Community Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 29 April 2026
We are looking for an Occupational Therapist to join the North Lancashire Integrated Community Therapy & Rehabilitation Service, working across the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and community offices. Part of a newly integrated Community Therapy Team supporting Home Assessment discharges from the hospital when on rota to fulfil the Responder role + urgent and routine Community Therapy Assessment & Rehabilitation, including CHC assessments for equipment provision. Further hours may be available in addition to the hours advertised. Working alongside Clinical Lead Therapy colleagues and Occupational Therapists you will be responsible for managing a clinical caseload within the geographical area. The service works closely with the Integrated Care Communities, local GP's, Adult Social Care, Advanced Clinical Practitioners and hospital discharge teams. The service supports people with a wide variety of conditions including elderly care, frailty and falls, orthopaedics and long‑term condition management.
Main duties of the job
As a confident clinician with a wide experience of clinical presentations, complete a dynamic, holistic assessment with the patient / family at the point of discharge from hospital, when rostered to fulfil the Responder role. Also carrying a caseload of patients on the Community Pathway, will integrate assessment findings, information from several sources, using dynamic and positive risk‑taking principles, you will support the patient/family to overcome risks, addressing the patients occupational therapy needs. Make ongoing rehab and social care referrals where this is appropriate. You will need to be prepared to work in complex situations and be confident in clinical decision making and reasoning. The role will incorporate all aspects of the B6 OT Community Therapy role. You will contribute to the rota for urgent response same‑day / next‑day discharge (Home Assessment) and also respond to referrals prioritised for assessment within 3‑day, 2‑week, 4‑week and 10‑week pathways. This will include falls prevention, community rehabilitation, long‑term condition management and continuing healthcare referrals, into a patient's home, residential or nursing home across the Lancaster District. The service also provides the therapy to a 23‑bed step‑down residential rehabilitation unit. In addition to a comprehensive induction package we offer team support, staff supervision and in‑service training opportunities. Full UK driving licence and access to own car is essential.
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential
* Health and Care Professions Council registered OT
* Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy approved by the Royal College of OT, UK
* Post graduate training or experience to post graduate diploma level or equivalent
* Full UK driving licence, or equivalent qualification.
Desirable
* Experience of research or audit
* Membership of the British Association of Occupational Therapists.
* Accredited training in risk assessment and risk management. Practice placement educator accreditation
Experience
Essential
* Relevant post registration experience as an OT to achieve knowledge and skills applicable to this post
* Experience of assessment and prescription of aids and adaptations.
Desirable
* Experience as a supervisor of OT (Band 5) and/or OT support staff and/or OT students
* Experience within community rehab setting
* Experience of caseload management and lone working as an autonomous practitioner.
Skills, ability and knowledge
Essential
* Transferable knowledge and skills at basic practitioner level with aptitude to develop to specialist OT practitioner level
* Assessment, observation, evaluation and reporting skills
* Ability to develop effective working relationships / team working
* Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
* Ability to work under pressure and recognise when support is required
* Effective personal organisational skills to manage own workload and to determine priorities to support delivery of the OT service
* Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
* Applied knowledge of health and social care legislation and guidelines e.g. National service Frameworks (NSF's) and National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for clinical conditions and application to OT practice.
* Ability to apply knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
* Application of knowledge of Health & Safety and risk management policies and related procedures.
* Understanding of professional conduct and confidentiality
* Understanding of team dynamics.
* Ability to build effective working relationships.
* Written and oral communication skills in English sufficient to communicate effectively with patients to gain consent and explain treatment interventions and gain information required for the patient's medical/social history relevant to OT.
* Basic computer skills e.g. word processing, email and internet skills.
Desirable
* Evidence of multidisciplinary team working
* Evidence of IT skills
Personal qualities
Essential
* Ability to participate in manual handling tasks and therapeutic handling
* Ability to travel to provide assessment and treatment to patients in the community and to attend meetings
* Able to demonstrate a commitment to life‑long learning.
* Willingness to work flexibly to meet unexpected and unusual circumstances related to providing direct patient care, and have the ability to work across different sites/bases/locations
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
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