Assertive Outreach Specialist Occupational Therapist
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
The closing date is 29 January 2026
Join us as a Specialist Occupational Therapist (Band 6) in our brand-new Assertive Outreach Team. This is a unique opportunity to help shape this service for adults with complex and severe mental health needs. The role can be based in Cambridge or Peterborough.
You’ll be part of a dynamic, multi‑disciplinary team, delivering specialist OT assessments and interventions underpinned by the Model of Human Occupation and recovery principles. Your work will empower service users to achieve independence, overcome barriers, and reach their vocational and employment goals.
If you’re passionate about making a real difference, thrive on challenge, and want to be part of a team that values compassion, creativity, and evidence‑based practice, we want to hear from you. This is your chance to help build a service that truly changes lives.
Main duties of the job
You will be required to travel independently around the county and will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have the use of a vehicle. Unfortunately, public transport will not provide enough reliable transportation to enable you to meet the needs of the service. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.
*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website.
* The Specialist Occupational Therapist will deliver a high‑quality, evidence‑based OT service within the Assertive Outreach Team, supporting adults with complex mental health needs. The role involves specialist assessments, interventions, and care coordination, underpinned by the Model of Human Occupation and recovery principles.
* You’ll work closely with service users, carers, and colleagues to develop and implement individualised care plans, promote independence, and support vocational and employment outcomes. The post holder will also contribute to service development, quality improvement, and research, ensuring the service remains innovative and responsive to changing needs. Leadership, supervision, and a commitment to professional development are essential.
About us
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high‑quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children’s, adult and older people’s mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high‑calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under‑represented groups including people with long‑term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.
Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.
For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk
Job responsibilities
1. The occupational therapist will provide specialist occupational therapy assessments and interventions underpinned by the Model of Human Occupation and the principles of recovery and enablement/reablement.
2. The occupational therapist will use specialist clinical skills and reasoning to manage a caseload with complex needs, working with a high degree of autonomy and referring to senior staff when necessary.
3. The occupational therapist will apply a high level of understanding of the effects of mental and physical health conditions on occupational performance, providing training and advice on lifestyle changes and adaptions to the service user’s social and physical environment.
4. The occupational therapist will work collaboratively with service users to promote vocational rehabilitation and act as a team resource/specialist in vocational rehabilitation and employment.
5. The occupational therapist will contribute to the delivery of specialist occupational focused interventions including sensory integration/ approaches and enabling/reablement approaches.
6. The occupational therapist may be asked to undertake the role of care co‑ordinator for a defined clinical caseload of service users with complex mental health needs.
7. The occupational therapist will ensure that all care planning will involve the service user and where appropriate the carer, collaboratively identifying, pursuing and reviewing goals in the context of care planning.
8. The occupational therapist will plan and implement specialist individual and/or group interventions collaboratively, to enable service users to achieve valued goals and desired occupational performance outcomes.
9. The occupational therapist will promote equality of outcome (including physical health) for people who experience mental health distress.
10. The occupational therapist will promote social inclusion and physical and mental well‑being using evidence‑based practice.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
* Minimum Bachelor level equivalent training in OT
* HCPC Professional Registration as OT
* Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapists
* Additional training in specialist standardised assessments
Experience
* Working with people with a range of mental health or learning disability challenges
* Working with patients who experience psychosis
* Experience of working with a range of statutory and non‑statutory services
* Lived experience of mental health challenges
Skills & Abilities
* Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision
* Specialist knowledge of OT assessment, intervention and practice models relevant to service user group (e.g. MoHO)
* Knowledge of Mental Health Act
* Knowledge of RCOT and HCPC professional standards
Physical Requirements
* Ability to travel independently around the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area meeting required timescales. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential
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.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
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