Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Band 6 - Senior Occupational Therapist (Fixed Term Contract)
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join an innovative and dynamic team providing intensive rehabilitation in the community. We are looking for an experienced and motivated Occupational Therapist who is passionate about service development and providing high standard of patient centred care. You will be working closely with a friendly team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and rehabilitation assistants who are committed to maintaining independence, promoting self-care and assisting patients to achieve their goals. The successful candidate will be hardworking, reliable and able to use their initiative and work flexibly to respond to the service needs.
Main duties of the job
The Virtual Frailty Ward / Intensive Rehabilitation Service provides daily therapy in the patient’s own home. We continuously prioritise our caseload to be responsive to the changing daily needs of our service users, communicating closely with other service providers to avoid admission where it is safe to do so and providing onward referrals to other community services including health and social care. As part of the Frailty Virtual Ward / Intensive Rehabilitation Service (IRS) we see a wide variety of patients including neurological, orthopaedics, falls, long term conditions, and musculoskeletal allowing staff to get broad experience across different specialities. You will be part of a friendly and approachable team who work well together, and will be well supported by your senior management team.
The Virtual Frailty Ward/ IRS works seven days a week 365 days a year. Therapy is mainly provided from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays however, we do support flexible working. Weekends are covered on a rota basis, usually one weekend a month working from 9am to 12:45pm Saturday and Sunday. We cover Brentwood, Billericay, Wickford, Basildon and Thurrock.
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
We are kind.
We are respectful.
We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
High Cost Area Supplement
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £1,303 and a maximum payment of £2,198 per annum pro rata).
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification.
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
1. Experience of working at B5/B6 level
2. Experience of previous NHS work
3. Degree in Occupational Therapy
4. HCPC registration
Desirable criteria
5. Community rehabilitation
6. ordering and assessment of equipment needs
RCOT membership
Essential criteria
7. Experience in core areas of Occupational Therapy
Desirable criteria
8. RCOT membership
Knowledge of OT processes
Essential criteria
9. Patient centred care
Desirable criteria
10. Experience of goal setting
Communication
Essential criteria
11. Able to demonstrate clear communication both verbally and written for documentation
Desirable criteria
12. General communication ability
Knowledge of policies
Essential criteria
13. Can demonstrate knowledge and application via experience and providing examples at interview
Desirable criteria
14. Knowledge of IT systems S1 and TCES
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
15. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
16. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
17. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
18. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.