Employer Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Thurrock Community Hospital Town Grays Salary £33,677 - £40,996 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 24/11/2026 23:59
Occupational Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 5
Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.
Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.
You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.
The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.
We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.
We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.
We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.
Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Band 5 Occupational Therapist to join our supportive and friendly team, working across the Older Adults Community Mental Health Team and Day Treatment Team.
This varied role offers the opportunity to work with older adults, providing assessments and interventions within patients' home environments as well as delivering therapeutic groups across a range of Trust locations. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, supporting individuals to maintain independence, improve wellbeing, and achieve their personal goals.
The post offers excellent opportunities for learning and professional development, with regular supervision, peer support, and access to continuing professional development within a welcoming and experienced occupational therapy team.
Main duties of the job
As a Band 5 Occupational Therapist, you will work within a supportive and friendly Older Adults Mental Health Service, contributing to the Memory Service, Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and Day Treatment Team.
Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and other therapeutic groups within the Day Treatment Team across a variety of Trust locations.
- Completing screening assessments to determine suitability for group interventions and supporting individuals to access appropriate services.
- Undertaking occupational therapy assessments and interventions within service users' home environments, promoting independence, safety and engagement in meaningful occupations.
- Supporting the Memory Service diagnostic pathway through functional assessments, information gathering and contributing to multidisciplinary diagnostic discussions.
Working for our organisation
Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.
- Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
- Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
- If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
- 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
- Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
- Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
- £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
- Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Occupational Therapist will support the delivery of assessments and interventions working in Older Adult Mental Health services within two teams; the Older People’s Day Treatment Team and the South Community Occupational Therapy Team. The service covers community patients in the Thurrock, Southend and Essex areas. The role of an Occupational Therapist in this service focuses on promoting independence, wellbeing, and engagement in meaningful daily activities both on a one to one basis and group setting.
Person specification
Qualifications
- BSc (hons) Occupational Therapy
- HCPC Registered
- Continuous Professional Development in mental health
Experience
- Experience working with the general public
- Independently managing complex caseload
- previous experience working in the NHS
- Previous experience working in mental health
Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.
Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.
The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.
Note -staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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