Main area Occupational Therapist Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract 10 months (Fixed Term Until December 2026) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 381-CT-7739899
Employer Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Sandwell Council House Town Oldbury Salary £47,810 - £54,710 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 30/03/2026 23:59
Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 7
Here at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust we’re committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities whilst employing people to our organisation who meet our Trust values of ambition, respect and compassion. With the opening of our new hospital, Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s the coming together of expertise from every corner of our organisation and a show of our commitment to provide better healthcare and create more jobs and so much more. We at the Trust actively encourage Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disabled applicants, as well as members of the armed forces community and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce.
Job overview
Occupational Therapists (OTs) in virtual wards support patients to manage their health conditions at home while still receiving hospital‑level oversight. They carry out home‑based functional assessments, identifying challenges such as mobility issues, falls risks, and difficulties with daily activities. They deliver tailored interventions including equipment provision, self‑management strategies, rehabilitation exercises, and patient/carer education to maintain independence and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, OTs contribute expertise linking health conditions with functional performance, ensuring care plans are holistic and patient‑centred. Their dual training in physical and mental health allows them to address a broad spectrum of patient needs, from mobility and breathlessness to cognitive or emotional challenges. Overall, OTs play a crucial role in helping patients live safely and independently at home within the virtual ward model
Main duties of the job
Occupational Therapists in virtual wards support patients to receive hospital‑level care at home by taking referrals—including those received through Netcall digital systems, which streamline patient communication and referral pathways—before carrying out home‑based assessments to identify functional challenges such as mobility issues, falls risks, and difficulties with daily activities. They provide tailored interventions including equipment, advice, education, and self‑management techniques to help patients maintain independence and prevent avoidable hospital admissions. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, they contribute clinical insights that guide coordinated care planning, applying their dual physical and mental health training to address a wide range of patient needs.
Working for our organisation
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.
We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.
Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.
Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.
We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see job description and personal specification. You can view this via the documents attached.
Person specification
Experience
* Evidence of working within rehab or urgent care
* Working as part of an Occupational Therapy team and the wider MDT
* Supervision and delegation of work to Junior Occupational Therapists and support staff
* Education of junior staff or under‑graduate Occupational Therapy students
* Staff development and management of informal disciplinary matters
Qualifications
* Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
* HCPC Registration
* Portfolio evidence of CPD
* Membership of relevant COT Special Interest Group
To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:
* Better protect elective / planned care service delivery across the system by organising on a 'hot and cold' arrangement
* Consider the optimal use of resources through consolidation and specialisation, and
* Seek to reduce unwarranted variance, level up / standardise care through a 'Networked Service Solution' approach across the four sites
Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.
As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region we are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. We want the Black Country and West Birmingham region to be the best place to work and as such will consider all requests to work flexibly taking into account personal and individual circumstances alongside the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager as part of the on‑boarding process.
Healthcare services have a significant impact on the environment. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices. We expect all colleagues to support the delivery of our Green Strategic Plan and to drive positive changes in their department by joining ourGreen Impact programme.
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.
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