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Specialist Occupational Therapist
Closing date is 08 December 2025
Base: Adult Community Mental Health Team in St Albans
Do you want to develop your OT career working in mental health?
Would you like to know that you have made a difference to people who have a number of challenges to their health and wellbeing?
This is a great and unique opportunity for a band 6 OT or band 5 OT looking to progress into a band 6 role.
Unlike many community mental health posts this role is solely OT focused allowing the OT team to concentrate on providing a high quality service benefiting both service users and the wider team as well as enhancing personal job satisfaction.
In return, we can offer you:
* 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (subject to a minimum and a maximum payment pro rata)
* 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays (pro rata where applicable)
* One of the UK's best pension schemes
* Special Leave for family and personal reasons
* NHS Car Lease Scheme (for substantive staff)
* Eye Care Vouchers
* Employee Assistance Programme
* NHS Discounts
Main duties of the job
This role includes:
* Managing a clinical OT caseload
* Carrying out comprehensive assessments
* Delivering evidence based interventions using the Model of Human Occupation
Assessments and interventions take place at the unit, in service users homes, or in the community.
There is the opportunity to develop both individual and group interventions to help the service user achieve their personal and recovery goals.
The OT team consists of a Band 6 Occupational Therapist and two OT Assistant Therapy Practitioners. The team offers 1-1 and group interventions and has successfully facilitated a number of face to face, and virtual groups using the Recovery Through Activity framework developed by Sue Parkinson. The OT team have made links with several community resources enhancing the quality OT provision. The post holder would have the opportunity to develop this further, expanding on the current groups provided.
High quality supervision is an integral part of all OT posts and there are many CPD opportunities and access to OT in-service training events which happen throughout the year. The in-service training often includes outside speakers who are at the forefront of our profession.
Car driver essential as a majority of the posts are community based, you must hold a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes - including business insurance (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
See attached job description and person specification
Person Specification
Qualifications/Training
* BSc/MSc/PG Dip Occupational Therapy
* HCPC registration
* Proficient use of Microsoft Office and associated packages.
* Completion of preceptorship and/or evidence of having met the full KSF Gateway for Band 5 OT's
* Evidence of relevant post grad training
* Membership of RCOT, including specialist section
* First line management training
* Solution Focussed Brief Therapy training
* Broad base of clinical experience
Previous Experience
* Post registration experience in relevant clinical setting
* Applied experience of providing both individual and group work interventions.
* Specialist knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation assessment tools, or others appropriate to area.
* Documented evidence of continuing professional development
* Experience in providing advice, support and clinical supervision to junior staff and/or students
* Applied knowledge of Recovery principles and how these relate to OT
* Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or learning disability in a variety of health and social care settings
* Previous experience of having worked at Band 6 level
* Experience in research or audit
Communication Skills
* Strong communication skills, written and verbal and the ability to persuade and negotiate with peers and senior colleagues
* Proven track record of working within a multidisciplinary team and an understanding of team dynamics
* Knowledge and application of key policy, health legislation and guidelines which impact on OT and mental health/LD practice.
* Ability to provide and receive sensitive and difficult information regarding service users care and social situation
* Knowledge of and effective use of appropriate professional relationships and boundaries
* High level of ability to grade and adapt practical skills
* Evidence of delivery of training and professional development sessions
Analytical Skills
* Ability to apply broad knowledge of current best practice in OT and mental health
* A high level of problem solving/clinical judgement skills and the ability to analyse professional and ethical issuesAbility to respond and adjust appropriately to the changing needs of service users
* Specialist knowledge and experience of using the Model of Human Occupation Assessment tools and or equivalent in area
* Highly developed ability to evaluate group interventions and outcomes
* Highly developed case formulation skills to guide own OT intervention plan and those of others
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.
Address
£40,617 to £48,778 a year per annum, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
367-ACMS-9877
Job locations
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