South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Occupational Therapist (Acute Paediatrics)

The closing date is 16 December 2025

Job summary

There is currently an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Paediatric team, to lead covering the Paediatric wards at The James Cook University Hospital. Excellent communication and organisational skills, enthusiasm, commitment and ability to negotiate across a wide range of agencies are also vital in this post.

Experience of working with children in an acute setting is desirable but an enthusiasm for working with a range of children/young people up to the age of 19 is essential. The post holder will work within the wider community Occupational Therapy team but will lead/coordinate the acute ward caseload. There is close MDT working within the acute ward setting. The team is friendly and supportive and there will be the opportunity to develop more advanced clinical, leadership and service development skills.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will lead/coordinate the work on the paediatric wards at James Cook University Hospital managing any child/young person who requires Occupational Therapy intervention whilst on the wards and facilitating a safe discharge back into their home environment. This includes elective orthopaedic cases, a variety of paediatric trauma, neurological conditions and admissions in relation to chronic pain or functional disorders. An awareness that children may have a variety of pre-existing conditions is essential as this adds complexity to their care.

The post holder will be expected to complete appropriate access and post-op home visits across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and occasionally the wider area as the unit provides a sub-regional service. Close working with parents and partnership with social care and community Occupational Therapists is essential. This will also be shared within the wider team. The post holder may also have the opportunity to hold a small community caseload.

You will work within a multidisciplinary team offering specialist Occupational Therapy assessment, intervention and rehabilitation.

You will need to be able to work as part of a team and on your own. The role will require being involved with clients with a range of multiple medical, social and emotional problems, as well as home visits, discharge planning, rehabilitation and education. The ability to travel independently is an essential part of this post.

About us

We support the Making Every Contact Count approach to behaviour change in the promotion of health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. You will be expected to attend the following training sessions:

Your Leadership Impact

Leading your Team to Success

Leading Into the Future

Service Improvement for Beginners

Developing your Service Improvement Skills

Lean Practitioner

The leadership and improvement programme aims to:

Explore leadership within the NHS

Promote Trust values and behaviours

Develop your leadership effectiveness and skills

Equip staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and complete service improvements within the scope of your role.

After you complete these six and a half days of training you will be able to explore further leadership and improvement training opportunities. We also offer a range of additional in-house and externally provided courses and bitesize programmes through our Leadership and Improvement Team.

Date posted

02 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

328-FHS-7583114

Job locations

The James Cook University Hospital

Marton Road

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for main responsibilities of the role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for main responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential

To hold a Diploma or degree awarded by professional body RCOT.
Registered as fit to practice by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Evidence of Paediatric post graduate clinical training and development

Desirable

oTo have attended relevant post-graduate qualification

Experience

Essential

Have broad OT clinical experience.
Evidence of adaptability and ability to prioritise
Evidence of effective people management skills

Desirable

Ability to assess for and prescribe appropriate equipment.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Demonstrates specialist clinical knowledge and skills relevant to Paediatric OT
Evidence of proficient clinical reasoning skills
Demonstrates an ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team.
Demonstrates ability to prioritise and coordinate own and other's workloads.
Demonstrates organisational and delegation skills.
Demonstrates an ability to motivate staff by providing a positive role model.
Demonstrates competent IT and system skills.
oAble to access independent transport for travel to community visits.

Desirable

Evidence of working in Paediatric OT services within the NHS.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential

To hold a Diploma or degree awarded by professional body RCOT.
Registered as fit to practice by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Evidence of Paediatric post graduate clinical training and development

Desirable

oTo have attended relevant post-graduate qualification

Experience

Essential

Have broad OT clinical experience.
Evidence of adaptability and ability to prioritise
Evidence of effective people management skills

Desirable

Ability to assess for and prescribe appropriate equipment.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Demonstrates specialist clinical knowledge and skills relevant to Paediatric OT
Evidence of proficient clinical reasoning skills
Demonstrates an ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team.
Demonstrates ability to prioritise and coordinate own and other's workloads.
Demonstrates organisational and delegation skills.
Demonstrates an ability to motivate staff by providing a positive role model.
Demonstrates competent IT and system skills.
oAble to access independent transport for travel to community visits.

Desirable

Evidence of working in Paediatric OT services within the NHS.

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).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The James Cook University Hospital

Marton Road

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW

Employer's website

https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The James Cook University Hospital

Marton Road

Middlesbrough

TS4 3BW

Employer's website

https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)