Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Head of Occupational Therapy

The closing date is 18 November 2026

Job summary
Owing to the forthcoming retirement of the current postholder, an exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Lead Occupational Therapist to undertake a six-month secondment as Head of Occupational Therapy at Southmead Hospital.

This secondment is to provide leadership and continuity for Occupational Therapy services during a period of organisational review and change following the recent merger to create Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established senior Occupational Therapist within the organisation to gain strategic leadership experience and contribute to the future development of therapy services across the Trust.

Main duties of the job
The Head of Occupational Therapy is responsible for providing professional, operational and strategic leadership for Occupational Therapy services. The postholder will ensure the delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based and person-centred occupational therapy services.

The postholder will provide expert professional leadership for Occupational Therapy, lead service transformation and workforce development, ensure compliance with regulatory and professional standards, and contribute to Trust-wide strategic objectives.

The role will represent Occupational Therapy across the Trust, Integrated Care System, regional networks and national forums.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details

• Date posted: 09 November 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8b
• Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year pa pro rata
• Contract: Secondment
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: 339-CCS5250-CB
• Job locations: Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Education & Qualifications

• Essential: Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• Essential: HCPC Registration as an Occupational Therapist
• Essential: Master's degree or equivalent experience
• Essential: Evidence of continuing professional development
• Desirable: Leadership or management qualification
• Desirable: Coaching or organisational development qualification

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Essential: Expert knowledge of Occupational Therapy practice
• Essential: Strategic leadership skills
• Essential: Service transformation and quality improvement expertise
• Essential: Knowledge of NHS policy and system working
• Essential: Knowledge of HCPC and RCOT standards
• Essential: Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Desirable: Research and innovation expertise

Experience

• Essential: Substantial senior leadership experience within Occupational Therapy
• Essential: Budget and workforce management experience
• Essential: Service redesign and transformation experience
• Essential: Experience of governance, quality and risk management
• Essential: Experience managing complex multidisciplinary services
• Desirable: Experience of system-wide partnership 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.

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: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
• Address: Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB, United Kingdom
• Employer's website: https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Occupational Therapy, Anne Barraud, anne.barraud1@nhs.net, 07718119278

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice.

Equal opportunities: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals and is an equal opportunities employer.