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Job summary
We are offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced Occupational Therapist to be a Band 7 AHP Team Leader within Adult and Older Persons' Mental Health Services in Portsmouth and South East Hants Division. This will include managing AHPs in both inpatient and community Mental Health settings in Portsmouth, Havant, Waterlooville, Petersfield, Bordon and Gosport. The successful candidate will lead the daily operations of a centralised AHP service and the Personality, Trauma, and Response Team, while maintaining a specialist clinical role.
You will provide strong clinical leadership, line management and supervision to AHP colleagues and Peer Support Workers, drive service quality, support flow through Mental Health pathways, and contribute to improvement, governance and Trust wide AHP initiatives. The role includes working closely with the AHP Professional Lead, MDT partners and external agencies to deliver safe, effective, recovery focused care.
We are looking for someone with proven clinical expertise, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead, motivate and support a diverse team. You'll bring autonomy, sound decision making, and a commitment to continuous learning and service development.
The role is a valuable opportunity to develop leadership capability, influence service improvement, gain strategic experience and shape the future of AHP practice across the Trust.
Main duties of the job
What You'll Do:
Lead the day-to-day running of the AHP team and the Personality, Trauma, and Response Team within Mental Health Services.
Provide line management, supervision and development for AHP staff.
Maintain a specialist clinical caseload and oversee complex assessments/interventions.
Ensure safe, effective, recovery focused practice that meets CQC and Trust standards.
Support caseload oversight and service user flow across Mental Health pathways.
Use clinical data, audits and feedback to drive service improvement.
Work collaboratively across MDTs and with external partners.
Represent AHPs in service meetings and support Trustwide AHP projects.
Support training, student placements and create a positive learning culture.
Skills & Qualities We're Looking For:
Strong leadership and people management skills.
Advanced clinical reasoning and confidence in managing complex cases.
Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
Ability to make sound decisions in fast-paced and unpredictable situations.
Commitment to quality, safety and continuous improvement.
Organised, proactive and able to work autonomously.
Compassionate, adaptable and aligned with Trust values.
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.
Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.
We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence
Details
- Date posted: 24 July 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 7
- Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
- Reference number: 348-PSE-10871
- Job locations: The Limes, St James' Hospital, Woodlands Walk, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 8GB, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Post-registration experience in relevant setting.
- Able to demonstrate ability to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations and deal with verbal or physical aggression on occasions
- Proven Clinical Leadership and presentation skills
- Able to take personal responsibility, work autonomously and manage time effectively.
- As a Specialist, be able to demonstrate knowledge of specialist care in relation to their health and well-being.
- Knowledge of Professional Standards and Codes of Conduct
- Knowledge of the principles of supervision and reflective practice.
- Knowledge of National agendas as appropriate for role.
- The Clinical Governance Framework and implementation for service delivery.
- Demonstrate a good working knowledge and competence of systems Solent use (or transferable skill), and IT facilities associated with service users, budgets, and management information.
- Working knowledge of appropriate legislative frameworks and mental health Act.
Desirable
- Experience of practice placement education and providing teaching/training for a range of student/staff needs.
- Knowledge of local health needs strategies.
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant AHP Degree-level Professional Qualification
- Current Health Care Professional Council registration
- Management or leadership qualification and/or training/experience
Desirable
- Evidence of study at Masters' level or working towards this qualification relevant to area of practice.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for AHP Team Lead with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, South East, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Allied health professionals role. The advertised salary is £47,810 to £54,710 a year. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 09 Aug 2026.
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