Job summary
Band 7 Occupational Therapist - Orthopaedics
We are seeking a motivated and dynamic Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join our specialist Orthopaedics Therapy Team. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a well-established service dedicated to delivering high-quality, patient-centred orthopaedic care.
As a senior clinician, you will play a vital role in supporting efficient patient flow, reducing length of stay, and ensuring safe, timely discharges across the orthopaedic wards. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, you will provide compassionate, goal-focused therapy throughout each patient's recovery.
What you will be doing - Leading the Occupational Therapy service for orthopaedic inpatients, ensuring excellent clinical standards and a seamless patient experience.
- Working in partnership with a Band 7 Physiotherapist to deliver consistent senior leadership across the therapy team.
- Supervising, supporting, and developing junior staff to build confidence and specialist orthopaedic expertise.
- Using advanced clinical reasoning to manage complex discharge planning and maintain strong MDT communication.
- Acting as an ambassador for Occupational Therapy, promoting its essential role in orthopaedic rehabilitation.
Main duties of the job
Key Objectives
- Develop and promote a clinically effective Orthopaedic Therapy, particularly OT, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care and seamless discharge processes.
- Provide expert knowledge and leadership in managing complex cases and enabling timely early discharges, supporting safe and efficient patient flow.
- Design and refine effective orthopaedic discharge pathways, working collaboratively with the wider MDT, community services, and external agencies to ensure continuity of care.
- Deliver education, guidance, and ongoing support to the wider therapy service, strengthening clinical practice and promoting service excellence.
- Respond proactively to daily organisational bed pressures, ensuring effective prioritisation and contributing to operational flow.
- Lead on audit and evaluation of this service development, disseminating findings to drive continuous improvement and evidence-based practice.
Formal training and demonstrable experience in team leadership, service development, and audit is essential for this role.
About us
When you join our organisation, you become part of a Trust committed to inspiring hope and delivering exceptional care for the people and communities we serve. From your first day, you will receive a supportive induction to ensure you feel welcomed, valued, and confident in your new role.
We emphasise high-quality supervision and continuous professional development, offering regular opportunities to set meaningful objectives, engage in reflective practice, and enhance your clinical and leadership skills. All staff have equal access to a wide range of CPD opportunities, reflecting our commitment to nurturing a skilled, motivated, and compassionate workforce.
Innovation and continuous improvement are central to our culture. You will be encouraged to contribute ideas, participate in research and audit, and support service development initiatives that enhance patient care.
We recognise that excellent care relies on staff feeling supported and valued. Our flexible working practices and generous annual leave promote a healthy work-life balance and strong staff wellbeing.
Joining us means becoming part of a team that places patients, people, and community at the heart of everything we do and strives to deliver the best possible experience for our population.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Act as an expert source of specialist orthopaedic knowledge, providing advanced clinical advice and support to healthcare professionals and external agencies across organisational boundaries.
- Work autonomously to manage a highly complex orthopaedic caseload while contributing effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team.
- Contribute to the delivery of the orthopaedic therapy service across a range of clinical environments, including inpatient wards, outpatient pathways, community rehabilitation clinics, and patient homes.
- Utilise highly advanced communication skills to deliver clinical advice and treatment plans sensitively, acknowledging and addressing the needs of carers and families.
- Obtain valid consent for treatment and motivate patients to participate in therapy programmes, using tailored strategies to overcome barriers such as cognitive impairment, dementia, and sensory or communication difficulties.
- Comply with the Mental Capacity Act when assessing capacity, ensuring informed consent is gained and bestinterest decisions are made for patients who lack capacity.
- Undertake highly specialist orthopaedic clinical assessments, integrating all relevant information and advanced clinical reasoning to develop evidencebased, individualised treatment plans.
- Lead clinical audit and research activity within the orthopaedic specialty, using findings to develop practice, improve patient outcomes and inform service development.
- Generate innovative ideas and lead on the development, implementation, and evaluation of service improvements in response to patient and service needs.
- Contribute to the achievement of service objectives, taking a lead role in designated projects across the orthopaedic therapy pathway.
- Support workforce development by leading on the recruitment of junior and assistant staff as delegated, including the planning, delivery, and evaluation of highquality induction programmes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Act as an expert source of specialist orthopaedic knowledge, providing advanced clinical advice and support to healthcare professionals and external agencies across organisational boundaries.
- Work autonomously to manage a highly complex orthopaedic caseload while contributing effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team.
- Contribute to the delivery of the orthopaedic therapy service across a range of clinical environments, including inpatient wards, outpatient pathways, community rehabilitation clinics, and patient homes.
- Utilise highly advanced communication skills to deliver clinical advice and treatment plans sensitively, acknowledging and addressing the needs of carers and families.
- Obtain valid consent for treatment and motivate patients to participate in therapy programmes, using tailored strategies to overcome barriers such as cognitive impairment, dementia, and sensory or communication difficulties.
- Comply with the Mental Capacity Act when assessing capacity, ensuring informed consent is gained and bestinterest decisions are made for patients who lack capacity.
- Undertake highly specialist orthopaedic clinical assessments, integrating all relevant information and advanced clinical reasoning to develop evidencebased, individualised treatment plans.
- Lead clinical audit and research activity within the orthopaedic specialty, using findings to develop practice, improve patient outcomes and inform service development.
- Generate innovative ideas and lead on the development, implementation, and evaluation of service improvements in response to patient and service needs.
- Contribute to the achievement of service objectives, taking a lead role in designated projects across the orthopaedic therapy pathway.
- Support workforce development by leading on the recruitment of junior and assistant staff as delegated, including the planning, delivery, and evaluation of highquality induction programmes.
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- Bsc(hons) degree in Occupational Therapy with HCPC registration
- Significant experience in Orthopaedic clinical setting
- Significant experience in the NHS
- Significant experience in leadership role
Desirable
- Evidence of post qualification training in the relevant area
Essential
Essential
- Highly advanced communication and listening skills
Desirable
- Evidence of communication training or development
essential
Essential
- Experience of undertaking projects, research or audit activities
Desirable
- Completion of leadership training
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- Bsc(hons) degree in Occupational Therapy with HCPC registration
- Significant experience in Orthopaedic clinical setting
- Significant experience in the NHS
- Significant experience in leadership role
Desirable
- Evidence of post qualification training in the relevant area
Essential
Essential
- Highly advanced communication and listening skills
Desirable
- Evidence of communication training or development
essential
Essential
- Experience of undertaking projects, research or audit activities
Desirable
- Completion of leadership training
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.
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.
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).
