Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 27 November 2025

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a passionate, committed occupational therapist to join our well-established and innovative community learning disability team.

As a learning disability occupational therapist, you will use your specialist skills and understanding of the relationship between the individual, their environment and their occupations to support people with complex health needs to live well with their learning disability. You will support the team's core business which includes assessing people's mental and physical health, including attention to risk management and care planning, and working with families, paid carers and the wider systems that support people.

You will be joining a friendly, supportive and creative multi-disciplinary team, dedicated to achieving great outcomes for adults with learning disabilities. We are a service that has clear agreed objectives linked to the latest national policies and are dedicated to delivering the highest quality care through evidence-based care pathways. We are co-located with our social work colleagues and work closely in partnership with them.

Main duties of the job

As an occupational therapist in our team you will provide specialist occupational therapy assessments and interventions for people referred to the service as well as contributing to the core tasks of the team.

Contributing to the management of a team caseload of individuals with complex needs, you will assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, which will be delivered in a variety of community settings, including family homes, residential and supported living services, day services and community facilities.

You will have the flexibility to manage your workload in the community, however you will be expected to spend some time working from the central team base in Uckfield.

The successful candidate will have a passion for improving the lives of adults with learning disabilities, collaborating with colleagues and across services to deliver results, and be passionate about developing their own skills and those of colleagues. You will need to be able to manage your own diary with the ability to adapt and be flexible to suit the needs of the service.

About us

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex and for children and young people in Hampshire.

Working in Sussex:

Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns there's always new experiences to be enjoyed

Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London

With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure

We'd love you to join our organisation that is rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Our staff agree, with 82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

Other key staff survey results include:

70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work

79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team

77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

354-LD-20309

Job locations

Bellbrook Centre

Uckfield

TN22 1QL


Job description

Job responsibilities

REQUIREMENTS

In order to be a successful specialist occupational therapist in our team you will be:

Registered with HCPC as an occupational therapist

Comfortable working in a complex and varied role

Experienced working within a relevant clinical area

Keen to develop your specialist skills to support adults with learning disabilities with their mental health, physical health and behaviour support needs

It would also be advantageous if you have:

Experience working with people with learning disabilities

This post will be based in Uckfield and will primarily cover Eastbourne, dwins and weald. However, a willingness and ability to travel across East Sussex (and sometimes further) will be needed, as required to meet the needs of the service. SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where applicable and in agreement with your line manager.

The role is 28 hours a week hrs per week.

MAIN DUTIES

To provide occupational therapy interventions for referred clients using evidence based, client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions

  • To manage an appropriate complex clinical caseload
  • To complete initial assessments on behalf of the team
  • To participate in the team triage rota
  • To act as a lead practitioner for designated clients

To promote evidence-based practice in occupational therapy and the relevant learning disability service

  • To contribute to the development of multi-disciplinary best practice clinical guidelines and protocols.
  • To contribute to the provision of high-quality practice placements

We believe our service will be the best it can be if we have a diverse workforce and one that reflects the population we serve. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic and disabled communities and we would greatly welcome applications from these communities.

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

Please apply using the link in this advert, or for more information explore the attachments or contact:

Diane Chandler - Diane.chandler7@nhs.net - Professional lead for East Sussex occupational therapy

Sophie Gill - Sophie.gill8@nhs.net - Clinical Team Lead, Eastbuorne, Downs and Weald CLDT

Job description

Job responsibilities

REQUIREMENTS

In order to be a successful specialist occupational therapist in our team you will be:

Registered with HCPC as an occupational therapist

Comfortable working in a complex and varied role

Experienced working within a relevant clinical area

Keen to develop your specialist skills to support adults with learning disabilities with their mental health, physical health and behaviour support needs

It would also be advantageous if you have:

Experience working with people with learning disabilities

This post will be based in Uckfield and will primarily cover Eastbourne, dwins and weald. However, a willingness and ability to travel across East Sussex (and sometimes further) will be needed, as required to meet the needs of the service. SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where applicable and in agreement with your line manager.

The role is 28 hours a week hrs per week.

MAIN DUTIES

To provide occupational therapy interventions for referred clients using evidence based, client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions

  • To manage an appropriate complex clinical caseload
  • To complete initial assessments on behalf of the team
  • To participate in the team triage rota
  • To act as a lead practitioner for designated clients

To promote evidence-based practice in occupational therapy and the relevant learning disability service

  • To contribute to the development of multi-disciplinary best practice clinical guidelines and protocols.
  • To contribute to the provision of high-quality practice placements

We believe our service will be the best it can be if we have a diverse workforce and one that reflects the population we serve. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic and disabled communities and we would greatly welcome applications from these communities.

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

Please apply using the link in this advert, or for more information explore the attachments or contact:

Diane Chandler - Diane.chandler7@nhs.net - Professional lead for East Sussex occupational therapy

Sophie Gill - Sophie.gill8@nhs.net - Clinical Team Lead, Eastbuorne, Downs and Weald CLDT

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

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

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Experience of multidisciplinary working
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

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

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Experience of multidisciplinary working

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 Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bellbrook Centre

Uckfield

TN22 1QL


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bellbrook Centre

Uckfield

TN22 1QL


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Team Lead

Sophie Gill

sophie.gill8@nhs.net

07464925337

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

354-LD-20309

Job locations

Bellbrook Centre

Uckfield

TN22 1QL


Supporting documents

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