Occupational Therapist Specialist Practitioner

Job summary

We are looking for an Occupational Therapist to join the team at Elmleigh in Havant. Whether your background is in physical or mental health, this is a chance to develop your skills within an adult mental health setting.

This is a role where you'll be supported to grow. You'll have a structured induction, regular supervision from a senior Occupational Therapist, and ongoing development through appraisal within a well-established supervision structure. There are regular training opportunities and access to learning and research to help you build your skills over time.

In the role, you'll work directly with service users, using a range of occupational therapy assessments and interventions to support recovery. You will also have the chance to develop and deliver group interventions and build confidence across different therapeutic approaches.

You will be part of a multidisciplinary team, with opportunities to work across inpatient mental health units and the wider acute and crisis pathway. This gives you the chance to broaden your experience, learn from others and contribute to how the role develops, including opportunities to progress at a more senior level. There's also scope to support junior staff, activity coordinators and students on placement and we're ideally looking for someone who's comfortable working independently, but values being part of a team.

If you are looking for a role where you can keep learning, whilst making a difference to people, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

* To hold a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs, using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

* To provide leadership for occupational therapy staff, occupational therapy support workers and activity coordinators, through regular supervision and appraisal.

* To contribute to the planning, development and evaluation of the occupational therapy service, holding responsibility for defined service projects, working under the direction of the Occupational Therapy Team Manager.

* To regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement and take part in yearly practice educator updates.

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: 29 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 348-SAC-11758
• Job locations: Elmleigh, 61a New Lane, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 2JJ, 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.