Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist @ South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

We are looking for 2 experienced and motivated Occupational Therapists to join our Forensic Community Mental Health Teams as a Band 7 Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist. This is an exciting new role and a real opportunity to shape, innovate and develop the OT offer within community forensic pathways, supporting people with complex mental health needs and a history of offending to move safely towards greater independence, meaningful occupation and community integration. The post provides specialist OT input across two borough-based forensic community teams covering Lambeth and Southwark, & Croydon and Lewisham.

You will work autonomously within supportive multidisciplinary teams and alongside specialist community services, including Support Plus, the Forensic Intellectual and the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities team, offering expert occupational formulation, assessment and intervention while contributing to safe step-down planning, community rehabilitation and recovery-focused care.

Main duties of the job

This Clinical Specialist role provides advanced Occupational Therapy input within forensic community services, delivering specialist assessment and intervention to support individuals with complex mental health needs and a history of offending. The postholder will work autonomously across the forensic pathway and within their designated boroughs, contributing expert occupational formulation and promoting safe, meaningful community integration. The postholder will develop a strong working alliance with Occupational Therapy colleagues working across the community forensic pathway, including the parallel Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist post and Occupational Therapists within Support Plus and FIND.

Although each role has a distinct service and client group remit, the postholders will work collaboratively as a community forensic OT network, sharing specialist knowledge and expertise, promoting continuity and consistency of Occupational Therapy practice, and identifying opportunities for joint working, peer support and service development across the pathway.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust offers a unique opportunity to work within one of the UK's leading mental health organisations, with access to professional development, specialist supervision, learning opportunities and a strong occupational therapy network. You will be joining services that value collaboration, professional leadership and innovation, with the chance to help shape a new role that strengthens the contribution of occupational therapy across community forensic pathways. You will be part of a wider forensic Occupational Therapy network, with close links to inpatient OT colleagues across River House, A2, ARP and Waddon ward, and opportunities to develop specialist skills in community forensic practice, occupational formulation, Sensory Integration-informed approaches, remotivation, regulation-focused work and least restrictive care planning.If you are an experienced Occupational Therapist looking for a specialist role where you can make a real difference to people's lives, influence community forensic pathways and contribute to high-quality, recovery-focused care, we would welcome your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Provide advanced specialist Occupational Therapy assessment, formulation and intervention for adults with complex mental health needs and a history of offending.
• Manage a specialist caseload across forensic community teams, supporting recovery and safe community integration.
• Assess occupational, functional and vocational needs, identifying goals and developing person-centred treatment plans.
• Deliver individual and group interventions to improve independence, daily living skills, emotional regulation, community participation, education and employment outcomes.
• Contribute to risk assessment, risk management and discharge planning, ensuring safe transitions from secure services to community settings.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, service users, carers, housing providers, probation services and external agencies.
• Provide specialist advice, consultation, training and support to colleagues, partner organisations and wider support networks.
• Offer clinical leadership, supervision and mentorship to Occupational Therapy staff and students.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, reports and care documentation in line with professional and organisational standards.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit, research and clinical governance activities to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
• Promote recovery-focused, evidence-based practice and uphold professional, ethical and safeguarding standards at all times.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Occupational Therapist
• Member of OT professional body and / or special interest group.
• Training in the theory and application of the model of human occupation within the first 4 months of appointment

Desirable

• Master's degree in subject relevant to clinical post
• Practice placement educators' course
• Leadership training
• Evidence of post registration training relevant to Forensic mental health.

Experience

Essential

• Post registration experience as an OT working in forensic mental health
• Experience of carrying a caseload of service users with complex and diverse needs in a mental health setting
• Post-graduate clinical experience highly related to clinical field
• Working in groups / Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
• Experience of writing specialist occupational therapy reports

Desirable

• Knowledge and / or experience of working as a Care Co-ordinator
• Experience of placing, reviewing and working with people who live in a residential, supported accommodation or nursing care setting
• Leadership and first line management experience
• Experience of specialist Mental Health settings
• Experience of working in an inner-city, multi-cultural environment

Knowledge / Skills

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of mental health disorders, treatment approaches, and relevant mental health legislation.
• Experience of writing specialist Occupational Therapy reports
• Knowledge of recovery approach and other theoretical models in mental health rehabilitation and continuing care
• Safeguarding: recognise, assess, escalate and work collaboratively around safeguarding concerns in complex community situations
• Knowledge of the principles of risk management and risk assessment

Desirable

• An awareness and understanding of sensory approaches.
• Skills in equipment provision, specialist seating, positioning, and manual handling
• Training and facilitation skills
• Positive interpersonal skills
• Ability to develop practical solutions to problems that may arise.

Other

Essential

• An understanding of working across different sectors in delivering service according to specific need
• Ability to work flexibly to meet service users and service needs
• Commitment to student and staff supervision
• Willingness to develop and advance own learning
• Demonstrates flexibility in line with the organisation's flexible working policy and be open to new ideas and new ways of working

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Community Forensic Team bases (Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon and Lewisham)

Community Forensic Teams-Lambeth,Southwark,Croydon&Lewisham

SE5 8AZ

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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