About this role
Job summary
To lead the development and delivery of an innovative Neighbourhood Health Occupational Therapy model across Castle Point, working collaboratively with local residents, health and social care professionals, leisure providers, voluntary organisations and community partners to reduce health inequalities and improve access to meaningful occupations, physical activity and community participation.
The Occupational Therapist will play a key role in connecting health services with community opportunities, supporting individuals who experience barriers to participation, particularly those living with disabilities, multiple long-term health conditions, poor mental wellbeing, social isolation or other complex health and social needs.
Using core Occupational Therapy skills, clinical reasoning and an occupation-focused approach, the role will provide holistic assessments, co-produced action planning and short-term therapeutic interventions to understand what matters to people, identify barriers to participation and enable individuals to access opportunities that support their health, wellbeing, independence and sense of belonging.
The overarching ambition is to demonstrate how Occupational Therapy, embedded within neighbourhoods and communities, can strengthen prevention, reduce inequalities and create more connected, accessible and sustainable opportunities for people to participate in meaningful activity and community life.
Main duties of the job
Occupational Therapy Assessment and Intervention
Deliver holistic, person-centred Occupational Therapy assessments to understand individuals' strengths, aspirations, needs and barriers to meaningful participation. Manage referrals, assess risk and prioritise individuals requiring support, particularly those experiencing complex health and social needs. Community Navigation and Enablement
Support individuals to identify and access meaningful physical activity, leisure, wellbeing and community opportunities across Castle Point. Provide practical navigation and confidence-building support to overcome barriers that prevent engagement. Partnership Working and Neighbourhood Health Development
Build strong, collaborative relationships with GP practices, Primary Care Networks, social prescribing teams, leisure providers, local authorities and voluntary and community organisations. Act as a clinical connector between health services and community opportunities, strengthening pathways and improving access to preventative support. Workforce Development and Inclusive Practice
Provide advice, consultation, formal and informal learning opportunities to local professionals, coaches, volunteers and community organisations. Support providers to understand barriers to participation, implement reasonable adjustments and develop more accessible and inclusive opportunities.
About us
Sport for Confidence CIC is an Occupational Therapy-led organisation that centres and prioritises the needs of people and communities furthest away from physical activity and sport. We work locally and nationally to narrow the gap in occupational, health and social outcomes, enabling people to participate in ways that are meaningful to their lives.
Our approach brings together the expertise of occupational therapists, the physical activity workforce and people with lived experience. It is person-first, occupation-focused and systems-driven, recognising the relationship between the person, their environment, occupations and participation.
Occupational therapists are central to our practice. This is occupational therapy delivered within community and physical activity settings. Occupational therapists use their professional reasoning and core occupational therapy skills to understand what matters to people, identify barriers to meaningful participation, adapt environments and opportunities, and enable people to engage in the occupations and everyday activities that support their health, wellbeing, independence and sense of belonging.
Our occupational therapists work within everyday community settings, including leisure centres, local communities and primary care. This place-based approach creates opportunities to work proactively and preventatively, address environmental and systemic barriers and support people earlier.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Occupational Therapy Assessment and Intervention
Deliver holistic, person-centred Occupational Therapy assessments to understand individuals' strengths, aspirations, needs and barriers to meaningful participation. Manage referrals, assess risk and prioritise individuals requiring support, particularly those experiencing complex health and social needs. Co-produce meaningful goals and action plans, providing short-term therapeutic interventions and enablement to improve confidence, independence and wellbeing. Utilise physical activity, activity analysis, environmental adaptations and reasonable adjustments as therapeutic tools to enable participation in everyday occupations. Review individual outcomes, promote self-management and facilitate appropriate onward referrals where additional support is required.
Community Navigation and Enablement
Support individuals to identify and access meaningful physical activity, leisure, wellbeing and community opportunities across Castle Point. Provide practical navigation and confidence-building support to overcome barriers that prevent engagement, recognising that individuals may require more than traditional signposting. Work collaboratively with individuals, families, carers and community partners to establish sustainable routines, connections and opportunities for participation. Promote choice, independence, inclusion and a sense of belonging, ensuring the voices and experiences of local residents inform service delivery.
Partnership Working and Neighbourhood Health Development
Build strong, collaborative relationships with GP practices, Primary Care Networks, social prescribing teams, leisure providers, local authorities and voluntary and community organisations. Act as a clinical connector between health services and community opportunities, strengthening pathways and improving access to preventative support. Actively contribute to neighbourhood and Place Partnership meetings, identifying emerging priorities, gaps in provision and opportunities for collaborative working. Promote the value of Occupational Therapy within neighbourhood health, supporting more connected, person-centred and preventative approaches across local systems.
Workforce Development and Inclusive Practice
Provide advice, consultation, formal and informal learning opportunities to local professionals, coaches, volunteers and community organisations. Support providers to understand barriers to participation, implement reasonable adjustments and develop more accessible and inclusive opportunities. Share Occupational Therapy expertise to build workforce confidence in supporting individuals with complex needs and using physical activity to promote health and wellbeing.
Service Development, Evaluation and Professional Practice
Contribute to the development, delivery and evaluation of the Neighbourhood Health Occupational Therapy model, ensuring it responds to local needs and priorities. Collect and record appropriate clinical outcomes, service activity, participant feedback and case studies to demonstrate individual, community and system impact. Contribute to partnership reporting, shared learning and opportunities for future service development and sustainability. Maintain accurate clinical records, manage risk and safeguarding responsibilities, and deliver evidence-based practice in accordance with HCPC standards and Sport for Confidence policies. Engage in regular clinical supervision, reflective practice and continuing professional development, upholding Sport for Confidence's values and commitment to reducing inequalities Non-Clinical Duties
To build positive working relationships with the leisure provider and the local authority Promote service within the local area through networking. Complete participation numbers for statistical purposes. Participate in audits, data collection, research and evidence-based practice. Promote the occupational therapy role to external agencies. Contribute to service development through innovative ideas and creation of resources. Initiate and lead projects to meet identified service needs. Seek out funding opportunities and complete funding applications where appropriate. Be involved/supportive when presented opportunities through our specialist provision. To ensure that up to date written and electronic records of own patient interventions and observations are completed in accordance with Sport for Confidence and professional standards. To ensure that required activity data is recorded and that relevant personal and departmental records are maintained. To be responsible for the quality of data recorded. The data should be accurate, legible (if handwritten), recorded in a timely manner, kept up to date and appropriately filed. To comply with relevant professional standards (i.e. the College of Occupational Therapists Code of Ethics and Professional conduct, Health Professions Council guidelines for professional practice).
Professional Duties
Attend professional meetings as required. Attend appropriate training events as required. Maintain a continuing professional development portfolio. Engage in regular supervision. Supervise and support students when appropriate. Provide day to day operational management of coaches and volunteers. Comply with policies and procedures regarding annual leave, sickness absence and time owing. Support with upskilling coaches to understand the therapeutic value of physical activity.
Additional Responsibilities
Complete all mandatory training. Keep updated on all matters relating to company policies and guidelines. Outlook calendar to be kept up to date. Provide cover as and when necessary Participate in the employee appraisal process. Attend peer supervision and CPD opportunities.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Knowledge of Safeguarding issues and requirements/legislation and how these apply to the role In-depth knowledge of working with people with varying conditions including physical disabilities, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, autism and dementia. In depth knowledge of wider policy and service issues relating to disabilities and relevant legislation Keen to develop and learn more about the power of physical activity as a promotion tool for good health and prevention tool for ill-health. Ability to assess clinical situations effectively and use own initiative and apply an appropriate treatment intervention accordingly. Experience of developing and working closely with other internal and external agencies. Integration of theory and practise to demonstrate creative problem-solving ideas. Able to adapt communication skills according to the audience. Knowledge of health inequalities locally and nationally Ability to supervise coaches and volunteers with day-to-day activities Experience of working systemically and strategically Ability to work autonomously within the leisure centre environment. Ability to manage and adapt to unpredictable work schedules and changing environments. Ability to communicate with varying stakeholders participants, carers, statutory services, voluntary sector etc. Negotiation skills with external staff for reasonable adjustments for access to the leisure centre. Management of conflict, including the resolution of complaints which may involve diffusion of aggression. Ability to prioritise complex caseload. Ability to deal with exposure to emergency and highly distressing situations. Ability to deal with stressful situations. Takes responsibility for own developmental needs. Able to take initiative and work pro-actively face to face or virtually. Keyboard and computer literacy skills including Zoom/Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Ability to travel to different sites when required. Uphold Sport for Confidences blueprint and values.
Desirable
Relevant experience working as an Occupational Therapist Experience of lone working Demonstrates advocacy of the Occupational Therapist role
Qualifications Essential
Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy Minimum 1 year experience as an Occupational Therapist Registered with HCPC Evidence of Continuing professional and personal development.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Sport for Confidence
Address The Paddocks Community Centre
Long Road
Canvey Island
Essex
SS8 0JA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sportforconfidence.com/ (Opens in a new tab)