Go back Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Senior Children's Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 28 January 2026
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a Senior Band 6 Occupational Therapy position based in the Eastern Locality.
You will need to be able to provide a high standard of assessment and intervention for the children and young people that we work with. The post is based within the multidisciplinary Physical and Sensory Pathway whilst working closely with colleagues across the other pathways within CFHD. We are an innovative, dedicated and friendly service with both development and CPD opportunities. You will be expected to have clinical supervisory skills and be able to hold a complex and varied caseload, working across the different environments such as home, schools and clinics.
Please contact us if you would like any further information regarding this position we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
* Hold responsibility for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a case load within a designated geographical area, within own level of competence and capability
* Using a strengths-based approach; ensure clinical effectiveness through the use of evidence-based interventions, goal-based, collaborative practice and Routine Outcome Measures
* Deliver specialist occupational therapy advice, assessment and interventions to a client group of children and young people experiencing a range of difficulties in maximising their occupational performance within different settings
* Interventions may include direct therapy, coaching or training, provision or recommendations for suitable adaptive equipment where this is a statutory provision and provide specialist guidance and recommendations for home or school adaptations
* Supervise and support Occupational Therapy Technicians and/or Integrated Therapy assistants
* Mentor/ clinically supervise newly qualified Occupational Therapists and Band 4/5 staff as required
* Participate in the provision of student placements
* Promote and support participation of service users across the service
* Work across other geographical areas as required to support colleagues according to need and demand
* Participate in clinical audits and clinical research as appropriate
* Part of the role will include assessment and intervention of specialised equipment and environmental adaptations as part of our statutory work completed
About us
Children and Family Health Devon is a system-wide service that delivers an integrated, coordinated support model which wraps around the child, young person and family. It has been specifically designed to respond to all elements of the commissioner's strategy and specification along with the vision and strategic direction of the STP. It builds on our strong relationships across education, health, social care and voluntary sector services in Devon, and, most importantly, it has been developed and refined in partnership with children, young people and their families/carers.
We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable.
It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.
Find out more about working for our Service by following this link: We are CFHD OT on Vimeo
Job responsibilities
Please see the job description for the details regarding the post
Communication and working relationship
Communicate complex condition-related information from assessment to clients, carers, families and members of the multidisciplinary team/other professions in a way that is accessible and easily understood. This will include facilitating strategies for people with communication disorders where barriers to understanding may exist.
Demonstrate empathy with clients, carers, families and colleagues, ensuring that effective communication is achieved, particularly where barriers to communication exist, or sensitive issues are being dealt with. Patient, carers and family will frequently have difficulty accepting the information provided.
Form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and/or have challenging difficulties.
Employ good presentation skills to promote multi-disciplinary and interagency liaison and collaborative practice to a broad range of audiences including other professionals and users.
Write reports reflecting knowledge of paediatrics that can be accessible to both lay and professional people.
Contribute to clinical pathways both multi and uni-professional by discussing own and others input around clients needs, ensuring a well-coordinated care plan.
Deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.
Demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues.
Analytical and judgement
Demonstrate specialist Occupational Therapy knowledge across a range of therapeutic interventions.
Use knowledge and experience to inform sound clinical judgement/decision making for case management.
Integrate evidence from a variety of sources to make a differential diagnosis, of occupational performance, seeking advice as appropriate.
Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers and mentors and identify own strengths and development needs.
Planning and organisation
Responsible for organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patient priorities. Readjusting plans as situations change/arise.
Responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of Occupational Therapy Technicians on a daily basis.
Responsible for the supervision of Band 5 staff on a regular basis.
Responsibility for patient/client care, treatment and therapy
Undertakes all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner including professional and legal accountability and clinical risk management for all aspects of own work.
Some aspects of work will involve delivery of the care as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-agency team. Otherwise to be the sole professional with responsibility for that patients episode of care and for onward referral as required.
Perform advanced therapeutic assessment of children who present with developmental problems, long term conditions and may have severe communication impairment, learning disability, complex and severe physical and sensory disability.
Use advanced questioning and communication, manual assessment techniques and clinical reasoning skills to provide a diagnosis and prognosis enabling the delivery of an individualised occupational therapy treatment programme. This includes but is not exclusive to the appropriate selection of referrals for inclusion in a range of treatment and management options, including neuro developmental, motor co-ordination, sensory differences, specialised equipment and environmental adaptations.
Supervision takes the form of annual appraisal with line-manager plus planned management supervision, clinical supervision on a planned regular basis. Clinical work is not routinely evaluated. Access to advice and support is available from peers, the paediatric team and clinical manager.
Responsible for own caseload as an autonomous practitioner.
Responsible for tasks and duties as delegated by the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Childrens Occupational Therapist.
To use routine outcome measures and goal-based approach, collaboratively with service users, in ways that inform treatment and clinical care.
Work closely with clients, carers, and families agreeing decision making relevant to the patient/client management.
Co-produce specialist clear care plans based on best practice with children, young people and their families/carers.
Ensure care plans are written in an understandable format for the child, young person and their family/carer.
Provide specialist Occupational Therapy intervention including 1:1 / group therapy, parent/carer-based interventions and consultancy/coaching mentoring within a range of community settings. Outcomes to then be evaluated. To demonstrate clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
To always consider safeguarding and child protection issues, following relevant policies and procedures and receiving safeguarding supervision as required.
Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
Deputise for the Clinical Team Manager or Specialist Occupational Therapist in their absence, taking responsibility for operation management of the team, allocating and organising the work of less experienced occupational therapist and assistant staff to meet priorities on a daily basis.
Provide children and young people with the opportunity to express their views in an age appropriate way, to have their opinions considered and to be able to influence the shaping of services.
Interpret and assist in the implementation of local and national guidelines, policies and procedures affecting the development of childrens services.
To follow their employers policies, procedures and guidance as well as professional standards and guidelines.
Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources
Work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer.
Take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use.
Responsible for maintaining a clear desk policy and protecting all confidential information in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures.
Required to act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources.
Responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring that adequate supplies are maintained.
Ensure all equipment used is maintained to the required standard to ensure patient and staff safety.
Maintain stock control, ordering supplies in a timely manner through the agreed process.
Complete an assessment, order, set up the provision of specialist equipment for identified children. Demonstrate to parents/staff how to maintain and adjust as appropriate.
Responsibility for human resources, e.g. supervision, training, HR advice and management
Contribute to the delivery of a range of training opportunities, as appropriate using a broad range of technology to develop and deliver.
Supervise the work of Occupational Therapy Technicians and/or Integrated Therapy Assistants where necessary.
Mentor and supervise newly qualified occupational therapists as required.
Access clinical supervision at the frequency determined by the organisation.
Oversee the caseload management of newly qualified staff and Occupational Therapy Technicians.
Demonstrate the ability to target training (formal and informal) appropriately to the needs of course participants, reflecting and evaluating training provided.
To participate in the appraisal process.
Ensure prompt action is taken in raising issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters.
Responsibility for information resources and administrative duties
Responsible for accurate and timely inputting of data into relevant data collection system to ensure workload is accurately reflected.
Responsible for the inputting of accurate and contemporaneous case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards.
A sound knowledge of IT.
Ensure all employers policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
Complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer.
Identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate.
Take part in activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development.
Responsibility for research and development
Participates in clinical audit.
Participate in clinical research as appropriate.
Freedom to act
Acts as an autonomous professional.
Works within codes of practice as defined by Royal College of Occupational Therapy and HCPC.
Works within organisational policies and procedures.
Please contact us to discuss the post more fully.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Degree in Occupational Therapy
* HCPC registration
* Diploma level specialist training or experience
* Post‑graduate certified courses specific to children's needs (e.g. Sensory training; ADOS, 3di etc)
Experience
* To work within trust clinical guidelines and Royal College of OT and HCPC standards. To have working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own quality and safety of practice
* Extensive knowledge of Occupational Therapy models of practice and specialist approaches
* Extensive knowledge of legislation affecting clinical practice such as manual handling, housing and SEND
* of Occupational Therapy therapeutic interventions for children and young people including but not inclusive to: manual handling, specialist equipment, 24‑hour postural management, fine motor, sensory differences and housing adaptations
* Knowledge of a wide range of Occupational Therapy assessment tools appropriate to meet a wide range of needs in the paediatric population
* Knowledge and use of evidence‑based practice and outcome measures
* Well‑developed knowledge and understanding of legislation around SEND
* Knowledge of normal child development and a broad range of paediatric conditions
* Substantial clinical experience in a range of children's OT assessment and interventions
* Community based Children's Occupational Therapy experience
* Evidence of working as an autonomous practitioner
* Developed skills in working with individuals and families with physical and sensory needs
* Knowledge and experience of gaining meaningful feedback from children, young people and families' voice and inform meaningful change
* Experience of working in a 'person‑centred' way which shows you can demonstrate values that are important to children, young people and families
Specific
* Excellent communication and interaction skills
* Ability to maintain sensitivity at all times to clients, carers and families
* Excellent interpersonal skills - including observation, listening and empathy skills
* Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
* Well‑developed negotiation and problem‑solving skills
* Ability to keep accurate and legible children/young people and families clinical notes in line with RCOT and HCPC guidance
* Well‑developed analytical and reflection skills
* Well‑developed auditory and perceptual skills
* Proven ability to work on own initiative and without supervision in a variety of community settings
* Evidence of ability to make decisions under pressure and in stressful situations
* Ability to demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning skills
* Ability to plan organise and prioritise effectively
* Knowledge and experience of gaining meaningful feedback from children, young people and families' voice and inform meaningful change
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.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
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