Overview
West Sussex County Council is all about making a positive difference to the people we work with and their communities. As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
Our Adults' Community Teams offer an exciting and rewarding area of practice, giving our Occupational Therapy professionals the opportunity to make a real difference in people\'s lives. We work with adults aged 25 and over who have cognitive and/or physical disabilities, with a particular focus on older people.
Community Occupational Therapy focuses on helping people maintain their current abilities or prevent further deterioration in their skills. Occupational Therapy helps those with impairment and disability to live independent, productive lives. We\'re proud to embed a strengths-based approach in our practice—supporting individuals to explore their networks, maximise independence and access local community resources.
About The Job
Salary: £55,057 to £58,829 per annum pro rata (£35,712 to £38,159 per annum for 24 hours)
Working Pattern: Part time, 24 hours per week*
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Adur area
Interview Date: 13th February 2026
We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to join us as the Team Manager of our wonderful Western Community Occupational Therapy team.
As Team Manager, you’ll lead and manage a team of registered and non-registered professionals (Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants). You’ll ensure the service is delivered to the highest standards, in line with HCPC guidelines, national legislation, and West Sussex County Council policies and procedures.
Managing your team, you will be expected to assign, monitor and review team activities to ensure standards, development and implementation of team plans and performance targets are in place and being met. You’ll promote effective working practices with colleagues and partner agencies and ensure the delivery of quality Occupational Therapy to West Sussex residents with the aim of meeting customer outcomes and preventing, reducing and delaying the need for services.
As a member of a high performing Occupational Therapy Management team, you are responsible for the provision of Occupational Therapy within the Chichester and Bognor areas. This post will require you to manage business priorities according to demand and deliver performance targets by the effective management of resources. Demonstration of strong management and leadership skills to provide excellent services that improve outcomes for the residents of West Sussex is key
As the Occupational Therapy professional management lead for the area you must have excellent communication skills drawing on your ability to influence the actions of others and communicate complex information to a variety of people. Initiative and creativity are imperative, you must be able to anticipate problems and make informed decisions on many different aspects of the role including, service provision and the day to day management and direction of the team.
*This role offers hybrid working, meaning you will be able to work from home 1-2 days a week.
Experience and Skills
The following are the short listing criteria so please ensure you cover with information on how you meet each of the criteria in your application.
Key Skills:
* The ability to provide professional knowledge, skill and experience to the service area. Promote professional leadership within the service specialism.
* The ability to lead staff through complex change within the context of the political, legal and practice framework, identify innovative solutions and constructively challenge existing practices, effectively deliver performance management solutions.
* The ability to problem solve and tackle challenging issues of a technical, professional, resource or people related nature.
* Excellent communication and organisational skills (including IT) and the ability to analyse and manage data and monitor financial expenditure of for example: staffing, equipment and adaptation.
Qualifications and/or experience
* Diploma or BA/BSc in Occupational Therapy or equivalent qualification.
* Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
* Significant post qualifying experience in dealing with significant and diverse issues, including the delivery or co-ordination of quality customer focused service.
* Experience of managing / leading staff.
Rewards and Benefits
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06123.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Paula McGaughey (Service Manager - Community Occupational Therapy & Moving & Handling) at paula.mcgaughey@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.
To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to HCPC registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme (if you meet all the essential criteria), this can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
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