Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Band 3 Occupational Therapy Assistant to join the multidisciplinary team at Cherry Tree Close.
Cherry Tree Close is a specialist inpatient mental health rehabilitation service supporting people to develop the confidence, skills and independence they need to progress in their recovery and prepare for life in the community.
This is a newly developed full-time post, supported by both staff and service users, which will strengthen access to regular, purposeful and recovery-focused occupational therapy interventions throughout the week. The post will provide five days of input across the seven-day service, with flexibility to support rehabilitation activities at weekends.
You will work closely with registered Occupational Therapists, nursing colleagues, the activity coordinator and the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver planned one-to-one and group interventions. The existing clinical team has identified additional Occupational Therapy Assistant capacity as essential to providing consistent interventions and enabling registered OTs to focus on assessment, care planning, professional leadership and more complex clinical work.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a compassionate, creative and motivated individual who can build positive therapeutic relationships with service users.
The successful candidate will deliver individual and group interventions under the direction of registered Occupational Therapists, supporting service users to develop independence, daily living skills, confidence and social participation. This will include practical, creative, physical, leisure and community-based activities, alongside support with cooking, budgeting, shopping, self-care and routines.
They will contribute to rehabilitation and discharge preparation, monitor and report progress or emerging risks, maintain accurate records, prepare resources for sessions and work independently within agreed intervention plans. They will also attend supervision and relevant team meetings and contribute flexibly to the wider service.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification. To apply, please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB - this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.
Team Derbyshire is a great employer, with a set of values which reflect their commitment to staff and patients.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant practical qualification, eg BTEC, City and Guilds, NVQ 3 or equivalent or relevant training/experience
- Relevant experience of working with people with mental health needs
Desirable
- Food hygiene level 2
- Any other relevant/suitable qualifications
Experience, Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Group work skills, eg planning and facilitation of groups
- Experience of working in a mental health setting
- Good IT skills, written and verbal communication
Desirable
- Knowledge of using electronic patient records
- Ability to implement plans of care
- Experience of working in a rehabilitation setting
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Occupational Therapy Assistant with Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Derby, Midlands, England. It is listed as a Healthcare support worker role. The advertised salary is £25,760 - £27,476 pa, pro-rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Jul 2026.
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