Senior Occupational Therapist


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£39,959 to £42,170 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Worcester, WR5 1DD
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	7 Oct 2026
Closing date:	21 Oct 2026

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Summary

Key Working Relationships: Therapists across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Medical and nursing staff, other health care professionals and members of the MDT, support staff, community care co-ordinators, discharge co-ordinators, patients, carers, relatives, students and university staff. Risk Assessment: This post involves frequent manual handling activities e.g. hoisting, positioning, assisting sitting/standing, transferring, giving physical support during walking practice/exercise and occasional pushing of large items of equipment. There is a frequent requirement for moderate physical effort, including repetitive techniques e.g. manual chest techniques, passive exercises, bed exercises and an occasional requirement for intensive physical effort for several short periods throughout the day. Close contact with patients including the performance of invasive techniques such as Airway suction and Blood Gas sampling frequently exposes the post holder to bodily fluids e.g. sputum, urine, blood, vomit and faeces. There is frequent need for prolonged concentration when assessing and treating highly complex patients and a need to act rapidly in potentially life-threatening situations. The work pattern is often unpredictable with frequent interruptions/changes and managerial deadlines. Often you may encounter emotionally distressing situations, such as dealing with bad news, terminal illness, death and bereavement, where empathy and support for patients, carers and other team members will be needed. Job Purpose: To provide high-quality, patient centred care as an autonomous practitioner, managing complex and high risk caseloads through assessment, diagnosis, development and delivery of individual treatment plans, and effective discharge planning. Take ownership for managing a specialist caseload, within a defined service area or for a particular patient group. To provide clinical leadership within a rotational area including the supervision, support, and education of unregistered staff, junior colleagues and students. Actively contribute in service development, departmental audits, quality improvement and promote evidence-based practice. Rotate across various specialist areas in response to service needs, including outpatients, community settings, and acute specialist areas as appropriate. Contribute to the delivery of a 7-day service on a rota basis, depending on the specialty and rotation. To undertake on-call duties and/or weekend working, as appropriate to the speciality. When performing on call duties, staff must be available on the ward within 45 minutes of the call. Key Duties Clinical: To undertake comprehensive, specialist patient-centred clinical assessment, including complex risk analysis, of patients presenting with a wide variety of physical, functional or cognitive presentations. This may include in hospital, patients homes or other community settings that you must be able to travel to. Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning and decision making using functional analysis, and corroborative goal setting to optimise patient outcomes. To utilise a broad and evolving evidence base of specialist knowledge to deliver and adapt a wide range of interventions such as mobility training, equipment provision, environmental adaptations, exercise prescription and cognitive strategies. To independently plan and implement and evaluate treatment programmes adjusting interventions accordingly based on clinical findings and patient response. To make onward referrals as appropriate and required for the patient. To maintain high quality, contemporaneous clinical records in line with professional, legal and Trust standards. To participate in the evening and weekend On Call Service (individuals substantively employed by WAHT only), which includes advanced respiratory techniques and non-invasive ventilatory aids. This may include the treatment of children. In line with professional requirements and service needs. To work hours over 7 day working dependant on service delivery model. To take a proactive role in safeguarding, recognising, escalating and managing concerns in line with policy. To embed the principles of Making Every Contact Count promoting health and well being and self-management. Communications: To communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information effectively with patients, families and carers adapting style and approach to individual needs. To utilise advanced communication skills to motivate, educate and empower patients supporting engagement in rehabilitation and long-term self-management. To assess mental capacity, obtain valid consent and practice within relevant legal and ethical frameworks, including best-interest decision making where required. To effectively manage and overcome communication barriers, including cognitive, sensory, emotional, and cultural factors. To act as a key member of the MDT contributing to case conferences, ward rounds, discharge planning and complex decision making. To provide specialist advice and guidance to colleagues, patients, carers and other agencies regarding patient management. Education and Training: To be appraised by the Senior Therapist within each team, taking a proactive role in setting, reviewing and achieving personal and rotational specific objectives. Demonstrating progression in both clinical and leadership competencies across settings. To actively engage and contributing to supervision, CPD and in-service training programmes and take responsibility for personal learning and development whilst supporting the wider learning needs of the MDT. To maintain and apply advanced knowledge of current clinical developments and evidence based practice, and contribute to the dissemination of best practice within the team. To consistently complete all annual mandatory training and maintain competencies relevant to each clinical rotation, demonstrating flexibility and ability to rapidly acquire new skills required for different service areas. To provide leadership, support, guidance, training and formal supervision to band 5 staff, students and junior and unregistered staff as appropriate, acting as a role model within the team. To lead and actively participate in audits, quality improvement and service evaluations, and implementation of changes to enhance patient care and service delivery. Organisation and Management: To independently prioritise a complex patient workload and providing oversight and support of the management of the workloads for both band 5s and assistants. To regularly take responsibility for the coordination of the team or service area in the absence of the team lead. To demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of and adherence to National, Professional, Trust and Departmental policies and contribute to the review implementation and development of changes recommended within own service area following audit or research. Ensure a safe working environment by adhering to Trust policies, processes and standards and support others to do the same. To take a proactive leadership role to identify, challenge and address unsafe practice, or environments and report adverse incidents or near misses according to Trust policy. Professional: To maintain Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration adhering to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with Clinical Governance and the HCPC Standards, actively seeking opportunities to develop advanced knowledge and skills relevant to rotational practice. To be responsible for maintaining and developing own clinical competence through self-directed learning and reflective practice, while contributing to a culture of learning by supporting and facilitating the professional development of others within the team.

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