Senior Occupational Therapist - Forensic Community

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and motivated Senior Occupational Therapist, with a strong awareness of risk, a trauma informed working approach and excellent communication skills to join our Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) which supports people through recovery and rehabilitation in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. This role would cover the Berkshire area on a fixed term 12-month Maternity cover contract.

The role of Senior Occupational Therapist will work as part of a robust Multi-Disciplinary Team, support patients with relapse prevention, providing outreach and structure. The role would support outside agencies, including housing providers, to keep patients and the community safe.

You will form strong links with the Oxford Health Forensic Inpatients Service to support with transition work. Whilst the role requires significant autonomy, you will have the leadership and supervision support of the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist as well as the SCFT Leadership team. The OT role sits within the Forensic OT Service, offering opportunities for peer support, supervision and evidence based learning.

The role entails clinical expertise, risk assessment & management and a significant emphasis on MDT working and collaboration.

Main duties of the job

• You will support patients to identify meaningful routines and structure, conduct functional ability assessments and support individuals to engagement in enriching & meaningful occupations.
• The SCFT work with individuals whom have experienced and may continue to, a severe and enduring mental illness, substance misuse and forensic history/offending behaviour.
• You will use the Model of Human Occupation to guide your practice, to assess ADLs, cognition and social functioning. The role will provide clinical input, expertise and assessment alongside the Inpatients OTs in supporting a patient transition into the Community. Interventions will include the development of Life Skills, relapse prevention and vocational support.
• You will provide supervision and leadership to junior staff OTs and support Occupational Therapy students on placement within the SCFT. You will contribute to service delivery and engage with the process of audits.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Covering the Berkshire area to provide Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention to patients transitioning into the community as well as patients currently residing within the community. Ensuring a robust risk assessment and evidence based working forms the basis of the role of Occupational Therapy within the SCFT.

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.