Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and we’re hiring people who want to shape what comes next. Formed on 1 April 2020 through the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, we’re now focused on the future with a new Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme. What we do · Adult and older adult mental health · Children and young people’s mental health · Specialist learning disability services · Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley Why join now · We’ve got real momentum right now. New strategy, clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast. · Our values aren’t just posters. People are genuinely compassionate, take responsibility, treat you with respect and help you feel confident and empowered. · You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and chances to learn with coaching and development. · There’s room to grow. Loads of services to explore and real space to try ideas and be heard. · It’s a good place to live. Friendly diverse communities, easy transport, good schools and colleges, shopping, food, lots to do, plenty of green space and a lower cost of living than many other city regions. What it’s like to work here You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share caseload pressures, and celebrate wins. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate. You’ll have space to do good work, speak up, and see the difference you make. Who we are We’re 4,000 colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re excited about the role but don’t tick every box, please apply. We value potential and transferable experience. Job overview We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 Occupational Therapy Team Lead to join our Sandwell Community Mental Health team. We are looking for a confident, compassionate leader to support the team of dedicated OTs, as well as overseeing the development and quality assurance of the OT service within Sandwell CMHT's. This is a great opportunity to join a team of highly skilled clinicians working to make a difference in our community. This is an exciting time to join our Organisation, as Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is undergoing a series of developments to establish new ways of working, to which you will contribute to on behalf of the profession. Advert • The post holder will work with other Trust Services and Agencies as required to ensure that the activity of their designated teams is coordinated in support of effective and efficient care pathways. • To ensure Team Activity supports efficient use of resources in line with allocated budget. • To ensure Team Activity is in line with required performance parameters and quality standards. • To support business planning within the Adult Mental Health Division in line with their sphere of expertise and responsibilities • The post holder will be an active clinical practitioner and will contribute directly to the clinical care activity of the Team • To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality Occupational Therapy service. Working for our organisation Employees will be expected to uphold the values of the Organisation and exhibit the expected behaviors aligned to the Trust’s values Detailed job description and main responsibilities The post holder will be a key member of the Mental Health Services Management Team and will contribute to the overall management of those services. As an Occupational Therapy Lead, the post holder will be responsible to the Community Operational Manager and/or AHP Lead for Adult Mental Health Division. The post holder will have ultimate responsibility to Director of Therapies. The post holder will have designated responsibility for professional, operational leadership and co-ordination of the Occupational Therapy staff as well as delivering high quality occupational therapy assessments and interventions to people with all levels of mental health difficulties, with the focus on those with complex emotional needs. The post holder will have experience developing group work for these service users and believe groups to be a rich therapeutic experience. Auditing and evaluation of occupational therapy outcome measures will support whole pathway approach The post holder will have strong team working skills and the ability to develop the capacity to provide consultation advice on people with complex emotional needs. There are great opportunities to deepen and widen your skills, working autonomously and within an experienced team. The Division places recovery at the heart of its services. Therefore, we all demonstrate the recovery principles of: • Hope • Partnership • And maximising opportunities every day, in all that we do Applying and timelines We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications, so please apply soon. We shortlist after the closing date and will contact shortlisted candidates usually within two weeks. If you haven’t heard by then, you haven’t been shortlisted. Please check your email for updates and contact Recruitment for feedback. As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone. Pay and contracts Most NHS roles are paid under NHS Agenda for Change. With us - your starting point is set against the advertised band and your relevant NHS service, with progression through annual increments. Medical and Very Senior Manager roles follow separate national pay frameworks, not Agenda for Change. Details are provided in each advert and during recruitment. Standards and checks · Clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the Care Certificate. If you don’t have it yet, we’ll support you to complete it in post. · Some roles require a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record won’t automatically prevent employment. We consider the role and individual circumstances. · We are an equal opportunities employer, offer flexible working, and are a smoke free Trust. Inclusion, equality and adjustments · We are an equal opportunities employer and offer flexible working. · We are an anti-racist, disability-inclusive and LGBTQ-inclusive Trust. · We welcome applications from under-represented groups and people with lived experience relevant to our services, including Black and Asian colleagues, Disabled people (including non-visible disabilities such as neurodiversity and mental health) and LGBTQ people. Members of the Armed Forces community are encouraged to consider applying and can access our Guaranteed Interview Scheme when meeting all of the essential criteria for the role. · Disabled applicants can request consideration under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme where essential criteria are met. You can ask for reasonable adjustments at every stage of the process. Our culture and values Best for the Black Country is our improvement journey. We share a clear vision and values, lead with compassion and visibility, listen to every voice, keep improving what we do and take ownership for delivery. You’ll feel it in how teams support each other and in the impact your work has on local people. If you want to contribute, learn and progress, this is a great time to join us.