Children’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner: Sponsorship Available

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)

Job summary

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapy Assistant to use their skills and knowledge to make a real difference in children and young people’s lives.

You will be joining a dynamic team of Occupational Therapists and Assistants within the Community Occupational Therapy Service to contribute to holistic care and therapy delivery for children and young people.

The postholder will be an integral part of the Children’s Occupational Therapy team supporting assessment and treatment for children and young people. The successful candidate will have a minimum of two years’ experience working as a Children’s Therapy assistant and have knowledge of equipment provision.

The post holder will be required to work as part of the Occupational Therapy Service as an autonomous practitioner to undertake specific work independently, as identified by registered Occupational Therapy staff. This will include working with other agencies and Multi-Disciplinary Teams to deliver Children’s OT goals across different settings including clinic, patients’ home, schools and/or pre-school sites.

The post holder will require very good communication, organisation and time management skills to support provision of effective interventions. The post holder will be based in Cambridge with some travel across the county.

Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy after 24 August 2026

Main duties of the job

To be able to work on a Tuesday

To work as part of the Occupational Therapy team, as an autonomous practitioner and understanding your role within the service

To undertake specific work independently, as identified by registered Occupational Therapy staff.

To accept patients referred by the Occupational Therapist and carry own caseload.

Work independently within the multidisciplinary team setting, reporting back patient progress and informing Therapists of any problems.

To appropriately conduct assessments, treatment and discharge planning for patients under the supervision of the Occupational Therapist

Typical caseloads have a mixture of children with physical and developmental needs, with conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and Autism.

Regular supervision will be provided. The post-holder will also be supported by the Team Lead OT for South Team and join other OT Assistant Practitioners at targeted training sessions as well as regular in-service training. The service is supportive of staff wishing to pursue apprenticeship training in Occupational Therapy.

To assess for standard equipment with guidance from the Occupational Therapist, adhering to relevant competencies.

To promote independence, health and well-being and safety in clinical or community settings.

Assist Occupational Therapy staff in activities related to non-direct patient contact: equipment maintenance, delivery and collection, clerical and administrative

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential

  • Successful completion of Level 5 Qualification (Foundation Degree, equivalent to DipHE or level 5 certificate)
  • Sound basic education: evidence of successful A Levels (or NVQ level 3 equivalent) and GCSEs (level 5 / grade C or above) in English and Maths
  • Evidence of continued professional development documented through Trust processes and personal portfolio (for example demonstratable evidence of appraisal/supervision)

Desirable

  • Understanding of KSF (Knowledge Skills Framework) dimensions and PDR (appraisal) process

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience of working with children, young people and families or within the Occupational Therapy service
  • Experience working with families who are adjusting to disability issues
  • An awareness of child development and the OT role within the service
  • Experience of working in the community
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding issues

Desirable

  • Experience with working with children with complex physical disability
  • Experience working within a special school

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

  • A good understanding of physical disability and learning disability issues
  • Knowledge of treatment protocols, benefits and limitations of Occupational Therapy
  • Knowledge of the range of Occupational Therapy interventions appropriate in the treatment of children and young people

Desirable

  • A broad understanding of relevant policy, legislation and how they apply to children’s occupational therapy
  • Understanding of clinical governance – how it informs clinical practice and the purpose of audit within Occupational Therapy

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).

Closing Date: 2 September 2026

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