Go back Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Occupational Therapy Specialist Practitioner
The closing date is 07 December 2025
Are you looking for an opportunity to join a supportive, challenging, exciting and rewarding service? One that values its employees and supports them to develop their skills and interests?
If that sounds like something you are keen to explore, the Occupational Therapy service at Ashford, Adult Secure Service are looking for a full (37.5hrs) or part time (30hrs) Band 6 OT.
We are looking for a passionate, and dynamic Occupational Therapist to join us in providing excellent care for service users with learning disability (and often mental health) needs, in a forensic low secure setting.
Forensics is such an interesting field of practice. We work collaboratively with service users, with a risk history, to help them reintegrate into the community.
As part of our team you would be working in the inpatient hospital and accessing the local community, to support service users to develop and maintain functional skills, through the use of the occupational therapy process. There are opportunities to build links with external agencies and step-down support, to enable service users to thrive within the least restrictive level of security.
If you would like to arrange an informal discussion about the vacancy, or visit the service please contact Becky Harding, OT Professional Lead on 02382 310 932 or
Main duties of the job
What's in it for you?
* In our services we receive an additional payment of £1,400 per annum this is called 'forensic lead'.
* You will be joining a network of supportive OTs and OTAs with a range of experience, to work alongside.
* You will receive regular continuous professional development, as well as opportunities to get involved in various project work and research.
* You may receive funding and support for training opportunities in areas such as sensory integration, cognition, mental health and physical health and have space and support to pursue your own interests and areas of practice.
* We use the VdT Model of Creative Ability and the Model of Human Occupation, they are embedded into the therapy provision. You will receive training and ongoing support to become skilled in their use.
* You will receive a comprehensive induction together with monthly supervision and regular peer support.
We asked our Occupational Therapists why they enjoy working in our service, here's what they said...
"I enjoy working in our service because new ideas/initiatives are always welcome"
"There are great training opportunities, the work is interesting, it's a very supportive team."
"It's the most 'OT' job I've ever had! I'm able to be really creative and use all my OT skills"
"As a team, we're able to be truly person centred and have autonomy to be as creative as we need, with our interventions"
"The thing I really love about my job is the support and opportunities I have to develop"
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined‑up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.
Our mental health services include community‑based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.
We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute‑level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone – if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team – detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working – all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Experience
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.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
£38,682 to £46,580 a year + forensic Lead enhancement
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