Occupational Therapist - Alfriston School

Buckinghamshire Council; West Midlands Combined Authority; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job description

Occupational Therapist - Alfriston School

Are you passionate about helping children with special educational needs thrive? We are looking for a dedicated Occupational Therapist to join our dynamic, child-centred team at Alfriston School. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of children and young people with a range of learning, sensory, and physical needs.

Alfriston School is a specialist SEN school providing tailored education and therapy for children with moderate learning difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, physical disabilities, and complex needs. We take a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach, ensuring every child receives the support they need to succeed.

As an Occupational Therapist in our school, you will assess and support students with sensory, motor, and functional challenges. Develop individualised therapy plans to enhance independence and engagement in learning. Work collaboratively with teachers, parents, and multi-disciplinary teams. Provide training and guidance to school staff on best OT practices. Use creative and evidence-based approaches to support students’ development.

What We’re Looking For:

• A degree in Occupational Therapy and HCPC registration
• Experience or a strong interest in working with children with SEN
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• A proactive and compassionate approach to therapy

If you are an experienced practitioner and want to contribute to the health and welfare of our students, we want to hear from you!

Term time only: 39 Weeks

Salary Type: Bucks pay

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 3 Days Per Week (22.5 Hours) 8.30am-4.30pm

Interviews to be held: Friday 2nd May 2025

Start Date: As Soon As Available

About the role

Job Purpose:
• Provide therapy with children with communication, motor, and sensory needs within a school setting.
• Complete assessments and produce reports to contribute to annual review and Educational Health and Care Plan meetings.
• Ensure the service is provided in close collaboration with education staff and other professionals to meet the needs of the child or young person.

Essential Qualifications

• Current Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration
• Professional Qualification in Occupational Therapy – BSc degree or Equivalent
• Member of Royal College of Occupational Therapy
• Member of a relevant Royal College of Occupational Therapy Specialist Group section

Essential Experience

• Working with children/adolescents with additional needs (educational, social, emotional, mental health or physical)
• Working with parents / families who need support creating sensory diets, programmes, regulation strategies
• Working with a range of professionals and agencies
• Experience of EHCP and the annual review process
• Standardised & unstandardised assessment e.g. DASH, COSA, SP2
• Working with pupils with Sensory Process Disorder (SPD)
• MDT meeting and collaborative working

Other information

Visits to the school are warmly welcome. To arrange a visit or to find out more about the role, please contact Ellie Davison on the number below.

Please send completed application forms to the email address below.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children which will be reflected throughout recruitment. The selected candidate will be required to provide suitable references and undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check before taking up the post.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. All shortlisted applicants will be required to complete self-disclosure form and return prior to interview.