Job summary
Looking for a role where your expertise genuinely shapes outcomes for children with SEND?

This is a unique opportunity to lead a dedicated Occupational Therapy service, delivering education-based provision and influencing EHCP decisions across Devon. You will combine advanced clinical practice with team leadership and play a key role in tribunal work, helping secure the right support for children and young people with complex needs.

We are excited to recruit a 0.8wte Band 7 Specialist Occupational Therapist to lead and deliver a targeted SEND Occupational Therapy service commissioned through a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Devon County Council.

This is a senior role offering the opportunity to work at an advanced clinical level with children and young people presenting with complex needs. You will provide specialist assessment and intervention, contribute expert advice to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and play a key role in tribunal work and multi-agency decision-making.

You will also lead a small team delivering this service, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based care that supports children to access learning, develop independence and achieve meaningful outcomes.

If you have the skills and experience for any aspect of this role, we would love to hear from you and are open to a potential job share if needed. We welcome applications from candidates who are ready to develop and grow within this exciting opportunity.

Main duties of the job

• Provide clinical leadership and line management for a small team of Occupational Therapists delivering the SLA service
• Deliver specialist Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention for children and young people with complex SEND needs, working at an advanced clinical level. Clinical expertise working with complex Optional Performance challenges in the school setting impacted by sensory needs and SEMH
• Provide expert, evidence-based advice and high-quality reports to inform EHCPs, annual reviews and Local Authority decision-making
• Lead on tribunal work, including producing detailed assessment reports and contributing expert clinical opinion within legal processes
• Work collaboratively with education settings, SEND teams and wider professionals to support childrens access to learning
• Support children with a wide range of needs including physical disability, sensory processing difficulties and complex developmental presentations
• Ensure the service is delivered in line with the SLA requirements, including quality standards, performance expectations and agreed outcomes
• Contribute to service development, performance monitoring and continuous improvement aligned to SEND priorities

About us
At Children and Family Health Devon, we are dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of children and young people across Devon and Torbay. We aim to create an environment where children and young people can thrive and are committed to reducing health inequalities and providing specialised support, empowering them to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Our children and young people say
We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.

Who we are
We are an alliance of NHS organisations led Devon Partnership Trust. We are a group of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and many other professions.

Join us in beautiful Devon
With access to moors, sea and cities, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy Devon. Whether you enjoy spending time in the cultural hub of Exeter, exploring the Jurassic coastline or discovering the world surfing reserve in North Devon there really is something for everyone.

Details
Date posted: 03 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-26-0528
Job locations: Children & Family Health Devon, Unit 1, Capital Court, Bittern Road, Sowton Industrial Estate, EXETER, EX2 7FW, United Kingdom

Job description
Full Vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification. Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Sound knowledge of child development
• Evidence of advanced training in specialist clinical area
• Evidence of audit and quality improvement training
• Experience of working as part of a professional team and multidisciplinary team
• Skilled in risk management
• Knowledge of clinical governance
• Experience of presenting complex information to staff and senior management
• Experience of implementing changes in service design and delivery both profession specific and in a multidisciplinary environment
• Understand legal responsibilities of the profession, and health and social care delivery
• Knowledge of NSFs, local government, and health policies and procedures, safeguarding adult
• Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning skills
• Experience of managing patients with a range of complex conditions
• Experience in specialist assessment relevant to your specialist field
• Clear evidence of high level of professional skills within a specialist health or social care setting
• Experience of safeguarding vulnerable adults and/or children
• High level of knowledge of a broad range of relevant conditions and proven experience of delivering evidence-based practice
• Knowledge of the clinical guidelines, and experience of implementing these recommendations in practice

Desirable

• Complaints management and resolution
• Ability to write and present a business case
• Ability to analyse data
• Use of team-based working to promote change and development

Qualifications
Essential

• BSc or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• State registration current HCPC registration
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses relevant clinical area of expertise and/or postgraduate qualification

Desirable

• Post graduate leadership certificate
• MSc in relevant clinical area

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 (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).

Employer details
Employer name: Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address: Children & Family Health Devon, Unit 1, Capital Court, Bittern Road, Sowton Industrial Estate, EXETER, EX2 7FW, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Operations Manager
Lauren Dempsey
cfhd.workforce@nhs.net