Job summary
An exciting opportunity for a newly qualified or existing Band 5 Occupational Therapist with a genuine interest in working with children. Initially clinic-based, with opportunities to develop a community caseload as competencies grow. The role includes assessing coordination, daily living skills, child development, postural needs, and prescribing specialist equipment. You will support children with physical disabilities, developmental coordination disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and genetic conditions, alongside autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Opportunities for rotational development across local paediatric OT services within the Trust are anticipated.

Main duties of the job

• Provide high-quality paediatric occupational therapy assessment, treatment and intervention for children and young people across a range of settings.
• Manage a caseload independently with clinical supervision, develop and implement care plans, assess and recommend specialist equipment, support functional participation, and work collaboratively with families, schools and multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute to service development, training, EHCP assessments, safeguarding, governance and evidence-based practice while ensuring safe, effective and child-centred care.

About us
Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.

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Job responsibilities

• Assess childrens functional, motor and coordination needs; deliver occupational therapy programmes; prescribe specialist equipment; develop care plans and monitor outcomes.
• Work in clinics, schools, homes and community settings.
• Train and support parents, school staff, therapy assistants and students.
• Complete EHCP reports and statutory documentation, maintain accurate records, communicate with partner agencies, and manage workload effectively.
• Participate in audits, research, service improvement, supervision and professional development.
• Ensure compliance with HCPC standards, safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety, infection control and Trust policies.

Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy (or equivalent)
• Registration with HCPC (or pending)

Desirable

• Experience working with children and young people in educational community, or healthcare settings
• RCOT membership

Experience
Essential

• Experience working in multi-disciplinary or multi agency teams as a registered Occupational Therapist or whilst on a clinical placement
• Knowledge of child development and children's occupational therapy principles
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Strong organisational, time-management skills and caseload management
• Ability to travel independently for clinical visits across Norfolk

Desirable

• Experience of working in the community (registered or undergraduate)
• Experience leading/participating in workshops/lecturing

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
Essential

• Broad range of core clinical experience at undergraduate or post graduate level, with the ability to transfer OT core skills to the OT process with children & young people
• Demonstrates an ability to problem solve in a clinical setting
• Basic ability to integrate theory and practise and demonstrate creative problem-solving
• Basic ability to critically reflect on and use evidence to develop best practice

Communication
Essential

• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with families, other professionals
• Ability to effectively communicate assessment findings and coach others to implement plans

Personal and People Development
Essential

• Accept responsibility and accountability for own work and can define the responsibilities of others
• Recognises the limits of own authority within role
• Seeks and uses professional support appropriately
• Understands the principle of confidentiality
• Demonstrates professional curiosity
• Has a realistic knowledge of personal strengths and areas for development

Personal Attributes / Behaviours
Essential

• Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues
• Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances

Emotional Awareness
Essential

• Aware of the range of emotions in self and others
• Demonstrates empathy for the concerns of others
• Listens to and understands directly and indirectly expressed feelings
• Encourages others to express themselves openly
• Manages strong emotions and responds constructively to the source of problems
• Shows respect for others' feelings, views and circumstances
• In highly stressful situations keeps own feelings in check, takes constructive action and calms others down
• Has a range of mechanisms for dealings with stress, can recognise when to use them and does so
• Listens to personal comments without becoming defensive

Other
Essential

• The post holder will need to be passed fit to perform full duties of the post through occupational health with any reasonable aids and adaptations as necessary as the nature of children's practice will require the post holder to bend, stretch, lifts children's limbs, crawl, kneel, work in confined spaces and at times work from the floor employing light physical effort on day to day basis
• Satisfactory Disclosure of Barring Service
• Must hold full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle with insurance
• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language

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
Employer name: East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust
Address: Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Clinical Lead for Children's Occupational Therapy, Rebecca Chamberlain, Rebecca.Chamberlain6@nhs.net

Date posted: 03 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 839-8268400-JH
Job locations: Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, NR2 3TU, United Kingdom