Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 26 January 2026

Job summary

Are you looking for a post that will make full use of, and further develop your holistic Occupational Therapy Skills? Do you love using your detective and communication skills to develop the best assessment and intervention strategy possible for people who struggle to express their needs? Do you enjoy applying your knowledge of neurology and the aging process alongside your skills within cognitive and physical functional assessments?

On Fern Ward, Leigh Moss Hospital, Knotty Ash, Liverpool (near Alder Hey Hospital), we have a Specialist Occupational Therapy post that would make best use of your skills, within a comprehensive team (including physiotherapy, psychology, speech a and language, dietetics, medical, nursing and support staff), where you will be contributing to the high quality assessment of people living with dementia, facilitating interventions and supporting their discharge from our specialist ward.

In addition to utilising your Occupational Therapy clinical and leadership skills at ward level, you will be encouraged and supported to be part of innovation, research and audit, in order to maintain and develop your own knowledge and expertise, and that of others across the mental health division.

Informal visits and/or phone contact to gain further information from the ward manager and/or OT are very much welcomed. Please see details below.

Main duties of the job

To utilise and develop specialist knowledge providing professional, up to date interventions within the dementia service and to assist in the organisational development, co-ordination, and evaluation of the Occupational Therapy Service in conjunction with the Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist, Professional Lead for Occupational Therapy and relevant Team/Service Manager.The post holder will contribute to an environment that works with local services to provide evidence-based assessment and delivery of care, and within the context of the effective patient journey. They will continue with their own professional development and assist with that of other Occupational Therapy staff. They will be required to have a flexible approach to working hours to ensure that the needs of their clients are met.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

350-MHC7685190

Job locations

Fern Ward - Leigh Moss Hospital

1E Thomas Lane, Knotty Ash

Liverpool

L14 5NX


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see job description for further information.

In summary:

- Provide assessment and intervention for service users on Fern Ward, one of two dementia assessment wards which are part of the Trusts Mental Health Division

- Demonstrating effective partnership working

- Experience of Service development and innovation

- Experience in providing supervision and mentorship to others

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see job description for further information.

In summary:

- Provide assessment and intervention for service users on Fern Ward, one of two dementia assessment wards which are part of the Trusts Mental Health Division

- Demonstrating effective partnership working

- Experience of Service development and innovation

- Experience in providing supervision and mentorship to others

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication and negotiation skills
  • Ability to delegate& coordinate
  • Ability to work to deadlines
  • Ability to utilise assessment skills and tools effectively
  • Able to present factual information and refer questions to others where appropriate
  • Able to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
  • Demonstrate experience of managing difficult situations
  • Able to develop effective interpersonal relationships with clients, colleagues and the wider team
  • Good organisational/time management skills
  • Ability to problem solve
  • Ability to identify risk and minimise risk effectively
  • Demonstrate a proactive approach to health and safety
  • Ability to reflect on experience and identify lessons learnt
  • Computer literate
  • Willingness to travel in the course of performing duties

Desirable

  • Presentation skills

Knowledge / Experience

Essential

  • Experience of receiving supervision and supervision of staff
  • Evidence of effective partnership working
  • Evidence of introducing service developments and innovation
  • Evidence of active engagement in developing others
  • Demonstrate the application of research and evidence-based practice within specialist field
  • Demonstrate experience of problem- solving approaches
  • Understanding of local, National, professional policies/guidance
  • Mental Capacity Act
  • Vulnerable Adults Procedure and Child Protection
  • Demonstrate an understanding of own scope of practice and the implications for self and others
  • Ability to recognise own behaviour and its impact on others
  • Evidence of understanding and the application of leadership and management principles

Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification appropriate to role
  • Registration with HCPC
  • Formal post graduate qualification relevantto specialist area of practice
  • Assessor/Mentor/Practice Educator Training

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • High professional standards
  • Responsive to service users
  • Engaging leadership style
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet
  • Change oriented
Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication and negotiation skills
  • Ability to delegate& coordinate
  • Ability to work to deadlines
  • Ability to utilise assessment skills and tools effectively
  • Able to present factual information and refer questions to others where appropriate
  • Able to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
  • Demonstrate experience of managing difficult situations
  • Able to develop effective interpersonal relationships with clients, colleagues and the wider team
  • Good organisational/time management skills
  • Ability to problem solve
  • Ability to identify risk and minimise risk effectively
  • Demonstrate a proactive approach to health and safety
  • Ability to reflect on experience and identify lessons learnt
  • Computer literate
  • Willingness to travel in the course of performing duties

Desirable

  • Presentation skills

Knowledge / Experience

Essential

  • Experience of receiving supervision and supervision of staff
  • Evidence of effective partnership working
  • Evidence of introducing service developments and innovation
  • Evidence of active engagement in developing others
  • Demonstrate the application of research and evidence-based practice within specialist field
  • Demonstrate experience of problem- solving approaches
  • Understanding of local, National, professional policies/guidance
  • Mental Capacity Act
  • Vulnerable Adults Procedure and Child Protection
  • Demonstrate an understanding of own scope of practice and the implications for self and others
  • Ability to recognise own behaviour and its impact on others
  • Evidence of understanding and the application of leadership and management principles

Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification appropriate to role
  • Registration with HCPC
  • Formal post graduate qualification relevantto specialist area of practice
  • Assessor/Mentor/Practice Educator Training

Values

Essential

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Accountability
  • Respectfulness
  • Enthusiasm
  • Support
  • High professional standards
  • Responsive to service users
  • Engaging leadership style
  • Strong customer service belief
  • Transparency and honesty
  • Discreet
  • Change oriented

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

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

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Fern Ward - Leigh Moss Hospital

1E Thomas Lane, Knotty Ash

Liverpool

L14 5NX


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Fern Ward - Leigh Moss Hospital

1E Thomas Lane, Knotty Ash

Liverpool

L14 5NX


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Ward Manager

James Savage

james.savage@merseycare.nhs.uk

01512506097

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

350-MHC7685190

Job locations

Fern Ward - Leigh Moss Hospital

1E Thomas Lane, Knotty Ash

Liverpool

L14 5NX


Supporting documents

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