Occupational Therapist

Job summary

Sport for Confidence CIC is a pioneering and award-winning social enterprise which has the strategic aim of addressing inequalities in sport and physical activity participation. We have been playing our part in reducing inequalities that exist within society, so that everyone can enjoy community spaces which promote movement, activity, well-being, empowerment, choice, and relationships. We are concerned with the impact of inactivity in people lives and the health inequalities that exist as a result.

We are now looking for an innovative, reliable, and passionate individual to join our team of dynamic occupational therapists where you will be working in the primary care specialist provision which is delivered across 8 GP practices in Brentwood. It aims to reduce health inequalities and improve occupational function, focusing on adults who have a learning disability, care home residents and adults who are frail. We are happy to consider applicants on a full and part-time basis.

Main duties of the job

Clinical duties:

• Build strong, professional relationships; work collaboratively with GP surgeries, care homes & community services.
• Form part of & contribute to patient multi-disciplinary meetings & personalised care plans.
• Initiate the process of identifying & solving occupational performance problems.
• Seek opportunities to break down barriers which prevent a person from meeting their health needs &/or contribute to health inequalities & access to meaningful occupations.
• Promote person-centred practice which seeks to enable people to have control, choice, participation & a sense of belonging.
• Connect people to their community to enable & empower them to engage in meaningful occupations.
• Use therapeutic use of self to support individuals to have a positive experience of physical activity.
• Manage & prioritise a complex caseload.
• Deliver physical activity workshops in care homes
• Keep timely & accurate records on NHS digital systems, in line with professional RCOT & HCPC standards & policies.

Non clinical duties:

• Promote service within the local area through networking.
• Participate in audits, data collection, research & evidence-based practice.
• Promote the occupational therapy role to external agencies.
• Contribute to service development through innovative ideas & creation of resources.
• Initiate & lead projects to meet identified service needs.
• Seek out funding opportunities & complete applications, where appropriate.

About us

Sport for Confidence has grown from one individual, using sporting activities as part of occupational therapy assessment, to becoming a model which has seen over 19,000 interactions over a 12-month period and been adopted in many leisure centres, across 8 local authorities in Greater Essex and 2 London boroughs. Each centre has their own health professional and coach in place working together to deliver the strategic outcomes and offer a programme of activities for absolutely anyone who may be facing barriers to accessing sport and physical activity opportunities.

In addition to our traditional delivery model across 12 leisure centres in Essex and London and our national team, we have been providing a specialist occupational therapy service in a primary care network within Mid and South Essex since October 2022. This service aims to tackle health inequalities and promote occupational function, whilst improving patient experiences. Primary care plays a key role in supporting people to stay healthy, which is strengthened by the addition of occupational therapists. Since the introduction of the Additional Roles and Reimbursement Scheme (NHS England, 2019), occupational therapists have an increasing presence and evidence base in primary care, which we are excited to be contributing to.

If you would like to discuss the job over the telephone, please contact: Aimee Nuttall, primary care lead, on 07763 875 453 or Jake Turner, operations director, on 07566 200 070.