Occupational Therapist: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

The Occupational Therapist will provide the occupational therapy service to Danescourt, a six-bed community forensic step-down unit supporting individuals transitioning from secure forensic settings towards greater community independence.

The post holder will function as the sole Occupational Therapist within the unit, holding responsibility for the delivery, development and evaluation of the occupational therapy pathway for service users with complex mental health needs, offending histories, forensic risks and significant occupational functioning difficulties.

The role plays a key part within the wider RDaSH Learning disability and forensic directorate, supporting recovery, rehabilitation, risk reduction and successful community reintegration.

The post holder will work autonomously, providing specialist occupational therapy assessments and interventions whilst contributing to multidisciplinary decision-making regarding recovery progression, leave, transitions, discharge planning and community risk management.

Professional leadership, support and supervision will be provided by the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for the Forensic Directorate.

Main duties of the job

The Occupational Therapist will:

• Hold responsibility for all occupational therapy provision within Danes Court.
• Manage a specialist caseload of forensic service users.
• Deliver comprehensive occupational assessments and intervention programmes.
• Lead on occupational formulation, recovery planning and discharge pathways
• Contribute to forensic risk assessment and management.
• Support service users progressing from inpatient secure services into community placements.
• Provide specialist occupational therapy advice across the MDT.
• Contribute to service improvement and pathway development across forensic services.
• Supervise occupational therapy support staff, apprentices and students where appropriate.
• Participate in directorate-wide occupational therapy initiatives.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Occupational Therapy degree or equivalent
• HCPC registration
• Documented evidence of professional development
• Practice Educator qualification or willingness to undertake.

Desirable

• Training in forensic risk assessment.
• Postgraduate training relevant to forensic mental health.

Experience

Essential

• Experience working with adults experiencing complex mental health or learning disability needs.
• Experience of independently managing a clinical caseload.
• Experience of delivering occupational therapy assessment and intervention
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience contributing to risk assessment and risk management.

Desirable

• Experience within forensic services
• Experience within rehabilitation services
• Experience supervising staff or students.
• Experience undertaking audit or service improvement projects.

Knowledge

Essential

• Recovery-oriented practice.
• Occupational therapy process and models of practice.
• Mental Health Act and relevant legislation.
• Safeguarding procedures.
• Clinical governance principles.
• Risk assessment and risk management processes.
• Occupational performance and functional assessment.

Desirable

• Knowledge of forensic pathways.
• Knowledge of offending behaviour frameworks.
• Knowledge of psychologically informed environments.
• Understanding of trauma-informed practice.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously as a lone Occupational Therapist.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a complex caseload.
• Strong clinical reasoning and decision-making skills.
• Ability to lead occupational therapy interventions.
• Ability to analyse and manage risk.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to influence practice within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to supervise and support others.
• Effective organisational and workload management skills.

Desirable

• Experience leading service developments
• Experience delivering training.
• Experience using outcome measures within forensic services.

Closing Date: 23 October 2026