Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Occupational Therapist - Discharge Support Team
The closing date is 25 November 2026

Job summary
We are looking for an Occupational Therapist to manage and lead the day-to-day organisation of the Discharge Support Team bands 4/5 in conjunction with Band 6 Nurses within the team. You will manage and be responsible for an assigned clinical caseload using an interdisciplinary, patient focused, rehabilitative approach for a broad range of conditions within Acute Occupational Therapy.

Main duties of the job

• To foster good communication and develop strong networks with other members of the interdisciplinary Team, multi-disciplinary team members, carers and external agencies concerned with the management of the patient.
• To be an Occupational Therapy lead within the interdisciplinary discharge team providing specialist advice within Intermediate Care, Social Services, independent and voluntary agencies.
• To provide clinical leadership and specialist advice, through the supervision, coaching and education, for students, band 5/4 discharge support staff and other members of the interdisciplinary Team.

About us
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

Details
Date posted: 12 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 249-8405280
Job locations: Great Western Hospital, Swindon, SN3 6BB, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• To identify service development needs, contribute to the planning, development and evaluation of the service, and hold responsibility for defined projects.
• To contribute to the recruitment of staff and development of recruitment resources, working alongside the Discharge Support Senior leadership team.
• To be aware of own limitations in clinical experience and utilise the expertise of other senior staff and agencies involved in patient care.
• To manage clinical and personal risk within own caseload and others within the service area e.g. working at times as a lone practitioner, dealing with exposure to bodily fluids, inclement weather, environmental hazards, unpredictable environments / people (fleas, excrement, animals or aggression)

Please see the attached job description for full information.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Diploma/degree Occupational Therapy
• Registered field work educator
• Evidence of postgraduate learning relevant to clinical area
• Evidence of continuing Professional Development
• Registered with Health Professions Council

Desirable

• Computer skills qualification
• NVQ Assessor
• Basic management training

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working within the specific clinical area.
• Broad clinical experience e.g. surgical, ED, neurology, medical, orthopaedic, hand injuries, rehabilitation
• Experience of providing a broad range of interventions for a complex caseload
• Application of the Occupational Therapy process and models of practice.

Desirable

• Experience of providing a broad range of interventions for a highly complex caseload.
• Experience of working with children and/ or adults in acute hospital services.
• Experience of using a wide range of standardised and non-standardised assessments

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: Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Great Western Hospital, Swindon, SN3 6BB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply via the company portal

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Patient Flow & Clinical Operations, Jill Kick/ Rachel Palfreeman, jill.kick@nhs.net, 07889398828

Supporting documents
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