Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and innovative Occupational Therapist to join our Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) as a Band 8a Principal Occupational Therapist, working across the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire.You will provide professional and strategic leadership for Occupational Therapy within our school and college-based MHST service, shaping the development of the OT offer and providing professional leadership to our OT workforce.Working closely with MHST Team Leaders, the Service Manager and other senior professionals within the service, alongside education partners and AHP colleagues, you will support service development, quality improvement and our Whole School and College Approach, promoting participation-focused, emotionally inclusive and sensory-informed practice.You will provide specialist advice in areas including participation, inclusion, emotional regulation, attendance and emotionally based school avoidance, with direct clinical work focused on highly specialist consultation and complex case support.We are looking for an experienced Occupational Therapist with a strong understanding of and passion for early intervention and prevention, and the role of MHSTs within education. You will be collaborative, forward-thinking and enthusiastic about the contribution Occupational Therapy can make to improving the mental health, wellbeing and participation of children and young people.

Main duties of the job

• To lead and implement Occupational Therapy and Whole School Approach developments within Mental Health Support Teams (MHST), ensuring the integration of occupational therapy and emotionally inclusive practice within multidisciplinary and educational settings.
• To support the strategic development of Whole School Approaches (FO2) across MHST services, facilitating participation-focused, sensory-informed and emotionally inclusive practice developments across education settings.
• To support Occupational Therapy staff and wider MHST teams in relation to quality improvement, participation, inclusion, care pathway development and clinical governance.
• To contribute to the strategic direction and forward development of Occupational Therapy and Whole School Approaches within MHST services.
• To utilise advanced clinical reasoning skills and evidence-based practice to support highly specialist consultation and complex case discussions.
• To support the continuing professional development of Occupational Therapy staff and contribute to effective workforce development within MHST.
• To take a leading role in Occupational Therapy workforce development, recruitment and student placements within MHST services.
• To work collaboratively with education, health, social care and voluntary sector partners to support integrated and equitable early intervention approaches for children and young people.

About us
Candidate Information Pack Dec 24

At Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT), we deliver a wide range of physical, mental health, learning disability and autism services, and are proud to serve communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.

We put 'people at our heart'; this ethos is at the centre of everything we do and how we do it. We care for our staff and colleagues as much as they care for others and offer a wide range of benefits and development opportunities.

• generous annual leave entitlement which increases during your time with us
• excellent learning and development opportunities, including apprenticeship frameworks, distance learning, internal training, coaching and mentoring, and much more
• salary sacrifice schemes for lease car/ vehicle, Cycle to Work, home and electronics, gym membership and more
• discounts with a range of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues through our Employee Assistance Programme and NHS discount schemes
• wellbeing support, including an in-house counselling service, external helpline and more
• staff networks and support group

We're always on the lookout for people who share our passion for improving the lives and wellbeing of people in our community, as well as our values of compassion, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect.

Job responsibilities
The post holder will provide professional and strategic leadership for Occupational Therapy provision across Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) within Coventry and Warwickshire.

The post holder will act as the professional lead for Occupational Therapy within MHST services, providing expert advice on professional practice, governance, workforce development, service innovation and the development of Occupational Therapy pathways across the service.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Masters/Degree or Equivalent in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of formal or informal leadership and management development through qualification and/or experience

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication skills across a range of audiences and settings
• Ability to interpret national policy and translate into local practice developments
• Knowledge of national CYP mental health, SEND, attendance and early intervention agendas
• Knowledge of clinical governance, quality improvement, audit and service evaluation methodologies
• Advanced knowledge of Whole School Approaches and emotionally inclusive practice

Experience
Essential

• Significant post-registration experience within children and young people's mental health and/or community settings
• Experience of professional leadership and workforce development
• Experience providing supervision, mentorship and professional support to staff and learners
• Experience of complex consultation and specialist professional advice
• Experience supporting service redesign or transformation initiatives

other
Essential

• Able to drive and the ability to travel independently across Coventry and Warwickshire

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details: Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Coventry and Warwickshire locality wide, Whitestone, CV11 4SG, United Kingdom. Employer's website: https://www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/
For questions about the job, contact: Service Manager Cally Lawrie, cally.lawrie@covwarkpt.nhs.uk, 07391412419