Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist - REACT
The closing date is 09 December 2025
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist - Admission Avoidance
We are currently recruiting a B6 Occupational Therapist to join our friendly, enthusiastic and driven Emergency Care Therapy Team. We expect excellent time management skills, organisational skills and an ability to work under pressure, in order to efficiently manage a caseload within this demanding and unpredictable field.
Candidates should be able to demonstrate confident clinical decision making in a timely manner and will need to have post graduate experience of working within a fast-paced acute hospital setting utilising the OT process. An understanding of discharge pathways and community services is essential together with a basic understanding of SAFER principles and Discharge to Assess model.
Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be confident working alongside colleagues within the MDT at all levels. You will be an autonomous clinician, using analytical and clinical reasoning skills to interpret assessment findings, identify patient problems, set goals, and provide appropriate treatment plans.
The service we deliver allows many opportunities for excellent interdisciplinary working within the team and positive relationships with medical, nursing and social care colleagues across frailty, emergency care, and community services.
Main duties of the job
The Rapid Emergency Assessment Care Team (REACT) comprises of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants. We aim to avoid hospital admission by providing comprehensive assessments within the A&E Department. Timely discharge assessments are provided for patients on the medical assessment ward, for patients whose discharge cannot be avoided. Assessment and detailed intervention plans ensure that their journey through the hospital is streamlined, and discharge planning is paramount.
The right candidate should have experience of service improvement. Experience of contributing to audit is an advantage. The team embraces supporting student placements and experience of student mentorship is desirable.
The team is welcoming, friendly and supportive. There is a structure in place to receive regular supervision, dedicated CPD time, in-service training and regular peer review sessions to support professional development.
Fundamental to the service delivery model, is that our team provide a 7-day service, which compromises a fixed, four-week repeating rota. Due to the nature of the service, we work slightly longer days, but our hours are condensed over 4 days per week allowing for a greater work-life balance. This includes one weekend, every 4 weeks.
About us
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community services for East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester (population 357K). Our services include planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care, child health, maternity, and intermediate care across Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford. Through our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, we deliver extensive services in 26 medical centres and schools in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance. With 500 beds and around 5,500 staff, we are one of the area's largest employers.
Since the formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022, the Trust has become a key partner in Cheshire East & Cheshire West and Chester and in two provider collaboratives, aligning our strategic goals with the Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care System. As part of the national New Hospital Programme, we're reimagining Leighton Hospital to create a new health and care neighbourhood, transforming healthcare delivery for a Healthier Future. Learn more on our Healthier Futures website.
At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.
Job responsibilities
As a clinical specialist provide a high standard comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment service to patients with complex presentation and provide clinical leadership and support to delegated staff.
Work across the A&E, assessment and short stay wards to prevent or facilitate early discharge.
To collaborate closely with the patient and members of the multidisciplinary and multi-agency team to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients
To continuously contribute to service development and innovation
To work autonomously to manage a defined complex patient caseload whilst working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
To contribute to the delivery of the service in a variety of defined clinical settings, which may include in-patient wards, and the patients home.
To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to decisions with regard to patient care programmes through attendance at ward rounds, case conferences and other multidisciplinary meetings.
To maintain accurate documentation in line with professional standards, and local policies and procedures.
To utilise advanced communication skills to ensure clinical advice and treatment programmes are delivered sensitively, taking into consideration the needs of carers.
To manage a specialist case load, demonstrating appropriate time management and organisation skills.
To contribute to effective day to day organisation and provision of service, including the coordination of junior staff and assistants to meet service priorities.
To provide clinical leadership and support to junior staff and assistants, through case supervision, and the development and monitoring of competencies.
Person Specification
Experience
* Bsc(hons) Occupational Therapy degree or equivalent
* Further education/training in Acute medicine/urgent care setting
Experience
* Previously completed a varied inpatient rotation which included Admission Avoidance/A+E/Urgent Care Clinical areas
* NHS experience
* Able to demonstrate an understanding and awareness of the demands of working in A+E, Admission Avoidance and Urgent Care Clinical Area's within the NHS
Skills
* Ability to demonstrate excellent communication skills and provide examples of different forms of communication
* Evidence of additional communication training/courses attended
Skills
* Able to demonstrate service development experience or projects/audit development
* Previous training in Service Development/Project management and Audits
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.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Full-time,Flexible working,Compressed hours
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