Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Specialist Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 06 March 2026
We have a fantastic opportunity for an existing Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist or a competent Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join the North ALD integrated team on a fixed term basis for 12 months.
The ALD North Durham integrated team offers a specialist assessment, support and intervention to people with a learning disability and/or autism diagnosis.
The post holder will have the exciting opportunity to embed and shape the Occupational Therapist role and TEWV OT Pathway into the service, with support from their Lead Occupational Therapist. We are looking for an Occupational Therapist that can support this journey, to deliver high quality and innovative occupational therapy assessment and intervention.
We encourage all applicants to reach out to the team to speak more about this fantastic role opportunity!
Main duties of the job
To be responsible for receiving requests for occupational therapy, triaging and prioritising these, completing evidence‑based occupational assessment and intervention to address key occupational areas of self‑care, productivity and leisure.
To use client‑centred approaches to co‑producing negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these collaboratively.
To participate in clinical/professional and management supervision.
To contribute to multidisciplinary team working.
To contribute to and lead on service improvement and quality initiatives.
To use the Trust electronic patient record system.
To abide by all Trust policies and procedures.
To be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenges.
About us
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care – our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
Job responsibilities
The post holder will provide evidence‑based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway delivered within Adult learning disabilities integrated service, offering input to individuals in community settings.
The ability to engage and communicate with people with learning disabilities and/or autism, as well as the parents/family/carers and system around them is essential.
Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the Lead OT. The postholder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to wider OT service developments.
You must be able to demonstrate experience of delivery of occupational therapy, keenness to continually develop yourself and others, and a particular interest in this field of OT. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings.
There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal.
You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network in the Adult learning disabilities teams in TEWV, to develop a way of delivering a high quality, needs‑led OT service, utilising core occupational therapy skills, ensuring all of the people we work with have a robust occupational therapy assessment and intervention plan in place.
Fiona Plummer
Lead Occupational Therapist
fiona.plummer@nhs.net
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Appropriate professional qualification for occupational therapy role
* Current relevant registration with specific regulatory body
* International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 7 (SLT =8) for International recruits
* Post graduate training in relevant specialist area
Experience
* Minimum 12 months post qualifying experience of occupational therapy delivery
* Experience of supporting people with mental health issues, learning disability or autism
* Experience of working in Multidisciplinary Team
Knowledge
* Understanding of the needs of people who use our services with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
* Clinical risk assessment and application in practice
* Knowledge of evidence‑based practice in designated specialist area
* Post graduate training in specialist area if applicable to post (e.g. sensory processing, function and cognition)
* Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
* Experience of managing complex occupational therapy cases
* Awareness of professional standards and its application to practice
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.
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
£38,682 to £46,580 a year pro‑rata, per annum
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