Job summary
Our extensive rotation programme spans the three main acute hospital sites in our trust:

• William Harvey Hospital in Ashford
• Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury
• Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate

All rotational staff may be expected to rotate to any of the hospital sites and particular consideration should be given to this prior to application.

Our rotations are broad and diverse due to the span of clinical specialities delivered by the Trust and will support you in gaining experience across core and specialist areas, including:

• Critical Care
• General and specialist surgery
• Trauma
• Elective Orthopaedics
• Hand therapy
• Hyper-acute Stroke and Acute Stroke
• Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Unit
• Acute Medicine, including medical respiratory and renal
• Frailty
• Vascular surgery and outpatients

We offer CPD support and learning opportunities across all of our specialities which includes robust stroke and neurology teaching programme and rotation specific in-service training programmes. We also encourage all staff to be research active and offer opportunities to be involved in clinical audit, service improvement and innovation.

Applications from Students in their final year of study are very welcome.

Main duties of the job
Upon joining us we will support you through your probation and your preceptorship year and will we guide you through your onward development as an Occupational Therapist. You will receive regular clinical supervision and training opportunities as well as the opportunity for band 5 peer support sessions.

The expectations we have of band 5 Occupational Therapists include:

• To assess and treat patients, providing holistic Occupational Therapy intervention as an autonomous practitioner within Scope of Practice
• Develop Occupational Therapy treatment plans, demonstrating clear clinical reasoning and goal setting.
• To be clinically curious and work within the multidisciplinary environment of the acute hospital to provide excellent intervention for patients
• To support clinical supervision of Therapy Assistants and Students where appropriate
• To be an active member of the wider therapy and AHP team and advocate for their profession where appropriate

About us
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is great healthcare from great people. Everything we do is guided by our values: People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called We care. It is about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We are looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates for a Skilled Worker Visa for roles that are eligible at the time of application.

Details
Date posted: 03 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum, or pro rata where applicable
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 344-3863DBH-A
Job locations: Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, CT1 3NG, United Kingdom

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Essential: BScHons / MSc (Pre-reg) in Occupational Therapy
• Essential: HCPC registration as Occupational Therapist
• Desirable: Member of RCOT

Skills and Experience

• Essential: Evidence of Clinical skills relevant to role
• Essential: Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Essential: Effective and strong team player
• Essential: Evidence of understanding the importance of MDT working
• Essential: Demonstrates an understanding of Evidence based practice
• Essential: Up to date therapeutic moving and handling skills.
• Essential: Basic IT knowledge.
• Essential: Awareness of professional issues and recent developments in the NHS and Primary Care including Clinical Governance, NICE and CQC.
• Essential: Able to support the implementation of local and national agenda for health under the guidance of the team lead / service manager
• Desirable: Broad range of Physical and Mental Health experience during clinical training placements
• Desirable: Supervision of support staff

Personal/professional attributes

• Essential: Ability to motivate and organise others to ensure best practice
• Essential: Creative and innovative in clinical practice
• Essential: Ability to prioritise caseload with secure clinical reasoning
• Essential: Ability to work under pressure
• Essential: Flexible and adaptable.
• Essential: Ability to prioritise caseload in a professional manner, considering Trust policies and procedures. Ability to organise and manage own work.
• Essential: Ability to cope with change and use initiative

Other requirements

• Essential: To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Vision, Mission and Values.
• Desirable: Valid driving licence and access to own transportation

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. 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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. Apply through our website.

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Inpatient Therapy Lead at K&CH, Katy Sampson, katy.sampson@nhs.net, 07825054160

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