Job overview
The Great Western Hospital is seeking a Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist to come and join our Acute Occupational Therapy Team.
The Great Western Hospital is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist to join our Acute Occupational Therapy Team.
This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a senior leadership role within a busy acute setting, working collaboratively with our existing Band 7 Team Lead to ensure smooth service delivery, shared leadership responsibilities and consistent support for the wider OT team. Together, you will provide operational oversight, clinical leadership and day-to-day coordination across a range of medical and surgical wards.
You will also work closely with our Band 7 Clinical Specialists, whose expertise supports quality patient care across areas such as Palliative Care, Frailty, Cardiology and Respiratory. Through strong partnership and shared decision-making, you’ll help align leadership, specialist input and service priorities to ensure the team delivers safe, effective and patient-centred care.
Acute Therapies - A day in the life: Acute Occupational Therapy
If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity or arrange a visit to meet the team, please contact:
Michaela Kirby – [email protected] Briony Howard – [email protected] ☎️ 01793 646371
Previous applicants need not apply
Main duties of the job
You’ll be part of a vibrant OT service of 22 qualified OTs, assistants and apprentices, offering a friendly, collaborative and supportive working environment. Through our Improving Together methodology, you’ll have the opportunity to lead and implement quality improvement initiatives and influence service developments.
At Great Western, we invest in our people. Through the Great Western Academy, you’ll have access to a wide range of training, leadership programmes and higher-education opportunities to support your growth in this senior role.
To oversee, coordinate, and further develop the Acute Occupational Therapy service at the Great Western Hospital site. To work collaboratively with the existing Acute Occupational Therapy Team Lead to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery. To provide specialist clinical expertise and professional leadership to both qualified and unqualified staff, as well as to the wider multidisciplinary team. To act as the representative for Acute Occupational Therapy, delivering service updates and contributing to senior leadership across the Great Western site, while deputising for the Acute Therapies Lead when required.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances, in discussion with the post holder. This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role with initial and on-going discussions with the designated manager.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Specialist clinical experience in complex caseload management and discharge planning within an Acute setting.
- Ability to assess and identify complex equipment to facilitate safe discharges
- Sound working knowledge of legislation and clinical governance relevant to the clinical area.
- Leading within a multi professional team, sharing specialist skills and coordinating complex discharges.
- Understanding and experience of working with Partner Organisations and Community Teams.
- Managing conflict/difficult conversations
- Experience of and involvement in service development.
- Ability to reprioritise own workload in order to support your colleagues.
- Staff development through supervision and appraisal
- Experience of and involvement in service development
Desirable
- Service review and change management
- Participation in recruitment process
- Experience of budget management and workforce planning
- Experience of performance and/or absence management
- Experience of incident and complaint management
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy or equivalent training and experience
- Registration with HCPC
- Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by further training, short specialist courses, to master’s equivalent level Willingness to undertake further training
Desirable
- Leadership training courses
- Practice Educator training/qualification
- RCOT membership
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Team Lead - Acute Occupational Therapy with Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Swindon, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Occupational Therapist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 pro rata per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Jun 2026.
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