Children's Occupational Therapist

Job overview

If you are a newly qualified Occupational Therapist (OT) or an experienced OT looking to develop specialist skills in children's occupational therapy, then Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) has posts that could be just right for you. Due to internal progression, Children and Young People's Therapies (CYPT) are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for full time and part time Children's Occupational Therapists to be based in the West part of Hertfordshire, ie. Hemel Hempstead; St Albans; and in Watford.

We are looking for dynamic, enthusiastic and creative Occupational Therapists to be a part of our well-established teams. You will be joining an innovative and agile CYPT Service, that is committed to delivering high quality intervention, and to supporting the development and delivery of the new Experts at Hand model across Hertfordshire.

HCT provides integrated Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services for families across the county. Our CYPT integrated service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning amongst each profession. Our service is jointly commissioned by health, social care and education, allowing us to provide a seamless pathway of care from early years through to schools, specialist provisions and further education settings, and at home.

*Proposed interview date: 3rd November 2026*

Main duties of the job

Our integrated service provides opportunities for collaborative working, joint training and shared learning amongst each profession. We work closely with colleagues in education, with well-established relationships.

The successful applicant will be expected to hold an 0-25 years caseload, providing a service which meets both the health and education Occupational Therapy needs of CYP, providing interventions in a variety of settings, e.g. mainstream settings, specialist provisions, pre-school settings and clinics. Ideally applicants should have post graduate experience/training in assessment and treatment of clients with neurological conditions; learning disability; neurodiverse conditions. We have a Practice Development Lead with dedicated time to support and upskill new band 5-6 staff. Training will be provided in areas where further up skilling and development is required.

We can offer:

• Regular group supervision, managerial supervision, a well-established appraisal system, and an award winning preceptorship programme for newly qualified therapists
• CPD opportunities, including in service masterclasses
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills and to supervise less experienced members of staff
• Opportunities to work alongside other therapists/assistants to deliver intervention to children/young people requiring specialist support
• An initial induction period where you will have the opportunity to observe and shadow your team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see Job Description attached, which details the responsibilities within this post.

Children’s Occupational Therapy is based on a 3 Tier model of service delivery, with provision at Universal, Targeted and Specialist tiers.

Successful candidates will need to be enthusiastic and motivated. Good communication, clinical reasoning and organisational skills are essential. You must be a team player and have the ability to champion the needs of your patients.

You will be joining a well-established, supportive team of therapists and assistants. CYP Therapies at HCT pride ourselves on the support we provide to staff. Please see below comments from a current member of the team:

“I love working in CYPT/HCT - everyone in the team is super dedicated. There is strong management support, but also space for being flexible and creative to meet children’s needs; innovation & good practice is valued and encouraged. I enjoy & appreciate the robust supervision structures, training in supervision & coaching, and the many opportunities for personal development and learning, including for example in-house training days and tutorials. I have worked in many teams across Hertfordshire, all without exception friendly and welcoming. There is an ethos of peer support and encouragement & sharing learning; everyone works hard but there is a sense of belonging and always time for a quick chat… and plenty of laughs. I feel valued here and I value my lovely colleagues and the fabulous children & young people we work with.”

If you have any questions at all or you would like to come and visit us, please do contact us - we are only too happy to help and would love to tell you more about our Service.

Applicants wanting to work full time or part time will be considered. A full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of basic salary subject to a minimum payment of £1,604 and a maximum payment of £2,270 per annum pro rata (pro rata where applicable and dependent on base location)

Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all it’s staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.

Word versions of documents are available if needed to allow for any adaptations to be made i.e. font, colour, background, convert to Read Aloud.

If there’s high interest in this role, we may close applications earlier than the advertised deadline — so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. - APPLY NOW

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.