Job overview
Maternity Leave cover up to 1 year
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced, dynamic and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join our Spinal Injuries Therapy Service. The post holder will be employed as a Senior Occupational Therapist and will have the opportunity to advance their knowledge and experience in the rehabilitation of patients post spinal cord injury.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in the country, close to the North Yorkshire Moors and within easy reach of Newcastle and Leeds. It comprises two acute hospitals, The James Cook University Hospital and Friarage Hospital Northallerton and a number of community hospitals.
The James Cook University Hospital is a major trauma centre and provides a wide range of district general hospital services and specialist services such as neurosciences, renal medicine, spinal injuries, major trauma, cardiothoracic, vascular surgery and cancer services.
The post holder will complete rehabilitation with patients post spinal cord injury within the rehabilitation unit. The post holder will be required to complete domiciliary visits to facilitate discharges and training.
The post holder will have the opportunity to develop specialist skills within the management of patients throughout the rehabilitation journey. The post involves working as part of the integrated MDT team, liaising with external services and families.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be based at the Golden Jubilee Regional Spinal Injury Centre at The James Cook University Hospital which has a well-established, progressive and dynamic Therapy Service that continues to develop and grow with the Trust.
The team is friendly and supportive and mentorship for this role will be available from the Occupational Therapist and Therapy Service Lead.
This post offers development in clinical and leadership skills. We have a comprehensive training programme and our staff are encouraged and supported in their CPD through workshops and clinical supervision. There is also an expectation to actively participate in audit and research.
As a Senior Occupational Therapist you will be encouraged to develop your skills and to supervise assistants and more junior staff and be involved in the clinical education of students.
This post is suitable for Occupational Therapists with significant postgraduate experience and an interest in neurological Occupational Therapy enabling them to build on their core skills developed as a Occupational Therapist.
Working for our organisation
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. You will be expected to attend the following training sessions:
Your Leadership Impact
Leading your Team to Success
Leading Into the Future
Service Improvement for Beginners
Developing your Service Improvement Skills
Lean Practitioner
The leadership and improvement programme aims to:
Explore leadership within the NHS
Promote Trust values and behaviours
Develop your leadership effectiveness and skills
Equip staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and complete service improvements within the scope of your role.
After you complete these six and a half days of training you will be able to explore further leadership and improvement training opportunities. We also offer a range of additional in-house and externally provided courses and bitesize programmes through our Leadership and Improvement Team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for main responsibilities of the role.
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
1. BSc or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
2. HCPC registration
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
3. Demonstrates analytical skills and judgement when dealing with the Occupational Therapy management of complex clients
4. Good teaching and supervisory skills
5. Demonstrates detailed clinical reasoning skills
6. To display effective communication skills, communicating complex, sensitive and contentious information to patients, carers and colleagues
7. Basic IT skills
8. Theoretical knowledge and applied clinical practice in specialist area
9. Good understanding of the structure, policies, priorities and format of the NHS
Desirable criteria
10. Audit and Research experience
Experience
Essential criteria
11. Experience at band 5 level including work as a rotational Occupational Therapist in a variety of specialties
12. Evidence of relevant post graduate courses
13. Experience working as an autonomous practitioner at a band 5 level within the NHS
Disclosure and Barring Checks (DBS)
It is now the policy of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who are new to the Trust who require DBS clearance for the post they have been offered, are required to pay the cost of their DBS. The method of payment for this is via salary deduction from your first month's pay.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. We welcome applications from the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network; LGBT+ Network; Disability and Long-Term Health Conditions Network, Faith Network, Childless not by Choice Network and the Menopause Support Group.
As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you.
If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at
Right to Work in the UK
The Trust welcomes applications from all candidates who meet the criteria for the role. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Work in the UK - (.
Please provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Your current immigration status will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or interview process.
Please note that not everyone needs a Skilled Worker visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead.
We are able to offer sponsorship for a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, subject to candidate and position eligibility. Please review the job eligibility guidance for skilled workers here: Skilled Worker visa: Your job - ( and for the Health and Care Worker visa here: Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - (
Please note: if the job you are applying for does not meet the eligibility criteria above, we will be unable to offer you sponsorship and you will need to explore whether you may be eligible to apply for an alternative immigration route which will secure your right to work in the UK before you apply. If you are in the UK already on a visa, please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.
The Trust encourages and supports all applicants to be fully vaccinated against both COVID19 and influenza.
Please be aware, there are occasions where some vacancies may close prior to the closing date advertised. This will only happen where sufficient applications are received AND will be made evident on the job advert.
Please note if you are successfully shortlisted, we will contact you via the email address that you have applied from so please ensure you check your emails regularly.
Existing employees of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust currently on the Redeployment Register, who meet the essential criteria for this post, will be shortlisted and interviewed prior to all other applicants.