Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Integrated Discharge Team (IDT), for an enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated B6 Occupational Therapist to work with the IDT team. You will be working alongside and Multidisciplinary Team of experienced, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurse Specialists, Associate Practitioners, Support Workers and administrative staff.

This post requires the applicant to have significant experience at band 5 or experience at band 6, working with Multidisciplinary teams within the hospital or community services.

• You will be expected to work autonomously within both the hospital and community settings assessing, managing, and treating patients, with the aim of preventing admission to hospital, facilitating timely and safe discharges and reviewing patients within the community. You will be expected to work between the office base, Freeman Hospital, RVI as well as visit patients within their own homes.
• The service works over 7 days, from 8am and 6pm with weekend and bank holiday commitments.
• A car owner/driver is essential.
• Flexible working pattern to cover a 7 day service from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Candidates are welcome to meet the team for more information.

• Interview Date: 5th August 2025
• 37 hours 30 minutes/week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

The key objectives in this role are:

The role would suit an individual who enjoys variety through their week and contributing to a team approach to discharge planning.

The post holder will have an attention for detail and bring skills of rehabilitation and assessment into their caseload management.

Carry out admission preventing/ proactive discharge planning at Front of House which involves the Assessment Suite and the Emergency department at the RVI with the aim of preventing admissions and/or reducing their Length of stay

Timely and safe discharge planning for Discharge to Assess (D2A) hospital discharges from Freeman Hospital and RVI, including D2A visits and community follow-up visits as required

To assess and engage patients in the community, to attain optimum levels of safety, independence, health and wellbeing

About us

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospital

o Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

o Newcastle Dental Hospital

o Newcastle Fertility Centre

o Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

o Northern Genetics Service

o Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To provide a high standard of occupational therapy assessment, intervention, treatment and discharge planning to complex and highly complex patients within specialist area evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgement.
• To provide day to day supervision of junior and support staff and students working in the specialist area.
• The specialist practitioner is clinically in charge for the Occupational Therapy Service within the area of practice providing highly specialist knowledge within the Trust and externally to therapists and other health care professionals from secondary and primary care.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate.The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first months pay.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• In-depth clinical knowledge of medical conditions and their effect on occupational performance.
• Highly developed understanding of OT process within acute setting.
• In-depth knowledge of health and social care policy, risk assessment and management.
• Extensive knowledge of a range of disability equipment
• Extensive knowledge of eligibility criteria and procedures/policies relevant to disability equipment, minor housing adaptations.
• Highly specialist knowledge of moving and handling legislation and knowledge of current moving and handling best practice and associated equipment.
• Excellent understanding of professional ethics and their application into practice
• Good knowledge of clinical governance.
• Evidence of CPD.

Desirable

• Knowledge of undertaking research and audit projects.
• Knowledge of team dynamics and team building.

Skills

Essential

• Evidence of CPD. Knowledge of undertaking research and audit projects. Knowledge of team dynamics and team building. SKILLS Good organisation, time management, problem solving and prioritisation skills.
• Supervisory, team management skills Ability to work as part of a team.
• Commitment to personal and service development
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Current UK driving license

Desirable

• IT skills
• IT skills. Presentation skills

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-registration experience incl experience within physical health
• Use of functional assessment and activity analysis.

Desirable

• Experience of working with patients with physical disability eg reduced mobility
• Team management.
• Experience in supervising staff.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree/Diploma in OT
• State registered with Health & Care Professions Council
• Member of BAOT.
• Post graduate experience.

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

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trustwide

317 Trustwide

NE7 7DN

Employer's website

https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us (Opens in a new tab)

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