Job overview
Shape the future of SEND support across Buckinghamshire
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and innovative Occupational Therapist to lead the Occupational Therapy contribution to Buckinghamshire's new Experts at Hand programme, a key element of the national SEND reform agenda.
As the Experts at Hand Clinical & Operational Lead, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing and delivering a transformational service that strengthens inclusive practice across mainstream education settings. Working collaboratively with the Local Authority, Integrated Care Board, schools and wider system partners, you will provide strategic leadership to ensure children and young people receive timely, needs-led support through a graduated approach.
This is a unique opportunity to influence service development at a system level while maintaining your professional expertise and shaping the future OT workforce within SEND services.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Head of Service for CYP Integrated Therapy Services, you will:
- Lead the strategic, operational and clinical delivery of the Occupational Therapy element of the Experts at Hand programme.
- Drive service innovation and continuous improvement in line with national SEND reforms.
- Work collaboratively with senior leaders across health, education and social care.
- Lead and develop a team of Highly Specialist Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants.
- Provide expert advice, consultation and clinical leadership for complex situations.
- Monitor service performance, outcomes and quality standards.
- Manage resources effectively and contribute to budget management.
- Lead workforce development, supervision, training and succession planning.
- Represent the service at local, regional and national forums.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.
If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.
If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on bht.recruitment@nhs.net quoting the vacancy reference number.
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.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- • Significant post-registration experience providing highly specialist occupational therapy interventions to children and young people with complex needs
- • Experience of operational and/or clinical leadership of a therapy service or team
- • Experience of line management, including appraisal, performance and professional development of staff
- • Experience of developing and maintaining effective partnerships with education, local authority, health and other stakeholders in the redesign of services
- • Experience of effectively leading and implementing change and service transformation
- • Experience of budget management / management of resources
- • Experience of managing complaints, disputes, resolutions and/or Serious Incidents
- • Experience of working and coproducing within, or in close partnership with, education and early years settings and of SEND / EHCP processes
Special circumstances
Essential
- Able to travel across sites in Buckinghamshire.
- • Ability to work flexibly across sites and to attend system and partnership meetings as required
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- • Highly expert knowledge and skills in occupational therapy needs in children and young people
- • Advanced knowledge of current legislation, the SEND Code of Practice, the graduated approach and the national SEND reform / Experts at Hand programme, spanning education and health
- • Ability to provide strategic and operational leadership and to translate national policy into local delivery
- • Highly developed communication, negotiation and influencing skills, including the ability to manage complex and contentious information
- • Ability to analyse and interpret Key Performance Indicators, activity and outcome data to drive improvement
- • Ability to plan, organise and adjust a broad, complex range of activities across multiple partners and settings
- • Knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and safeguarding, and their application in practice
- • Compassionate, inclusive leadership skills and the ability to motivate, develop and support staff
Education, qualifictaions and training
Essential
- Degree or Diploma (Occupational therapy)
- Professional registration with HCPC.
- Post graduate clinical/ management qualification or equivalent level of experience and proven ability to perform at this level
- Significant demonstrable experience of and demonstrable achievement in managing education/ health/social care services
- Member of relevant professional body e.g. RCOT
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Experts at Hand Clinical & Operational Lead – Occupational Therapy with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in Amersham Hospital (current NHS organisation address). It is listed as a Band 8 Occupational Therapist role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 17 Sep 2026.
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