Lead Occupational Therapist - High Wycombe

NHS; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000

Job description

Job summary

Are you looking for opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge in Occupational Therapy leadership and management?

Based in the older adults' team at Saffron House, the Occupational Therapist will join our passionate Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in High Wycombe. This is an opportunity to be part of a dedicated and innovative team making a real difference in the lives of older adults.

Saffron House is renowned for its exceptional care and support for older adults facing mental health challenges. Our team is committed to providing compassionate, person-centred care that enhances the quality of life for our clients and their families. We pride ourselves on creating a warm, welcoming environment where older adults feel valued and supported.

As a Lead/Senior Occupational Therapist, you will mentor and manage junior staff, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high standards of care. You will lead by example, sharing your expertise and guiding the team in delivering best practices in mental health care.

The team offers excellent flexible working options and well-developed learning and development provisions within the trust to enhance your skills and widen your knowledge base.

Main duties of the job

• To develop and lead the Occupational Therapy provision into the older adult services in Buckinghamshire.
• To undertake occupational therapy assessment of clients with a range of mental health needs with a particular focus on supporting patients and families with dementia.
• Select, undertake and interpret the outcome of occupational therapy assessments for people whose mental health and cognitive problems impact on their occupational performance and functioning.
• To provide Occupational Therapy leadership and clinical supervision to Occupational Therapists working within the older adult CMHT's.
• Take a leading role in the development of Occupational Therapy services or specialist programmes for older adults.

The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role.

About us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible.

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Date posted: 26 March 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £46,148 to £52,809 a year Per Annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number: 267-BM6914120-2B

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application. The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Person Specification

Knowledge Requirements

• Highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience of mental health disorders in older adults
• A good understanding of mental health needs of older adults with dementia and the Occupational Therapy model of human occupation
• Strong knowledge and skills in assessing risk and developing safety/management plans

Qualifications - Academic/Skills/Professional

• Occupational Therapist with Dip RCOT qualification or BSc in Occupational Therapy
• Current and up to date registration with relevant professional body- HCPC.
• Practice Educator Training

• Qualification in management and leadership (Desirable)

Experience

• Substantial experience as an Occupational Therapist working in a mental health, learning disability service or relevant field of practice.
• Experience of caseload management of complex conditions & cases.
• Substantial risk assessment and management skills of self-harm/risk/crisis management/safeguarding
• Experience of providing high quality assessments and interventions for older people with mental health needs and or dementia.
• Experience in supervising and providing clinical leadership for junior team members.

• Experience and evidence of promoting the role of Occupational Therapy (Desirable)

Personal Qualities

• Able to communicate complex condition related information to patients, families/carers and colleagues.
• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Highly developed communication and team working skills and ability to work with a range of other professionals and agencies.

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.

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

Employer details

Employer name: Oxford Health NHS Trust

Address: Saffron House, Easton St, High Wycombe, HP11 1NH

Employer's website: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)