Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 02 July 2025

Job summary

Do you have a passion for dementia care or supporting older adults with mental health problems? We are passionate about our therapeutic staff modelling person centred dementia care and supporting the wider team to understand the needs of the patient at the heart of everything we do.

Do you want to be part of a supportive, friendly and dynamic team dedicated to providing exceptional care? Collaboration and mutual support are at the forefront of everything we do, and we would like you to be part of our team.

You will gain a balance of mental health and physical health experience in a hospital-based setting. You will receive full support as we encourage development of your core OT skills within well-established therapy team.

If you are newly qualified we understand the transition from student to practitioner can be challenging and we are dedicated to developing your full potential in each of the 4 pillars of practice. We have a strong focus on teaching and development including regular in-service training CPD opportunities.

We recognise that band 5's bring innovation and dynamism to our clinical teams and we strive to work collaboratively to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where both patients and staff can thrive. We hope you start or continue your OT career with us!

Main duties of the job

Manage a defined caseload of service users on alongside a multi-disciplinary team.
Support service users to establish helpful routines, maintain and develop roles, grow motivation and confidence and develop and improve skills across the domains of occupation (self-care, productivity and leisure).
Use OT specific assessment tools (from the Model of Human Occupation; MoHO, and dementia specific assessments), in order to identify meaningful goals and areas of focus for individuals, informing treatment and care plans.
Co-ordinate and deliver a programme of occupationally-focussed interventions within the unit (both individual and group sessions), according to the need of the service users and evaluate the effectiveness of these using outcome measures.
Alongside the MDT, contribute to service users' risk assessment and management plans and 'My Care and Safety Plan' as well as creating personalised Support plans which are 'dementia friendly'.
Work alongside and provide supervision to Activity Co-ordinators.
Support students on placement with the service as a practice placement educator (PPE), following completion of PPE training with the University of Brighton.
Support the development of the OT service informed by evidence based practise.

About us

Join Sussex Partnership and you'll be part of an NHS trust that allows you to thrive and, in turn, thrives because of you. We believe in the vibrancy of our fantastic people. And how that leads to even better support for the people who use our services.

We offer a wide range of rewards and benefits to our staff. Here are some of the perks that makeworking at Sussex Partnership a great choice.

From the stunning South Downs National Park and Areas of Outstanding Beauty, to 140 miles of coastline, Sussex has it all. It is home the vibrant cities of Brighton and Chichester and historic towns of Lewes and Hastings, with plenty of picturesque villages in between. What's more, it boasts some of the sunniest spots in the UK. Read more aboutliving and working in Sussex.

Date posted

19 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-AN-20824

Job locations

Rosemary ward, Forget Me Not Unit, Swandean

Swandean

Worthing

BN13 3EP

Job description

Job responsibilities

In order to be a successful Occupational Therapist in our team you will be:

Registered with HCPC
Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
Have experience of working with dementia or older adults mental health or keen to learn more.

It would also be advantageous if you have your own car as the role can involve direct work with patients and their families in their homes and communities across Sussex.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role.

You will receive supervision from the Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist within the wider SOAMHS services and have opportunities to network with Occupational Therapists across SOAMHS services in Sussex.

Job description

Job responsibilities

In order to be a successful Occupational Therapist in our team you will be:

Registered with HCPC
Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
Have experience of working with dementia or older adults mental health or keen to learn more.

It would also be advantageous if you have your own car as the role can involve direct work with patients and their families in their homes and communities across Sussex.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
Experience working as part of a team
Experience running groups/activities
Experience of being supervised

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
Experience working as part of a team
Experience running groups/activities
Experience of being supervised

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).