Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent

Occupational Therapist (Band 6)

The closing date is 16 February 2026

Job summary

Do you have experience in Occupational Therapy?

Do you want to be part of a pro-active multi-disciplinary and professional team, who put excellent patient care as their priority?

Are you passionate about supporting and empowering patients to live well until their very last moment in their life?

Through holistic needs assessment
Providing individually planned care informed by patient wishes
Supporting patients and their families/carers to have open and honest conversations about their wishes for end-of-life care

If so, then the role ofOccupational Therapistat Pilgrims may be just the job for you!

This is a 21h a week post, £21,661.92 - £26,084.80 per annum depending on experience. Wednesday-Friday 8.30am-4pm.

Main duties of the job

This role is a0.56 FTE (21 hours per week)post, involving the following duties:

To use evidence based knowledge and advanced clinical reasoning to undertake highly complex clinical assessment, in a relevant location, e.g. nursing/residential home, hospital or in a patients own home, identifying needs, treatment aims and goals in collaboration with the individual patient and the MDT.
These may be in-patients, out-patients or those attending outreach clinics. Assessment and treatment may include advanced skills in wheelchair adjustment, therapeutic handling / hoisting and discharge planning in a busy and unpredictable environment.
To use specialist skills to engage patients with challenging behaviour, psychological and psychiatric needs in purposeful treatment programmes, in collaboration with the MDT, to ensure the provision of holistic care.
To determine patients level of understanding of treatment plan to ensure valid patient consent and work within legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent.
To use recognised outcome measures and goal setting measures to motivate challenging clients.
To use advance level specialist assessment and analytical skills. To utilise expert clinical reasoning, in order to interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognoses in a range of highly complex conditions.

About us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families both in the community and in-patient units.

Other benefits:

Our hospices offer:

Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
A sense of wellbeing
A good work-life balance
Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent all providing very good road and rail links
NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
Cycle to Work Schemes
Free hospice parking

Date posted

26 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

B0497-26-0004

Job locations

Pilgrims Hospice

56 London Road

Canterbury

Kent

CT2 8JA

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE JOB:

In this role as an occupational therapist, you will be a key member of our therapy team, working alongside physiotherapists in the inpatient unit, therapy centre, and in peoples homes. You will provide comprehensive and specialist occupational therapy assessment and treatment programmes aimed at maintaining or improving functional levels and quality of life. This may include complex moving and handling, nonpharmacological symptom management (anxiety and fatigue, for example), running groups, legacy work, and leading with the management of occupational therapy referrals across these services.

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- To assist qualified Therapy staff to deliver programmes of care for patients

- To monitor/order/maintain resources (ensuring adequate supply of all essential materials/equipment/resources) to support the Therapy Team in the provision of an efficient service.

- To independently deliver packages of care for clients in group or individual sessions as instructed by a therapist.

- To help train and support carers, in order for them to implement therapy advice effectively.

- To contribute within a multidisciplinary team setting

- To take part in quality governance, audits and projects for the team/service

-To contribute to, and provide feedback about, possible developments in the team

- To independently deliver a programme of therapy to patients, following supervision / training from a qualified Therapist.

-To facilitate relevant professionals / carers to carry out therapy programmes / strategies / advice as instructed by the therapist.

- To adapt practice to meet individual patients / carers circumstances

- With due regard for cultural, linguistic differences (including the use of interpreting services) and / or learning and language difficulties.

- To clean and maintain all such equipment loaned and report any broken or faulty equipment to the appropriate agencies involved, following Therapy Departmental guidelines.

- To move and handle clients, prepare work spaces & move equipment while observing correct manual handling techniques and following local procedures and guidelines.

- To organise timetable of therapy and appointments where required across arrange of settings