Job Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled, motivated and experienced Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join the Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team at Aintree University Hospital, part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group. This post is a key Band 7 Occupational Therapy Team Lead role within the Trauma and Orthopaedic service, supporting three inpatient orthopaedic wards and providing senior OT leadership across a complex, fast-paced acute pathway. The role is central to maintaining a specialist occupational therapy service within orthopaedics, ensuring patients receive high-quality assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning from a profession-specific senior clinician. The successful candidate will provide senior clinical expertise in the management of patients with complex trauma and orthopaedic presentations, including cognitive assessment, equipment provision, seating and wheelchair prescription, upper limb rehabilitation, specialist splinting, mental capacity assessment, discharge risk management and multi-agency coordination. The post holder will work closely with physiotherapy colleagues, nursing teams, orthopaedic and orthogeriatric medical staff, discharge teams, social care and community services to support timely, safe and effective patient flow. The post holder will provide clinical oversight, professional supervision, governance support, workforce development and day-to-day operational leadership for the occupational therapy team within Trauma and Orthopaedics. They will be expected to demonstrate strong clinical reasoning, excellent communication skills, effective caseload prioritisation and the ability to support staff working with complex discharge, rehabilitation and risk decisions. Occupational Therapy is a core component of the orthopaedic pathway and contributes to the delivery of key standards, including timely assessment, rehabilitation, cognitive screening and 4AT delirium assessment as part of the Orthopaedic Best Practice Tariff requirements. The Band 7 Occupational Therapist will provide the leadership and assurance needed to support consistent delivery of these standards and maintain an appropriate multidisciplinary skill mix across the service. You must have a strong acute clinical background and demonstrable post-registration experience relevant to trauma, orthopaedics, complex discharge planning, cognitive assessment, rehabilitation and occupational therapy leadership. Experience of supervising staff, supporting students, contributing to service development and working collaboratively across multidisciplinary and multi-agency pathways is essential.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will provide senior occupational therapy assessment, intervention and clinical reasoning for patients with complex trauma and orthopaedic needs, supporting recovery, functional independence, safe discharge and reduced length of stay.
• Lead the Occupational Therapy provision across three inpatient orthopaedic wards, ensuring effective prioritisation, caseload management and safe service delivery.
• Provide specialist OT input for complex discharge planning, cognitive assessment, equipment provision, seating and wheelchair prescription, upper limb rehabilitation and splinting.
• Undertake and support mental capacity assessments, best interest decision-making and risk management in relation to discharge and rehabilitation planning.
• Support achievement of relevant orthopaedic standards, including timely therapy assessment, rehabilitation, cognitive screening and 4AT delirium assessment.
• Work closely with Band 7 Physiotherapy colleagues and the wider MDT to provide coordinated therapy leadership across the orthopaedic pathway.
• Provide supervision, appraisal, training and professional support to Band 6 and Band 5 Occupational Therapists, therapy assistants, students, work experience students and healthcare cadets.
• Contribute to governance, audit, service development, incident learning, quality improvement and workforce development within the Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team.
• Represent Occupational Therapy within board rounds, MDT meetings, discharge planning discussions, service improvement workstreams and relevant governance forums.
• Work flexibly as part of an extended working day and 7-day service model, supporting safe and responsive therapy provision across the orthopaedic wards.

About us
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital. We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients. UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond. For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West. Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women's Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services. For roles at Liverpool Women's, visit their careers page.

Work Arrangements
Note: Staff are required to work flexibly across an extended working day and as part of a 7-day service, including allocated weekends and bank holidays where required. Flexible working patterns may be considered in line with service needs.
This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applicants must hold current UK professional registration with the HCPC.

Person Specification
Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Good time management
• Ability to implement change
• Able to demonstrate leadership skills

Desirable

• Leadership course attendance e.g. LEO

Experience
Essential

• Demonstrable postgraduate clinical experience
• Active experience in audit
• Supervision of staff and students
• Teaching of junior staff
• Experience of working with other agencies

Qualifications
Essential

• BSc or Diploma in OT
• HCPC Registration
• Specialist post-registration qualification
• Evidence of CPD

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 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.