Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 31 August 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for a role where every day brings new challenges and the opportunity to change the lives of people in Sussex? Now is the perfect time to be part of our evolving Home First Service.

We're bringing together nurses, therapists, health and therapy assistants to work alongside acute multi-disciplinary teams and transfer of care hubs to promote an efficient, effective hospital-to-home transition for our patients.

Our multi-disciplinary Home First teams work flexibly to provide a 7-day service, 365 days a year, between 8am and 8pm.

Patients who are discharged from hospital into Home First will be receiving step-down intermediate care, involving community-based assessments and interventions provided in their own home to support recovery and monitoring of their health in the early days post discharge to prevent re-admission.

Home First will, where required, provide acute reablement for up to 10 days, supporting people to achieve functional goals and work towards independence with activities of daily living.

This is more that just a job- it's a chance to be part of an innovative wrap around recovery service that helps people recover at home and regain their independence, giving them the confidence to get back to daily life.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to provide Clinical and Professional Leadership, ensuring effective governance for staff working in Home First.

They will work with the AHP Head of Service and Professional Leads to ensure staff are clinically competent, services are clinically effective and safe, and an excellent patient experience is delivered.

There will be an expectation to embed the principles of interdisciplinary working and cross skilling for all staff, including implementing the competency frameworks.

The post holder will be expected toprovide specialist clinical advice regarding complex patients as well as providing specialist clinical assessment and intervention for highly complex patients as required.

They will work with the AHP Head of Service and Professional Leads in supporting an audit plan in the appropriate clinical area and participate in research as appropriate, to inform future service development.

As an active part of the team, the post holder is expected to develop key partnerships, working to ensure effectivewhole system working, through effective communication and networking with other disciplines and by working across professional boundaries.

In this role you will be responsible for staff management, supervision, and development, including shift coordination, allocation of visits, and the performance development reviews .

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.

We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.

Why work for us?

  • Positive 2022 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
  • Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
  • Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
  • Excellent training and development opportunities
  • Research opportunities
  • Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
  • Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
  • Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
  • Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
  • Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
  • Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Details

Date posted

22 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year Per Annum/Pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

150-GM2033-UPC

Job locations

Bicentennial Building

Southern Gate, Terminus Road

Chichester

PO201EZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more details regarding this job role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more details regarding this job role.

Person Specification

Qualifications and/or professional registration

Essential

  • Currently registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
  • Post registration qualification or training to Masters level or equivalent, or be willing to undertake

Desirable

  • Advanced Physical assessment course or Masters level module
  • Mentoring course or equivalent or Qualified Practice Assessor
  • Recognised Leadership Qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience with clinical case management
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Evidence of a consistent pattern of learning from education and training
  • Experience working across the boundaries of primary, community and secondary care

Desirable

  • Evidence of clinical leadership within a service
  • Experience of leading service development and change
  • Experience of participation in research

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Up to date knowledge and skills within clinical area
  • Up to date knowledge of health and social care policy
  • Up to date knowledge of Professional code of Conduct
  • Up to date knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and clinical audit
  • Able to use advanced reasoning and assessment skills in a wide range of approaches to treatments and management of conditions
  • Able to analyse complex situations and problem solve as necessary
  • Able to direct and co-ordinate programmes of care working autonomously and collaboratively
  • Able to advocate for patients to improve their outcomesAble to mentor, supervise and develop other professionals
  • Able to communicate effectively where barriers or obstacles exist and able to deploy strategies to overcome these
  • Able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic health service
  • Able to use recognised IT packages e.g. Microsoft Office including Excel
  • Able to identify the training needs of self and others and to provide relevant and appropriate learning
  • Knowledge of team dynamics and strategies to develop high performing teams
  • Able to work in partnership and collaboration with other professionals in other services and challenge and negotiate with them as needed
  • Able to meet conflicting deadlines, prioritise effectively and manage own and others workload
  • Able to manage, diffuse and resolve conflict
  • Able to teach patients and carers to participate and manage their own care as appropriate
  • Able to monitor, maintain and improve standards of care
  • Able to demonstrate a high level of understanding of self and able to identify their own personal limitations and an openness to addressing them

Other requirements

Essential

  • Flexible approach to working
  • Car driver (Valid Driving License for use in the UK)
  • Access to a vehicle for work purposes
  • An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
  • Willingness to undertake training to develop within the role
Person Specification

Qualifications and/or professional registration

Essential

  • Currently registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
  • Post registration qualification or training to Masters level or equivalent, or be willing to undertake

Desirable

  • Advanced Physical assessment course or Masters level module
  • Mentoring course or equivalent or Qualified Practice Assessor
  • Recognised Leadership Qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience with clinical case management
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Evidence of a consistent pattern of learning from education and training
  • Experience working across the boundaries of primary, community and secondary care

Desirable

  • Evidence of clinical leadership within a service
  • Experience of leading service development and change
  • Experience of participation in research

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Up to date knowledge and skills within clinical area
  • Up to date knowledge of health and social care policy
  • Up to date knowledge of Professional code of Conduct
  • Up to date knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and clinical audit
  • Able to use advanced reasoning and assessment skills in a wide range of approaches to treatments and management of conditions
  • Able to analyse complex situations and problem solve as necessary
  • Able to direct and co-ordinate programmes of care working autonomously and collaboratively
  • Able to advocate for patients to improve their outcomesAble to mentor, supervise and develop other professionals
  • Able to communicate effectively where barriers or obstacles exist and able to deploy strategies to overcome these
  • Able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic health service
  • Able to use recognised IT packages e.g. Microsoft Office including Excel
  • Able to identify the training needs of self and others and to provide relevant and appropriate learning
  • Knowledge of team dynamics and strategies to develop high performing teams
  • Able to work in partnership and collaboration with other professionals in other services and challenge and negotiate with them as needed
  • Able to meet conflicting deadlines, prioritise effectively and manage own and others workload
  • Able to manage, diffuse and resolve conflict
  • Able to teach patients and carers to participate and manage their own care as appropriate
  • Able to monitor, maintain and improve standards of care
  • Able to demonstrate a high level of understanding of self and able to identify their own personal limitations and an openness to addressing them

Other requirements

Essential

  • Flexible approach to working
  • Car driver (Valid Driving License for use in the UK)
  • Access to a vehicle for work purposes
  • An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
  • Willingness to undertake training to develop within the role

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).

Additional information

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

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bicentennial Building

Southern Gate, Terminus Road

Chichester

PO201EZ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bicentennial Building

Southern Gate, Terminus Road

Chichester

PO201EZ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Operational Team Lead

Michelle Jackson

michelle.jackson24@nhs.net

07483969057

Details

Date posted

22 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year Per Annum/Pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

150-GM2033-UPC

Job locations

Bicentennial Building

Southern Gate, Terminus Road

Chichester

PO201EZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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