and performance manage Service Level Agreements with other organisations including other Trusts and the Private sector as appropriate.
To engage in a continuous cycle of skill mix across the services to ensure more effective and efficient use of resources.
To take responsibility for the recruitment of new staff and ensure that appropriate induction and support is provided.
To ensure a team structure which encourages professional development of staff, offers career development opportunities, and is effective in achieving staff retention through the Trusts Peoples Promise supporting staffs Health and Wellbeing.
To be accountable for all disciplinary and grievance procedures which may arise within the services.
To hold responsibility for sickness absence monitoring in line with SWFT policy
To facilitate the development of staff in problem solving, negotiation skills, reflective practice and a cycle of continuous service improvements through the organisation of clinical supervision, peer review and team planning meetings
Through the student placement facilitator, to ensure a comprehensive programme of student placements and assessments is provided within the team.
To have responsibility for resolving informal and formal complaints, undertaking the role of complaints investigator when requested for the and other disciplines/departments.
To ensure that a work plan for involvement of users in the development of the services for adults is in place.
To attend SWFT, Divisional and Allied Health Professions meetings to represent OT and contribute to the wider AHP strategy
In relation to Adult OT, to take a lead on and participate in multidisciplinary policy development and working groups within SWFT. To take responsibility for the development, implementation and monitoring of a range of objectives/projects in line with national and local priorities.
To ensure that the services observe data protection guidelines and maintains required standards of case notes and record keeping in line with RCOT professional standards and SWFT standards.
To carry out clinical duties and direct patient care as required to support service delivery as required
SERVICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH:
In the areas of Adult OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke, to take on agreed responsibilities in the following areas:
Health and Safety and Risk Management
Contribute to an up-to-date portfolio of evidence and action plans for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other regulatory bodies.
To oversee the development of innovation in areas of risk management, quality standards settings, clinical effectiveness and building a local evidence base in line with SWFTs priorities
To ensure that a programme of Clinical Governance/Audit projects is developed, including the identification of required resources.
To represent the Adult OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke service within multidisciplinary systems of clinical governance within SWFT.
To collect and provide research data as required.
FINANCIAL RESOURCE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT:
Manage the financial performance of the Adult OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke department, highlighting potential problems at the earliest opportunity and be instrumental in implements corrective action.
Ensure that all resource implications and changes in services within the OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke Department are clearly communicated to the Associate Director of Operations for Out of Hospital Division.
Support the ADO and the Divisional Finance Manager in the negotiation and agreement of the Department budget.
Manage the performance of the Department to achieve effectiveness and efficiency targets including Cost Improvement Programmes.
To negotiate detailed service level agreements with commissioners/users of OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke services.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION:
Take lead in the implementation of the SWFT and Out of Hospital Division communication strategies in relation to the Adult OT, Wheelchair and Community Stroke Department, ensuring that methods of organisation and sources of information are patient centre. Communication with other appropriate professional bodies, clinical specialities across the Trust and other agencies locally and nationally, to promote and improve the services in line with the Trusts objectives and nationally agreed initiatives.
Ensure that communication systems support the effective management of the service and ensure that staff views are actively sought.
Ensure that flexible and imaginative feedback exist to receive user and carer views on the running of current services, as well as planning those for the future
GENERAL MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL:
In conjunction with the other AHP managers in the Division to provide cover and/or deputise for the Associate Chief AHP where required.
Where agreed with the ADO Out of Hospital Division, to take a division wide lead of specific corporate issues.
Provide appropriate management leadership in line with the Divisional management structure.
Ensure working hours of staff under your responsibility are managed in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance and comply with the EWTD.
Ensure delivery of the Trust Governance agenda, including risk management, health and safety and quality standards, through the development, implementation and review of governance systems to ensure a safe clinical and working environment within the department.
Represent the Division and be actively involved in Trust side team/committees as directed
To contribute to the SWFT on-call manager rota
Person Specification
Skills
* Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner and as part of wider healthcare team
* Ability to make decisions involving complex facts and situations and to manage and reconcile conflict
* Evidence of leadership and managerial skills
* Able to present information written and orally, in a clear concise and logical manner and be computer literate
* Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession and adhere to professional standards
* Ability to interpret current professional issues and apply to practice
* Awareness of Information Governance and its implications for the service and wider team.
* Ability to interact with staff and service users at all levels demonstrating sound emotional intelligence
* Good written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
* Evidence of some understanding of change management and service improvement including business planning
* Resource management
Other
* Ability to work in a team
* Commitment to CPD and service development
* Take part in the manager on call rota
* Independent means of transport and full driving license
Qualifications
* Degree in Occupational Therapy
* Masters level qualification or equivalent experiential learning
* HCPC registration
* Member of RCOT
* Evidence of relevant CPD maintained in a portfolio
Experience
* Evidence of significant post registration experience in Occupational Therapy
* Evidence of working in a management role or as team leader
* Experience of working in a variety of settings including acute and community
* Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the service and staff
* Evidence of undertaking service development/project management
* Understanding of organisational and system challenges facing Occupational Therapy
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.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
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