Overview
Main area ICP & Therapies Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours
* Full time
* Part time
37.5 hours per week (We are able to offer part-time, flexible and alternative working options). Job ref 210-2025-686
Employer Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type NHS Site Countess of Chester Hospital Town Chester
Salary £38,682 - £46,580 pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 27/10/2025 23:59
Occupational Therapist
Band 6
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, staff pride themselves on not only leading through clinical excellence, but also by creating an environment where all staff are valued and appreciated. To achieve this, the Trust has embarked on an exciting new strategy focused on continuous improvement.
Our vision is to improve the lives of our community and provide excellence in healthcare, through partnership and innovation.
Our High Performance Culture will support everyone to be the best version of themselves by being true to our Trust vision, values and behaviours.
We welcome applications from colleagues from our local and neighbouring communities of all backgrounds and identities, who are currently under-represented within our region such as Black, Asian, Minority ethnic and those with disabilities.
As a region we are reviewing the way we work, and exploring how new working practices that support flexible working can create a positive work-life balance. As part of our recruitment process we will explore how our inclusive employment policies, flexible working, staff engagement forums, Trust facilities and services can be of mutual benefit.
Job overview
Working Full or Part time hours
We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic and dynamic Rotational Occupational Therapist who integrates quickly into a team setting and who will support in driving service provisions forward.
We offer:
* Good team support
* A supportive and reflective learning environment
* Regular formal and informal supervision provided by experienced Occupational Therapy staff
* Opportunity to engage in Service wide clinical governance activities
Clinical areas include Medical/Surgical Rehab, Neurology, Rapid Response, and Community. The post holder will provide specialist Occupational Therapy to the allocated rotational areas.
Applicants must be experienced Occupational Therapists with HCPC registration and able to demonstrate they have successfully completed a broad range of rotations at Band 5 grade within the NHS.
Good time management skills, organisational skills and an ability to work under pressure are essential requirements to this post.
Rotations will be 6 months and some areas are 7 day services.
The post holder will be part of a senior network for peer support and professional development and will contribute to the development of Band 5 Occupational Therapists, Therapy Assistants and Students when on placement. Participation on the trusts on-call rota is an integral part of the post.
Part-time/Flexible Working/Alternative Working Available.
Main duties of the job
* To work as an autonomous practitioner to perform a specialist occupational therapy assessment of patients with diverse presentations. To use clinical reasoning to provide a diagnosis and develop, deliver and adapt individualised treatment programmes.
* To implement monitoring and evaluation of treatment in order to measure progress and outcomes to ensure effectiveness of interventions and service delivery.
* To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and that of supervised physiotherapists and assistants, and hold responsibility for own caseload for a specialist area of the service, working without direct supervision.
* To provide clinical cover, as appropriate during staff absence with guidance and support of a senior member of staff if required.
* To participate in 7 day working as per service requirements, in evening and/or weekend duty rotas and/or emergency/on call rotas. To provide treatment to patients and to provide advice to medical and nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team without direct supervision.
* To identify and carry out Home Visits in accordance with Trust and Professional standards and to assess patient condition and suitability for discharge and where appropriate supervise physiotherapists and assistants in these tasks (If applicable)
Working for our organisation
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
* The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
* Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
* Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
* HCPC Registered
* Membership of professional body
Experience
* Evidence of post graduate short courses
* Evidence of CPD and reflective practice
* Evidence of group working and team working
* Evidence of audit and/or research work
Knowledge
* Knowledge of current best practice in specialist OT area
* Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
* Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If the role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Enhanced DBS check applications that are submitted with omitted or incorrect information will be withdrawn. In the event errors are identified on your original application, a new application will need to be submitted and you will be required to pay the DBS application fee again.
The cost of the DBS application will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
Overseas Candidates
The Department of Health and Social Care has released a new publication to support overseas candidates looking to work in health and care in the UK.
The new guidance provides information on the recruitment process that candidates should expect when applying for work in the UK. Please follow the below link:
Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Overseas candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship can determine the likelihood of obtaining a CoS for the post by assessing their circumstances against criteria specified on the Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Overseas candidates are responsible for their travel expenses.
From 6 April 2017, Tier 2 / skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependent's (over 18 years old) will also be subject to this requirement.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Deborah Conwell Job title Lead Therapist for Inpatients Email address deborah.conwell@nhs.net Telephone number 01244 36 2531
Additional information
Gemma Walton, Team Coordinator- 01244 36 2531 or email gemma.walton2@nhs.net
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