Specialist Community Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 10 June 2026.
Available Community Occupational Therapy Posts
Community Occupational Therapist Community Rehabilitation
Full-time 37.5 hours.
Base:
Chester-le-Street Community Hospital.
You will work alongside:
* Physiotherapists
* Therapy Assistants
The role includes:
* Independent and joint working.
* Community-based rehabilitation.
* Visits to patients' own homes.
* Care homes.
Community Occupational Therapist Intermediate Care
Two full-time equivalent posts 37.5 hours.
Locations include:
* Chester-le-Street
* Bishop Auckland
* Seaham
You will work within multidisciplinary Community Therapy Teams alongside:
* Physiotherapists
* Therapy Assistants
These roles will primarily support:
* Intermediate care beds within care home settings.
* Community-based work as needed.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will be expected to independently manage a caseload that includes highly complex patients, providing holistic, short‑term, goal‑led intervention following a comprehensive assessment. Patients will present with a wide range of physical dysfunction/disabilities resulting from injury, illness, surgery or chronic disease.
Opportunities to:
* Develop skills in holistic assessing beyond the scope of traditional Occupational Therapy practice.
* Develop supervisory, leadership and service development skills.
* Support junior and assistant staff and help with their development.
* Lead and participate in peer support and service training.
* Work within a dynamic multi‑disciplinary team.
The successful applicant would predominantly work Monday to Friday but may also support the crisis response service, which is a Monday to Saturday service.
About us
We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester‑le‑Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community‑based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented.
Job responsibilities
* Maintain specialist clinical skills and provide expert advice to the community teams in relation to identified specialism.
* Organise and prioritise own workload and monitor those you clinically supervise within a defined area.
* Independently screen, prioritise and plan interventions for routine and urgent referrals received within the specialist area.
* Use sound clinical judgments to prioritise patients within a demanding and unpredictable environment ensuring effective use of resources.
* Assist staff under your supervision to prioritise their caseloads and advise them on appropriate interventions in response to urgent and/or complex cases on a daily basis.
* Undertake holistic and comprehensive specialist assessments of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations / multi‑pathologies that change across the caseload.
* Utilise analytical and clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide accurate diagnosis of their condition, select appropriate treatment and implement rehabilitation programmes.
* Operationally managed on a day‑to‑day basis by your designated clinical lead, receiving formal supervision from a B7 therapist within group or individual sessions.
* Work within established Service / Trust policies and procedures and contribute / propose changes for the development of operational procedures / working practices relevant to the team and services it provides.
* Provide supervision, education and assessment of therapy students at a graduate standard and work with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the degree level qualifications.
Person Specification
Experience
* Comprehensive and relevant qualified experience in physical rehabilitation including recent general rehabilitation experience.
* Experience of collaborative working within multidisciplinary teams.
* Evidence of communication skill within a wide variety of settings.
* Experience in staff appraisal.
* Experience in working in a variety of settings.
* Experience of crisis management.
Qualifications
* BSc/MSc in Occupational Therapy.
* Evidence of CPD, including attendance at recent post‑graduate courses relevant to the clinical fields in the specialism.
* Understanding of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, its culture, strategic direction, achievements and NHS standing.
* Involvement in specific interest groups.
Statutory Registration
* HCPC registered Occupational Therapist.
* Member of BAOT.
Special Skills & Knowledge
* In‑depth and up‑to‑date knowledge and skills in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of physical disabilities.
* Understanding of, and the ability to manage mental health and psychosocial issues relating to rehabilitation.
* Remain updated with professional practice and new research.
* Understand clinical governance and its implications for services, including experiences of quality issues and audit.
* Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies of data protection, equal opportunities and health and safety to meet the differing needs of patients.
* Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day and carry out concurrent activities.
* Ability to cope with working in a stressful environment and deal with emotional or aggressive patients and carers.
* Ability to work independently and organise, prioritise and delegate workload to meet service demands.
* Understand the legal responsibilities of the profession.
* Able to organise, prioritise and delegate.
* Evidence of self‑directed learning and critical appraisal skills.
* Able to use own initiative appropriately to enhance service delivery.
* Presentational skills.
* Evidence of participation in research/audit.
* Clinical supervision of other therapy staff, assistants and students.
* Clinical educator experience. Attendance at a recognised clinical educators course.
* Ability to challenge professional boundaries.
Special Requirements
* Ability to travel and carry small items of equipment on a daily basis to fulfil the requirements of the post.
* Driving posts must have a valid full UK driving licence.
* Ability to meet physical demands of the post.
* Commitment, motivation and ability to work flexibly within a multidisciplinary service.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such a submission for Disclosure will be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum, pro rata.
#J-18808-Ljbffr