Occupational Therapist

Job overview
We are looking for a Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join our multi-disciplinary team.
Community mental health services are going through a national restructuring, putting a new emphasis on delivering interventions, of which Occupational Therapy is identified as a key part.
We have an established team of OTs that we are looking to expand as we provide more group and individual interventions to our service users.
The role would include completing OT assessments and interventions. The intervention may be completed by the successful candidate, or by OT apprentices, support workers, or junior team members under supervision.
We are also increasing our offer of group work, looking at supporting complex service users to develop skills for daily living, and others to develop strategies to manage their mental health recovery.
Occupational therapy is valued as a core part of the multi-disciplinary team and the post holder will be working in a team with a variety of professionals. As well as occupational therapy activity, you will be involved in delivering core team functions such as dialog + and group interventions.
You will support the development of the therapeutic offer within MHT+ and will work closely with their therapy colleagues, members of the interdisciplinary team and AHP leadership.

Main duties of the job

• Provide high-quality and evidence-based occupational therapy assessments and interventions, both group and individual, to people who access services and their carers/supporters/family members, in line with the occupational therapy pathways.
• Communicate effectively with people who access services, carers, the multi-disciplinary team and when appropriate, outside agencies.
• Contribute to the generic functioning of the team.
• Provide supervision and mentoring to more junior occupational therapists, occupational therapy apprenticeships, and support workers.
• Provide occupational therapy student placements.
• Contribute to service development and audits.
• Take on the role of lead professional as appropriate.

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Take a look at our Occupational Therapist Video

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Person specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential criteria

• A recognised Occupational Therapist professional qualification
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge in the application of relevant OT theoretical models, and approaches relevant to service user group.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of the role of an OT within Mental Health services

Experience

Essential criteria

• Mental Health Experience
• Experience of individual & group work
• An ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. Computer literate. Able to use email, Word, Excel and access Internet resources

Desirable criteria

• Providing interventions

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.