Lead Occupational Therapist

Job summary

Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist looking to take the next step in your career and make a real difference? If so, join the team at Emerald Place in Charlwood, Surrey, as a Lead Occupational Therapist. Emerald Place is a 12-bed general adolescent inpatient service providing care and treatment for young people aged 13 to 18. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team supporting young people with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, including those with psychosis, emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety disorders and comorbid diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders. Drawing on your experience within the NHS and/or private sector, you will manage a complex caseload using evidence-based, person-centred approaches. You will assess, plan, implement, and evaluate both individual and group interventions, helping young people develop the skills they need to improve their independence, engagement in meaningful activities, and overall quality of life. Reporting directly to the Therapy Lead, you will have the oppor

Main duties of the job

As a Lead Occupational Therapist, you will be participating fully with the multidisciplinary team and encouraging the service users to be fully engaged in their care pathway. You will manage and coordinate the implementation of individual treatment plans for occupational therapy services ensuring treatments, activities, and interventions are delivered through effective application and communication by the occupational therapy assistants. You will ensure that you and the occupational therapy team maintain accurate and timely records detailing each patients rehabilitation and progress, and ensure the effective and efficient management of occupational therapy assistants. Your role includes supporting clinical team working, including both direct interventions and clinical guidance of occupational therapy plans for the team to implement, as well as the delivery of staff training programmes. You will be responsible for receiving and responding promptly to admissions, undertaking occupational therapy assessments to identify and prioritise patient needs before planning and delivering the appropriate and relevant interventions either on an individual or group basis for all young people on the ward. You will work to develop living skills, rehabilitation, and educational opportunities and therapies under the strategic direction of the Therapy Lead and other members of the Senior Management Team.

About us

Elysium Healthcare has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each persons individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.

Details

• Date posted: 03 September 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £47,000 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 1545649224
• Job locations: Elysium Healthcare, Charlwood, RH6 0BN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist looking to take the next step in your career and make a real difference? If so, join the team at Emerald Place in Charlwood, Surrey, as a Lead Occupational Therapist.

Emerald Place is a 12-bed general adolescent inpatient service providing care and treatment for young people aged 13 to 18. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team supporting young people with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, including those with psychosis, emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety disorders and comorbid diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Drawing on your experience within the NHS and/or private sector, you will manage a complex caseload using evidence-based, person-centred approaches. You will assess, plan, implement, and evaluate both individual and group interventions, helping young people develop the skills they need to improve their independence, engagement in meaningful activities, and overall quality of life.

Reporting directly to the Therapy Lead, you will have the opportunity to work autonomously in the day-to-day management and development of the Occupational Therapy service, while playing a key role in shaping and enhancing therapeutic provision across the hospital.

With a strong emphasis on teamwork, you will receive support from a regional network of healthcare professionals and benefit from access to a wide range of CPD opportunities, training programmes, and online learning resources to help you achieve your professional and career development goals.

As a Lead Occupational Therapist, you will be:

• Participating fully with the multidisciplinary team and encourage the service users to be fully engaged in their care pathway
• Managing and co-ordinating the implementation of individual treatment plans for occupational therapy services ensuring treatments, activities and interventions are delivered through effective application and communication by the occupational therapy assistants
• Ensuring you and the occupational therapy team maintain accurate and timely records detailing each patient’s rehabilitation and progress.
• Ensuring the effective and efficient management of occupational therapy assistants
• Supporting clinical team working, including both direct interventions and clinical guidance of occupational therapy plans for the team to implement, as well as the delivery of staff training programmes
• Receiving and responding promptly to admissions, undertaking occupational therapy assessments to identify and prioritise patient needs before planning and delivering the appropriate and relevant interventions either on an individual or group basis for all young people on the ward
• Working to develop living skills, rehabilitation, and educational opportunities and therapies under the strategic direction of the Therapy Lead and other members of the Senior Management Team

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• To be qualified and registered as an Occupational Therapist
• At least 3 years post qualifying experience
• Experience in assessing people with a variety of psychometrics and risk assessment tools
• To be able to work therapeutically, engaging young people in developing insight and coping skills to manage their complex needs
• Experience in carrying out occupational therapy assessments with individuals with complex mental health needs and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Experience in implementing individual and group occupational therapy interventions with individuals with complex mental health needs and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Experience in supervising and managing junior members of the team
• A full and clean UK driving licence

Where you will be working:

Address: Emerald Place, Farmfield Drive, Charlwood, Surrey, RH6 0BN

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Elysium Healthcare have worked in partnership to provide a new purpose-built Tier 4 Children and Young People Mental Health Service (CYPMHS) in Surrey.

Emerald Place Clinic is a 12-bed general adolescent inpatient unit for the care and treatment of young people aged 13 up to the age of 18. You will be part of a team who supports young people who have a primary diagnosis of mental illness including those with psychosis, emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety disorders and comorbid diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders.

What You’ll Get

At Elysium Healthcare, we believe in taking care of the people who care for others, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future:

• Annual base salary of £47,000
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one-stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future

About your next employer:

Elysium Health care has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move.

Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally.

Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).