Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Head of Profession Occupational Therapy

The closing date is 19 November 2025

Job summary

This role is offered on a fixed term/secondment basis for 12 months.

Internal applicants who wish to be considered for a secondment opportunity should discuss with their line manager the suitability of a possible secondment.

An exciting senior leadership secondment opportunity within Occupational Therapy has become available within Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. The Head of Profession for Occupational Therapy is an important senior position within the organisation and will deliver robust professional leadership and engagement, drive high standards of care, and quality outcomes for the people we serve.

The post holder will provide positive and visible leadership through a collaborative, creative, motivational, and problem-solving approach. They will drive a culture of continuous quality improvement, innovation and best patient experience.

Main duties of the job

Working as part of the senior leadership team, this post requires collaborative working with a range of operational, professional and corporate colleagues to ensure that the profession continues to deliver outstanding care and is equipped to meet the new and emerging opportunities ahead of us. They will live their values and be a role model for highly credible and compassionate clinical leadership.

The post holder will meaningfully and effectively engage our Occupational Therapy workforce to promote job satisfaction and best patient experience and outcomes. They will ensure that our workforce is developed and empowered to contribute to service improvement and innovation across the system.

Through partnership, codesign and coproduction the post holder will enable and empower new ways of working and delivering care, ensuring an inclusive approach to the delivery of the best possible patient care.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About us

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

  • 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
  • 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
  • 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Details

Date posted

05 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

327-25-928

Job locations

Edward Jenner court

1010 Pioneer Avenue, Business Park

Brockworth

GL3 4AW


Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will lead the development of evidence-based best practice, including innovative and evolving Occupational Therapy roles within the Trust and wider system. They will support the Trusts commitment to outstanding standards of quality governance, they will set/monitor quality standards, ensuring that care is safe, effective and well led. The post holder will champion our workforce ensuring that they have the right skills and support to deliver high quality services and work in partnership with operational colleagues to identify service priorities.

Demonstrate expert knowledge regarding the delivery of Occupational Therapy across the entire range of Trust services: physical health, mental health, learning disability, and childrens services

Ensure collaborative working with Occupational Therapy across the Trust and system

Work collaboratively with operational managers and lead professionals to ensure that Occupational Therapy development needs are identified and addressed in Service Development Plans, providing professional support to lead Occupational therapists.

Provide leadership to ensure the Occupational Therapy workforce is engaged in delivering the quality and operational priorities of the organisation

Provide effective leadership of Occupational Therapy development across the Trust, spanning physical health, mental health, learning disability, and childrens services.

Embed a culture of continuous learning and quality improvement

Lead on the development of Occupational Therapy role modernisation and innovation within the Trust, working with colleagues in other professional groups to improve the effective and efficient delivery of services

Provide professional Occupational Therapy advice in accordance with the Trust disciplinary and untoward incident polices

Provide recommendations for Occupational Therapy strategic workforce development, ensuring that there is understanding of the discipline to support delivery of The NHS Plan in primary, secondary and community care. Ensure that the Trust contributes to the development of courses/education programmes.

The Trust is required to work in line with the Governments UK Visa and Immigration Rules and Regulations. For more information about sponsorship for certain roles, please visit - https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will lead the development of evidence-based best practice, including innovative and evolving Occupational Therapy roles within the Trust and wider system. They will support the Trusts commitment to outstanding standards of quality governance, they will set/monitor quality standards, ensuring that care is safe, effective and well led. The post holder will champion our workforce ensuring that they have the right skills and support to deliver high quality services and work in partnership with operational colleagues to identify service priorities.

Demonstrate expert knowledge regarding the delivery of Occupational Therapy across the entire range of Trust services: physical health, mental health, learning disability, and childrens services

Ensure collaborative working with Occupational Therapy across the Trust and system

Work collaboratively with operational managers and lead professionals to ensure that Occupational Therapy development needs are identified and addressed in Service Development Plans, providing professional support to lead Occupational therapists.

Provide leadership to ensure the Occupational Therapy workforce is engaged in delivering the quality and operational priorities of the organisation

Provide effective leadership of Occupational Therapy development across the Trust, spanning physical health, mental health, learning disability, and childrens services.

Embed a culture of continuous learning and quality improvement

Lead on the development of Occupational Therapy role modernisation and innovation within the Trust, working with colleagues in other professional groups to improve the effective and efficient delivery of services

Provide professional Occupational Therapy advice in accordance with the Trust disciplinary and untoward incident polices

Provide recommendations for Occupational Therapy strategic workforce development, ensuring that there is understanding of the discipline to support delivery of The NHS Plan in primary, secondary and community care. Ensure that the Trust contributes to the development of courses/education programmes.

The Trust is required to work in line with the Governments UK Visa and Immigration Rules and Regulations. For more information about sponsorship for certain roles, please visit - https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of successful multi-agency partnership working

Desirable

  • Experience of multi-professional AHP leadership

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Occupational therapist with the HCPC

Desirable

  • Teaching qualification and/or experience in Occupational therapy education

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of sustained practice development and achievement in previous posts
  • Experience of research, quality improvement, audit or evaluation processes

Desirable

  • Experience of service transformation

Experience

Essential

  • Masters qualification or equivalent work at this level

Desirable

  • Membership of national committees/ focus groups/ advisory groups/ special Interest groups of relevance to service

Experience

Essential

  • Advanced knowledge and extensive expertise of Occupational Therapy across the range of mental health, physical community health and learning disability Occupational Therapy practice areas gained through substantial experience as a senior Occupational therapist operating at least at team manager/clinical specialist level in numerous settings across inpatient and community and representing a broad range of care environments and client groups
  • Evidence of leading successful change management and quality improvement programmes

Desirable

  • Membership of national committees/ focus groups/ advisory groups/ special Interest groups of relevance to service

Knowledge

Essential

  • Specialist knowledge of Occupational Therapy interventions
  • Sound understanding of the modernisation and development issues facing Health Care Services

Desirable

  • Portfolio includes publications, presentations and professional conference contributions
  • Evidence of range of teaching styles/ workshops delivered to diverse audiences
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of successful multi-agency partnership working

Desirable

  • Experience of multi-professional AHP leadership

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Occupational therapist with the HCPC

Desirable

  • Teaching qualification and/or experience in Occupational therapy education

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of sustained practice development and achievement in previous posts
  • Experience of research, quality improvement, audit or evaluation processes

Desirable

  • Experience of service transformation

Experience

Essential

  • Masters qualification or equivalent work at this level

Desirable

  • Membership of national committees/ focus groups/ advisory groups/ special Interest groups of relevance to service

Experience

Essential

  • Advanced knowledge and extensive expertise of Occupational Therapy across the range of mental health, physical community health and learning disability Occupational Therapy practice areas gained through substantial experience as a senior Occupational therapist operating at least at team manager/clinical specialist level in numerous settings across inpatient and community and representing a broad range of care environments and client groups
  • Evidence of leading successful change management and quality improvement programmes

Desirable

  • Membership of national committees/ focus groups/ advisory groups/ special Interest groups of relevance to service

Knowledge

Essential

  • Specialist knowledge of Occupational Therapy interventions
  • Sound understanding of the modernisation and development issues facing Health Care Services

Desirable

  • Portfolio includes publications, presentations and professional conference contributions
  • Evidence of range of teaching styles/ workshops delivered to diverse audiences

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

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Edward Jenner court

1010 Pioneer Avenue, Business Park

Brockworth

GL3 4AW


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Edward Jenner court

1010 Pioneer Avenue, Business Park

Brockworth

GL3 4AW


Employer's website

https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief AHP

Sarah Birminmgham

Sarah.Birmingham@ghc.nhs.uk

07747455784

Details

Date posted

05 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

327-25-928

Job locations

Edward Jenner court

1010 Pioneer Avenue, Business Park

Brockworth

GL3 4AW


Supporting documents

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