Neonatal Occupational Therapist Advanced

Job overview

We’re looking for an Advanced Neonatal Occupational Therapist to join our small but mighty AHP team!

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic, passionate group of neonatal therapists making a real difference in the lives of high-risk infants and their families.

As an Advanced Specialist Occupational Therapist, you’ll bring your expertise in paediatrics and neonatal care to a role that spans both the neonatal unit and the community, including contributing to our developmental follow-up clinics.

You’ll be part of an enthusiastic and supportive team delivering developmentally informed care across two Level 2 neonatal units in Lewisham and Woolwich, and jointly running follow-up services in the vibrant and diverse borough of Lewisham.

This is a chance to grow your specialist skills, collaborate closely within a multidisciplinary team, and contribute meaningfully to long-term outcomes for babies and families.

Main duties of the job

This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking neonatal service delivering the highest standards of care for high-risk infants. As an Advanced Neonatal Occupational Therapist, you will bring expert clinical skills to a dynamic multidisciplinary team, working closely with AHP colleagues across hospital and community settings.

You will provide advanced Occupational Therapy for premature and medically complex babies from birth to two years, ensuring vital developmental support during this critical period. Key responsibilities include:

• Specialist assessment and intervention from admission to age two.
• Coordinating developmentally informed care across two Level 2 neonatal units and community clinics.
• Advising and supporting therapists and the wider MDT in intervention planning.
• Facilitating therapy programmes to ensure seamless inpatient–outpatient care.
• Collecting and analysing clinical data for service planning.
• Contributing to evidence-based practice, audit, service evaluation, and research.
• Driving innovation and development within the AHP Neonatal Service in line with emerging needs.

This role offers the chance to make a measurable difference to outcomes for vulnerable infants and their families.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To work as a Band 7  Neonatal Occupational therapist specialising in neonatal care.  Infants will have a wide range of diagnosis and in-depth understanding and experience is needed in neonatal therapy, as well as the ability to work competently at a band 7 level across the neonatal acute and developmental pathway.

To ensure the successful implementation of a specialist area of an occupational therapy clinical pathway alongside other service development initiatives. This will be within an MDT neonatal pathway.

To provide support and guidance to other Occupational Therapists and members of the AHP Neonatal MDT.

To work with the Neonatal unit and other community AHPs, supporting them to establish programmes of support, facilitating delivery of interventions recommended ensuring they are able to meet children’s Occupational Therapy needs

To be responsible for providing Advanced individual child focused assessments and intervention. Requiring integration of knowledge and understanding of child development, environment, disability and occupations, to address occupational performance skills, roles, contexts and activity demands.

To select, administer and apply an advanced level of analysis to standardised and non-standardised assessments, tools and materials specific to community paediatric occupational therapy, in order to provide diagnostic and predictive information and contribute to accurate diagnosis, prognosis and intervention.

To use a highly specialist level of skills in negotiating, agreeing and setting goals with the family, school staff and other professionals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART) and address key occupational performance needs. To monitor, evaluate and modify intervention against set GAS goals in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness, negotiating new goals where appropriate.

To identify the need and where appropriate, assess and plan management/intervention to meet the assistive technology needs of children (Orthotics, equipment for home and school including special seating and postural management, AT, mobility equipment and environmental controls).

To be responsible for ordering, referral, liaison with other agencies and/or joint assessments and appropriate after care such as training, setting up equipment and reviewing progress

To undertake complex risk assessments in relation to children on caseload.

To assess for and advise others in determining appropriate and safe use of equipment and to assess the competence of others (school staff, family, carers) to carry out advice regarding safe use of equipment.

To address consent throughout involvement with a child and aim to work co-operatively with parents, teaching staff and other professionals.

To work with families from a variety of social, economic and cultural backgrounds and respond appropriately to clients’ needs.

To work with families and children with additional vulnerability and provide appropriate support (e.g. Children in care, children with terminal illness / degenerative conditions, child protection, challenging behaviours).

To adapt own style of communication to meet the differing needs of children and families e.g. use of an interpreter, sign language, uncomplicated language or pictures and symbols.

To record and maintain all client contact information and data in client files or on electronic recording system in an accurate and contemporaneous manner, adhering to local and national policies and guidance.