Stroke Occupational Therapist @ Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Job summary

Join our dynamic stroke rehabilitation team and be part of something truly meaningful.

As a Band 6 Occupational Therapist, you'll work alongside an enthusiastic multidisciplinary team, helping people navigate one of the most challenging periods of their lives. You'll support patients to regain independence, achieve personal goals and get back to living the life they want after stroke.

We're looking for someone who is curious, compassionate and motivated; someone who enjoys building relationships, thinking creatively and finding practical solutions to complex challenges. In return, you'll be supported to develop your clinical expertise, contribute ideas, and play an active role in shaping high-quality rehabilitation services.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an Occupational Therapist who wants to combine specialist clinical practice with service improvement, learning and career development, all within a friendly and supportive team environment.

Come and be part of a service where every day brings the chance to change a life.

Proposed Interview Date :17th November 2026

Main duties of the job

Are you ready to use your OT skills where they can make a real difference? In this role, you'll support people following stroke and other neurological conditions to rebuild confidence, regain independence and work towards the everyday goals that matter most to them. With a varied community caseload and a supportive multidisciplinary team around you, no two days will be the same. Your daily tasks are likely to include the following:

• Provide specialist, personalised occupational therapy rehabilitation in patients' homes and community settings.
• Manage your own caseload as an autonomous practitioner, with regular supervision and senior OT support.
• Complete comprehensive neurological assessments and use clinical reasoning to develop meaningful, person-centred goals.
• Deliver and adapt evidence-based treatment plans, using recognised assessment tools and outcome measures.
• Work closely with patients, families, carers and the multidisciplinary team to coordinate care, review progress and plan discharge.
• Assess and manage clinical risk, maintaining clear, accurate and timely records.
• Support, supervise and share your knowledge with Band 5 occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants and OT students.
• Contribute to training, audit, service improvement and the development of evidence-based practice.
• Participate in a weekend working rota

See job description for full details.

About us

A big thank you for considering joining us at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

You'll find it a great place to work with many benefits offered to you as a member of our staff

We put our patients, their families and carers at the centre of our vision - Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities

Our staff are proud to be Caring, Pioneering and Inclusive in their work to help achieve the Trust vision

We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds

We don't want you to miss out so we'd like you to know that if we have a high level of interest in this role, the vacancy may close prior to the advertised closing date, so please make your application as soon as possible - Apply now

You've made a great decision to apply to join to HCT - we're looking forward to taking the next steps of the journey with you

You can apply to Access to Work to get money for communication support at a job interview - please use this link for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-communication-support-at-a-job-interview-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-access-to-work

You need to apply before the interview takes place.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This role offers the opportunity to combine specialist clinical practice with leadership, learning and service development. Youll work autonomously while benefiting from regular supervision, clinical reasoning sessions, peer review, case conferences and senior occupational therapy support.

• Provide comprehensive occupational therapy assessments for people with stroke and other neurological conditions.
• Use advanced clinical reasoning to agree person-centred goals and develop individualised, evidence-based treatment plans.
• Monitor and evaluate patients progress using recognised assessment tools and outcome measures, adapting rehabilitation plans as required.
• Assess and manage clinical risk within your caseload.
• Obtain informed consent and work within the relevant legal framework when a patient lacks capacity.
• Manage and prioritise an independent caseload, responding flexibly to changing patient and service needs.
• Work autonomously in patients homes and community settings, with access to senior clinical support when required.
• Represent occupational therapy and advocate for patients at multidisciplinary meetings, progress reviews and discharge-planning discussions.
• Work collaboratively with patients, families, carers, health and social care professionals and partner organisations.
• Support safe and effective transitions from inpatient settings
• Recommend and support the safe use of manual-handling equipment, daily-living aids, splinting equipment and other appliances.
• Maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive clinical records in line with legal, professional and Trust standards.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, teaching and assessment for Band 5 occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants and occupational therapy students.
• Delegate work appropriately and help ensure that staff under your supervision meet professional standards.
• Contribute to in-service training, tutorials, reflective practice, peer review and professional learning.
• Maintain your own continuing professional development and keep up to date with evidence-based stroke and neurological rehabilitation.
• Contribute to audit, research, outcome measurement and service data collection.
• Identify opportunities to improve clinical practice, team protocols and service delivery.
• Deputise for senior staff when required, helping to coordinate daily occupational therapy priorities.
• Participate in the weekend working rota.

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

• Qualified Occupational Therapist, with a minimum of two years experience
• HCPC registered
• Ability and experience of carrying out a comprehensive neurological occupational therapy assessment in order to formulate a comprehensive neurological treatment plan and goals
• Knowledge and experience of using a wide range of therapeutic occupational therapy interventions for the treatment of patients with a stroke.
• Experience of working with stroke patients in a community or inpatient setting at Band 5 level.
• Valid UK driving license
• Access to a car for work purposes

Desirable

• Experience of working in a neurological rehabilitation setting at band 6 level.
• Attendance at relevant post-graduate neurological training courses e.g. Normal movement, spasticity management, splinting, cognition and perceptual assessment, fatigue management etc.
• Experience of supervising and appraising other staff e.g. rehabilitation assistants/Band 5s or students
• Involvement in service development
• Experience in delivering training to occupational therapists and other members of the MDT

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Address

Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital

Welwyn

AL6 9PW

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.hct.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)