Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 26 November 2026

Job summary
This is a part time post working 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday during standard business hours, within the Hospital at Home treatment team that will cover the Black Country footprint of Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton localities as dependent on need.

We are proud and excited to be establishing this new service, dedicated to supporting older adults in a community setting. By providing alternatives to hospital admission, and supporting early hospital discharge, this role will be fundamental in enabling older adults in a mental health crisis, to regain independence, and recovery in the least restrictive environments.

This is a unique opportunity to join a multi disciplinary team that is being newly formed and we are seeking a dynamic senior Occupational Therapist to join us at the start of this transformational journey. Working alongside the Advanced Occupational Therapy practitioner, you will have the opportunity to develop and establish the role of occupational therapy, within an older adult hospital at Home mental health crisis service.

The primary function of the Hospital at Home team is to support older adults experiencing mental health crisis, providing care and treatment in a community setting. The team will work closely with existing community and inpatient services to provide alternatives to hospital admission and to facilitate and support early hospital discharges as required.

Main duties of the job
You will provide specialist occupational therapy assessment and occupationally focused interventions, within a multi professional team, to older adults who are experiencing significant and / or urgent mental health needs. You will be expected to manage a caseload of older adults experiencing mental health crisis, that may coincide with significant physical health, impacting on occupational performance, but you will use your clinical reasoning and evidence based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions aimed at improving occupational performance and participation.

Taking a lead in promoting recovery focused models of care which are responsive to the needs of older adults, you will enable person centred care planning, goals and outcomes.

Working as a senior autonomous practitioner within a community multidisciplinary team setting, you will liaise and provide advice to members of the team, to patients, carers and across a range of clinical pathways.

Develop leadership for support staff, act as a student educator and offer placement experience to students, acting as a role model and providing ongoing support daily, in addition to supervision and appraisal processes.

About us
The Hospital at Home treatment team is newly developed and first of its kind within Black Country Healthcare trust. We are proud to be establishing this team that will offer support to older adults presenting in an acute mental health crisis.

The role of Occupational Therapy within the Older Adult Division is well respected and valued, and you will receive support from the Advanced OT practitioner, Divisional and wider Allied Health Professional Teams, that are strongly established across community and inpatient pathways.

We will support your career development and aspirations, and believe in empowering ourselves and others to make positive change through quality improvement. We have robust supervision, appraisal and CPD structures in place that focus on continual learning, as we support you to be your best.

Details
Date posted: 12 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 285-7497-MH
Job locations: Quayside House, Oldbury, B69 2DG, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• To provide specialist Occupational Therapy evidence based assessment and interventions that have clear, measurable outcomes to older adults referred to the Hospital at Home treatment team, presenting with complex and urgent mental health needs in a variety of community settings.
• To be responsible for the assessment of occupational needs, to formulate person centred care and treatment plans to address these occupational needs for older adults with acute mental health needs.
• To undertake occupational therapy assessments, develop treatment interventions and outcomes based on the Model of Human Occupation, using investigative and analytical skills to formulate individualised treatment and care plans.
• To ensure that care planning activities meet a range of physical, psychological, emotional and social needs associated with the person's mental health.
• To work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary team members providing occupational therapy specific contributions to the care and treatment process of patients, providing advice on lifestyle changes and adaptations to the person's social and physical environment to enable occupational performance and participation.

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications

• Essential: Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy; Evidence of registration with HCPC; Post graduate training relevant to mental health; Commitment to maintaining training.
• Desirable: Evidence of post graduate training in leadership and/or management.

Experience

• Essential: Experience of using a range of assessment tools to plan treatment; Building links with third sector partnerships and community resources; Significant post registration experience of working with older adults with mental health needs; Documented evidence of CPD.
• Desirable: Evidence of managing complex caseloads with older people with acute mental health problems; Experience of working in a community setting; Experience of being a placement educator; APPLE accreditation.

Knowledge

• Essential: Experience of delivering a range of clinical interventions / groups; Knowledge and experience of delivering recovery focussed interventions; Knowledge and application of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO); Knowledge and application of OT assessment and intervention with older adults with mental health needs; Knowledge and application of a range of outcome measures relevant to older adults; Demonstrate effective clinical knowledge and reasoning skills in working with older adults with mental health needs; Understanding of legislation, current health and social care policy and practice in the field of older adults with mental health.
• Desirable: Application of risk assessment in treatment and operational management; Use of policy and procedure to manage clinical activity; Post registration training in group work and skill development.

Skills and personal qualities

• Essential: HCPC Registration; Awareness of diversity and ethical issues and ability to analyse these in practice; Post graduate training relevant to the field of clinical practice; Commitment and enthusiasm to the continued development of occupational therapy within older adults; Commitment to person centred care and recovery principles; Positive attitude towards supervision and personal development.
• Desirable: Membership of special interest groups and / or networks.

Values

• Essential: Evidence of trust behaviours.

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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Quayside House, Oldbury, B69 2DG, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: AHP Professional Lead - Older Adult MH Division, Julie Bowater, Julie.bowater@nhs.net, 07759910534

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The Trust is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.