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, Essex, Kent and Medway. 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 exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 5 OT to join our multidisciplinary community team. You will be supervised by our Clinical Lead OT and provided with relevant training and supervision opportunities (including preceptorship) to help you reach your next professional step. You will be working alongside other OTs in the Memory service. Older Adult Mental Health service truly values the holistic nature of the OT role.
Our team is based at Broad street Centre, Morland Road Dagenham Essex and a number of major transport links (District Line and bus routes). There is also limited free parking at our site.
The successful candidate will use their evidence-based clinical skills to manage a caseload of service users with frailty and functional mental illness or a primary diagnosis of dementia. You will be working within a diverse community in the London Borough of Barking &Dagenham, to develop quality services which improve the lives of local people.
You will provide a specialist service and interventions in accordance with the Care Programme Approach, national policies and clinical guidelines.
As an organisation NELFT strives to deliver services within a recovery-focused and socially inclusive approach. The time is right for innovative clinicians to provide skilled input within a multidisciplinary team to support a culture of recovery and social inclusion.
Main duties of the job
- Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist (applicants awaiting HCPC registration will also be considered)
- Demonstrate a clear interest in working with older adults with a mental health condition or a dementia.
- Demonstrate knowledge and application of evidence-based practice and be able to prioritise caseloads using your acquired OT clinical and assessment skills.
- Demonstrate evidence of Continuous Professional Development.
- Experience of working within the context of a multidisciplinary team liaising with other team members and with external agencies.
- Have good time management skills and be able to prioritise and work on own initiative.
- Be able to work autonomously in a safe manner in clients own homes.
- Willing to supervise OT students or junior members of staff (once you have met the competencies).
- Have excellent communication skills - written & verbal.
-Be able to assess care needs, plan and review them enabling service users to maximise opportunities for recovery.
- To be aware of Government strategies in relation to Mental Health in Older Adults.
- To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of medication used in the treatment of Older Adult Mental Health conditions.
- Be computer literate and have knowledge of data protection.
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:
1. We are kind.
2. We are respectful.
3. We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
NELFT place great 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 undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including 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 focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of basic salary, with a minimum of £4,551 and maximum of £5,735, pro rata for part time staff
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for this role. Should you have any questions specific to the role, please contact the job contact, Anthonia Owolabi ( Operational Lead)
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
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
4. Occupational Therapy degree or masters degree
5. HCPC registration (or pending)
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Experience of mental health setting
7. Current trends in service provision and other relevant legislation
8. Understanding of principles of recovery and social inclusion
Desirable criteria
9. Experience of working with older adults
Knowledge
Essential criteria
10. Understanding of the OT process within a mental health setting
11. Understanding of dementia
Skills
Essential criteria
12. Work effectively in a team and challenging environment
13. To be innovative and work on own initiative and prioritise own workload
Desirable criteria
14. Anxiety management skills
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:
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.