Job summary
At King's, we value your career and are committed to supporting your professional development. We pride ourselves on helping our OTs build their skills, broaden their experience and progress through the bands, with opportunities to develop and grow your career within our service.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our well-established Band 6 rotational programme. You will gain broad clinical experience across a range of specialist areas, working in both acute and rehabilitation settings, supporting your development into a confident and skilled clinician. Rotations are typically 7-9 months in length.

We are looking for an occupational therapist who is motivated, and committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. You will work as part of a supportive and experienced multidisciplinary team, contributing to assessment, rehabilitation, and discharge planning for patients with complex needs.

There are opportunities to be involved in quality improvement, teaching, and ongoing service development.

We welcome applications that detail your personal experiences and skills that would make you a good fit for this role.

The post requires a flexible approach to working and requires the post holder to undertake weekend commitments as required.

All staff are required to work across multiple sites as required by the rotation.

Main duties of the job

• Identify, prioritise and manage patients presenting with impairments for Occupational Therapy intervention. Assess and treat patients with complex needs who would benefit from a co-ordinated MDT assessment, rehabilitation and discharge service.
• Competent in the administration of OT assessments of motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and functional areas.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement risk management strategies including the use of Therapeutic Manual Handling techniques and the Lone Working Policy.
• Assess and demonstrate to clients the safe use of equipment and adaptations and recommend provision thereof.
• Write Occupational Therapy reports for referring hospitals, Social Services and other agencies detailing functional status, discharge recommendations, and recommendations regarding ongoing OT intervention.
• Liaise and work with referring hospitals, Social Services and other agencies to ensure continuity of care.
• Assist with planning and prioritisation of patient workload in the event of staff absence to ensure OT service is maintained.
• Ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and Trust standards.
• Communicate complex information to patients and carers with appropriate understanding and reassurance.

About us
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus .

In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care; creating a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

Job responsibilities
Clinical:

• To identify, prioritise and manage patients presenting with neurological impairments, who require occupational therapy input. Including education of the MDT to promote appropriate referrals for both discharge planning and rehabilitation.
• To assess and treat patients with neurological disabilities and complex needs who would benefit from a coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, rehabilitation and discharge services.
• To be competent in the administration of specific neurological occupational therapy assessments of motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual deficits, psychosocial needs and occupational performance.
• To be competent in the development and implementation of remedial, compensatory and preventative treatment programmes addressing motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and occupational areas.
• To provide specialist occupational therapy input to neurological wards, critical care units, acute services, rehabilitation services, outpatients and clinics.
• To support patients and carers in setting their own goals, then implementing this and evaluating appropriately.
• To select evidence based techniques as part of a coordinated treatment program.
• To plan and implement individual and/or group interventions, in collaboration with clients and carers, to achieve therapeutic goals.
• To identify risks, complete risk assessments and implement risk management strategies including the use of Therapeutic Manual Handling techniques and the Lone Working Policy and document this accurately.
• To recognise any change in the condition of the patient and alter treatment accordingly or escalate to medical teams as required.
• To work within local policies and procedures, national standards and guidelines and adhere to the Royal College of Occupational Therapy professional standards and ethics.
• To assess and demonstrate to patients and carers the safe use of equipment and adaptations and recommend provision of equipment to support discharge.
• To liaise with professionals in onward services to ensure continuity of care.
• To respect the individuality, values, culture and religious diversity of patients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs, ensuring equity of service provision.
• To make appropriate clinical observations and keep accurate electronic records and activity data in accordance with professional and trust standards.
• To write occupational therapy functional and discharge reports for social services, onward inpatient services and community services detailing functional status, discharge recommendations and recommendations regarding ongoing occupational therapy interventions. To contribute to multidisciplinary functional and discharge reports detailing occupational therapy interventions and recommendations as required.
• To work as an autonomous practitioner and display appropriate problem solving, analytical and judgement skills.
• To assist with planning and prioritisation of the team and departments workload in the event of staff absence to ensure the occupational therapy priority services are maintained.
• To comply with all relevant trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to equal opportunities, health and safety and confidentiality of information.

Communication:

• To communicate complex information to patients and family/ carers who may have barriers to understanding.
• To actively participate in team meetings within occupational therapy and with the MDT, including weekly MDT meetings, case conferences and best interest meetings and to delegate for specialist or team lead occupational therapist as required.
• To be skilled in communicating reasoning and motivating patients to participate in sessions.
• To communicate professionally in person and by telephone with families/ carers and other professionals.
• To manage differences of opinions and difficult conversations within the team, MDT and with patients, families/ carers.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• To supervise, provide support and complete appraisals with occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and technicians and students.
• To be aware of the importance of staff wellbeing, accessing trust support as required and raising any concerns with supervisors or senior staff.
• To contribute to the hospitals clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.
• To assist in developing services and standards according to the Occupational Therapy objectives.
• To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within the neurological occupational therapy services with a view to measuring efficiency and ensuring high quality standards.
• To be responsible for competent use and maintenance of equipment, raising any concerns and reporting when further resources are needed.
• To carry out administrative duties as required e.g. assisting in ordering, receiving and maintaining stock and managing petty cash.
• To have good IT skills and use a variety of IT systems to input patient and staff data as required.

Education and Training and Research

• To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
• To promote development of occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, technicians and students according to their training and development needs as identified through supervision and appraisal.
• To regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement.
• To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate findings at a local level.
• To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.
• To demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording outcomes in a portfolio.
• To keep in touch with new developments and changing trends in Occupational Therapy and participate in wider issues of providing an Occupational Therapy service i.e. quality assurance, public relations including liaison with the community; planning and policy making.
• To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.
• To participate in and present on the neurology in-service training programmes, multi-disciplinary trainings and external conferences.
• To undertake any other duties commensurate within the grade.

People Management and Performance

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trusts recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Dip RCOT or Degree State Registration
• HPC Registration

Desirable

• Member of professional body (RCOT)/ specialist section

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Minimum of 6 months working in an acute physical setting
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience working with patients, families and carers
• Evidence of taking initiative in own learning and development and review of clinical practice
• Awareness of confidentiality
• Awareness of the Importance of Equality and Inclusion
• Demonstrate an understanding of hospital systems for the management of patient assessment and treatment
• Concise and accurate report writing skills
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the nature of illness and models of treatment and how these impact on the patient

Desirable

• Experience supervising band 5 qualified staff and students
• Experience of presenting to small and large audiences

Skills and Competencies
Essential

• Able to prioritise and manage stress
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Ability to work autonomously, planning and prioritising own workload
• Demonstrate good clinical reasoning skills
• Good time management skills
• Able to undertake manual handling tasks
• Good written and verbal communication skills, adapting to barriers to communication
• Knowledge of relevant current policies and guidelines
• Excellent IT and record keeping skills
• Ability to work flexibly across sites and with weekend working

Desirable

• Ability to develop staff

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.

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).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).