Go back Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
Community Occupational Therapist (inc. £2k welcome incentive)
The closing date is 07 September 2025
An opportunity has arisen to work as an Band 6 Occupational Therapist within the South Community Therapy Team at Thetford due to the current post holder leaving.
You will have the opportunity to develop your clinical knowledge and skills with support from the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist. You will be working closely with other professionals in the team and will acquire holistic assessment skills to support your core Occupational therapy knowledge.
There will also be a requirement to be involved in the training of fellow team members in the assessment and development of team multi-disciplinary competencies, as well as developing and maintaining their own inter-professional competencies.
This post is being offered with a welcome incentive package that includes payment of up to £2,000 for the successful candidate, subject to terms and conditions.For more information on this incentive, please contact the recruiting manager whose details are listed on this page.
Part time - 18.75 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Main duties of the job
To complete Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions for patients in their own homes and residential/nursing homes, to support our services the Discharge to Assess Pathway, Admission Avoidance, End of life Care and Long Term Condition Management.
To work as part of the in patient MDT to provide Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions to facilitatetimely and effective discharges.
To work with and liaise with patient's families, ward DISCOs, our Social care colleagues and other partner agencies.
Complete therapy triage of new referrals.
To work closely with the Thetford and Watton Community Team to provide excellent patient-centred care.
To provide support to Band 3, 4 and 5 colleagues, both formally and informally.
About us
Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an 'Outstanding' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.
There is an in-service training programme to promote further learning, and there is regular clinical supervision and an annual appraisal to develop you in your post. Occupational therapy students are taken on a regular basis from the University of East Anglia. You will be able to develop your leadership skills by supervising junior staff and students in your role as a Senior Occupational Therapist.
Come and join our friendly and supportive team in South Norfolk. We look forward to meeting you.
Job responsibilities
As part of transformation you will be required to:
* Work when needed in the hub
* Engage with mobile working
* Engage with SystmOne Optimisation
* Engage with referral to discharge standard processes
* To be aware of the demand and capacity model which will reflect workload needs at any given time
Key Areas of Responsibility
* To assess and prescribe care packages for patients with long term conditions, palliative care and rehabilitation needs for example, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.
* To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital.
* To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.
* To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
The post holder will:
* Undertake comprehensive occupational therapy assessments of patients including those with a complex presentation, using investigative, analytical and clinical reasoning skills, and formulate a graded treatment plan.
* Formulate and execute individualised occupational therapy treatment plans of patients including those with complex presentation, in collaboration with the integrated team, other agencies and the patient, utilising a wide range of treatment skills.
* To provide assessment of functional ability and safety of patients in the community, to identify care, equipment, adaptation and therapy needs.
* Assess & plan treatment including teaching patients to utilise techniques & equipment to maximise their functional ability.
* Be aware of Assistive Technology and make referrals for this as required.
* Assess patients holistic needs, communicating complex and sensitive information to patients and carers as to their assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan.
* To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation and treatment potential, and to aid motivation and understanding throughout the treatment process.
* Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
* Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patients co-operation in their treatment plan.
* Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately
* To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
* Be responsible for ensuring workload for self and others is planned and prioritised according to service targets ands needs.
* Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
* Plan and organise specialist services within the integrated team.
* Demonstrate dexterity and co-ordination when using specialist equipment and fine tools, manual and mobilising skills.
* Order equipment and supplies via electronic ordering systems for use within the team.
* Be aware of budget and ensure all effort is made to work within this.
* Ensure informed consent is obtained prior to initiating interventions.
* Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
Professional
The post holder will:
* Be required to undertake risk assessments and act upon them appropriately.
* Contribute to the staff rota on a monthly basis.
* Contribute to the supervision of workload within the integrated team.
* Actively contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings and other meetings where appropriate.
* Support all team members within the integrated team, respecting them, their roles and contributions.
* Attend in-house training as required to develop current job role.
* Maintain own continue professional development
* Will be able to make own travel arrangements to patients homes, clinics, base and meetings etc, as required.
* Be responsible for safe use and maintenance of equipment and supplies.
* Remain accountable for own professional actions as determined by the professional bodies.
* May be required to demonstrate own duties to students, new starters and/or less experienced staff.
* Provide mentorship for students undertaking pre/post registration courses.
* Mentor existing staff and provide training in specialist area as appropriate.
* Provide advice/training to less experienced staff and supervise and support band 3, 4 and 5 staff, and students where appropriate, and contribute to the induction process for new staff/students.
* Demonstrate leadership skills within own competence.
* Contribute to the induction process for new staff/students.
* Be accountable for work delegated to others
Organisational
The post holder will:
* Undertake mandatory training as required.
* Participate in a Personal Development Review process.
* Undertake Personal Development Plans for more junior staff members.
* Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.
* Follow Trust policies, and local procedures, and use discretion in interpreting them according to the setting and circumstances.
* Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.
* Contribute to clinical audit as required.
* Complete the staff survey as required.
* Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Diploma or 1st level degree in Occupational Therapy
* HCPC Registration
* Clinical educators course
Skills
* Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses
* Highly motivated
Communication
* Tact & diplomacy
* Empathy & sensitivity
* Ability to use own initiative
Personal and People Development
* Ability to manage stressful situations
* Good Team Player
Personal Attributes
* Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
Other
* Kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments
* Manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
* Manoeuvre patients using handling aids/devices
* Must have a full UK driving license and have access to a vehicle
* Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language
Experience
* Evidence of working at a relevant level
* Good observational and reporting
* Good interpersonal skills
* Concentrate when undertaking patient care & inputting data/patient records
* Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs
* Demonstrate good IT and standard keyboard skills
* Experience of working on an inpatient unit
* Knowledge of the D2A pathways
* Experience in complex moving and handling
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.
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
£38,682 to £46,580 a yearper annum pro rata
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