Occupational Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

About Achieving for Children

Achieving for Children is an award-winning social enterprise founded in 2014 by Kingston and Richmond Councils to deliver childrens services across both boroughs. In 2017, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead joined the partnership, expanding its reach and impact.

With a clear vision to improve outcomes for families by uniting expertise across three local authorities and putting the needs of children and young people first, Achieving for Children has grown into one of the UKs leading providers of childrens services. As one of the Department for Educations eight Partners in Practice, we play a pivotal role in driving improvement across the sector.

This role sits within the Children and Young People Disability Service (CYPDS) in Windsor and Maidenhead, a multi-professional team supporting children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The service brings together a range of functions including:

• Special educational needs

• Social care

• Occupational therapy

• Family support

• Local Offer

• Short Breaks

We are continually reviewing and improving our structure and practice to ensure the delivery of efficient, high-quality services for children, young people, and their families.

As an Occupational Therapist, you will work directly with families to assess and address the occupational therapy needs of children and young people in their home environments.

Referrals may include:

• Hospital discharge planning

• Housing-related issues and adaptations requiring Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding

• Provision of equipment (e.g., seating, bath aids)

• Safety and manual handling assessments

You will also contribute to Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reports and provide general occupational therapy assessments as needed.

Your work will focus on identifying and recommending equipment or environmental adaptations to support independence. This includes sourcing from local equipment stores or specialist providers and guiding families through DFG application processes when building adaptations are required.

• Degree-level qualification in Occupational Therapy

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

• Desirable: Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field (e.g. social work, leadership and management)

• Proven experience working with children and young people with SEND and their families

• Experience working with DFG teams and housing services

• Ability to assess the clinical and environmental needs of children aged 018 years

• Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation related to disabled children and young people

• Experience of multi-agency working, including collaboration with schools, health professionals, and housing teams

• Awareness and understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion in practice

• Passionate about Achieving for Childrens mission and values: Trust, Empower, Respect

• Confident using digital tools and systems (e.g., Microsoft or Google applications)

• Committed to ongoing professional development

• Excellent organisation and time-management skills, with the ability to manage work across multiple service areas

• A collaborative and innovative approach, willing to challenge traditional methods to improve outcomes

• Strong networking and relationship-building skills

• A supportive team player who contributes to a positive working culture

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree-level qualification in Occupational Therapy
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Desirable

• Desirable: Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field (e.g. social work, leadership and management)

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience working with children and young people with SEND and their families
• Experience working with DFG teams and housing services.
• Ability to assess the clinical and environmental needs of children aged 018 years.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation related to disabled children and young people.
• Experience of multi-agency working, including collaboration with schools, health professionals, and housing teams.
• Awareness and understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion in practice.

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

Achieving For Children

Address

Maidenhead Town Hall

Maidenhead

SL6 1LF

Employer's website

https://www.achievingforchildren.org.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)