Senior Occupational Therapist - CAMHS SCT

NHS; Reading; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000

Job description

Senior Occupational Therapist - CAMHS SCT

Are you a Band 6 Occupational Therapist motivated to develop OT services within a community CAMHS team?

Are you interested in supporting neurodivergent young people whose needs may not fit traditional pathways?

Join our Specialist Community Team (SCT) and help shape this new Occupational Therapist role. We provide assessment and intervention for children and young people with complex, comorbid, or high-risk mental health disorders and work across key pathways, including Trauma, Depression, and Emotional Dysregulation. You'll support a growing number of neurodivergent young people through focused interventions and adaptations tailored to their needs.

As our Occupational Therapist you will:

• Assess, develop, implement, and evaluate therapy plans for young people referred to the team
• Provide one-to-one interventions in homes, schools, and via digital platforms
• Work collaboratively with parents, professional networks, and MDT colleagues

We are a friendly, welcoming, and supportive team who recently won the 'Excellence in Practice' Award within our CQC rated 'Outstanding' Trust. You'll receive supervision within CAMHS, be part of a strong AHP structure, and benefit from excellent OT peer support.

This permanent role is based at the University of Reading, with community work across Berkshire. Our service hours are 9-5, Monday to Friday.

Applications are processed as they are received. We would encourage you to apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early!

Main duties of the job

• Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people and their families, as appropriate
• Provide care co-ordination for young people open to the Service.
• Independently manage an appropriately sized caseload
• Work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and within a multi-agency system
• Maintain own continuing professional development and contribute to team professional development initiatives.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

• A qualified Occupational Therapist registered with HCPC
• Significant post qualification experience working within children and young peoples mental health services
• Ability to manage a complex caseload
• A driver with access to a vehicle, or ability to travel between multiple community sites efficiently

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact Christina Subrai by email on [e-mail] who'll be delighted to help.

Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy
• Good standard of general education
• HCPC Registration
• Previous experience of COT preceptorship programme
• Further relevant qualification in the field of mental health

Training

• Evidence of continuous professional development

Previous Experience

• Post-qualification experience which may include role of a supervisee for junior staff or students, and leadership experience, which may be gained if you have been working as a qualified O.T. for 2 years or more
• Experience of working with children and young people with mental health problems
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems
• Experience of individual and group work OT intervention
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
• Experience of working in a community mental health service
• Experience of supervising staff and students

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Thorough working knowledge of mental health problems and their management
• Knowledge of OT assessment and treatment approaches
• Knowledge of current mental health policy
• Ability to offer a range of good quality OT assessments and treatment interventions to individuals and groups
• Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to work autonomously and set own priorities within caseload management
• Ability to apply patient-led principles and form non-discriminatory therapeutic relationships with the service users and their parents/carers
• Ability to take responsibility appropriate to senior clinician role, and make decisions
• Ability to contribute creatively to the development of the service.
• Ability to work within a changing and progressive environment
• Ability to deal with emotionally demanding situations, and to remain calm under pressure.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance

Additional Requirements

• Able to commit to flexible working patterns, including weekend working and shift work
• Ability to travel independently and efficiently to deliver clinical care from multiple sites including service user homes.

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.