Head Occupational Therapist: Sponsorship Available

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

This role involves working with the Lead Occupational Therapist and other Heads OT’s in managing and developing the Occupational Therapy Service within their service area and across the Trust.

They provide professional leadership to their services, work alongside MDT members and develop effective working relationships across Senior Leadership Teams to ensure effective service provision.

The post holder will also be required to maintain equity across the service area, attend the relevant service meetings, provide highly specialised clinical supervision and support, manage audits, support financial sustainability through effective management of allocated budgets, implement strategic plans and ensuring ongoing service development.

Main duties of the job

  • To lead on all elements of the Occupational Therapy Service, being responsible for the planning and delivery of Occupational Therapy in the designated area, including supervision, recruitment, appraisals, CPD and disciplinary procedures.
  • To be responsible for the management of resources allocated to Occupational Therapy within the designated area.
  • To utilise clinical, financial and workforce data to inform strategic decision-making, resource allocation and service development in response to identified service needs.
  • To ensure HR processes including sickness and absence are managed effectively and in accordance with the Trust policy.
  • To foster effective working relationships with senior leadership colleagues to ensure service developments are co-ordinated and managed in an appropriate manner, ensuring high quality clinical services that meets service users needs.
  • To maintain, action and update strategic plans in line with trust strategies and local or national guidance.
  • To identity training needs, participate in and develop training for Occupational Therapists and other professionals.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Degree/Diploma in O.T.
  • HPC Registration
  • Full valid driving license and access to a car for business use.

Experience

Essential

  • Minimum 4 years’ experience as Senior Clinician in Mental Health and or Learning disability
  • Management/Leadership experience.
  • Recruitment process.
  • Experience at senior clinical level of working with people with severe and enduring Mental Health problems, learning disability.
  • Service/practice innovation.
  • Facilitation of training events.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Advanced knowledge of bio-psychosocial science.
  • Up to date knowledge of development in O.T., both clinical and strategic.
  • Up to date knowledge of developments in Mental Health, both clinical and strategic.
  • Models of supervision
  • O.T. models and approaches.(Model of HumanOccupation)
  • NSF for Mental Health.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 15 November 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.