Livewell Southwest
Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 29 November 2026
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Job summary
37.5 hours per week.
We are excited to be recruiting 2 x fixed term Band 5 Occupational Therapists to join our diverse Community Therapy Teams within the South and East Neighbourhoods at Livewell Southwest.
Community Therapy is an evolving service that supports people to return home from hospital, maximise their independence, and achieve their rehabilitation goals. We also provide ongoing assessment, rehabilitation and management for people living in their own homes and residential care settings.
As an integrated health and social care team, we work alongside a wide range of professionals to support people throughout their adult lives. Our focus is on helping individuals achieve and maintain their optimum level of independence, wellbeing, and participation in the activities that matter most to them.
We are looking for enthusiastic, adaptable and motivated Occupational Therapists who are passionate about person-centred care. You will be a collaborative team player, eager to contribute new ideas and help shape the continued development of our proactive and growing service.
If you're looking to develop your skills, bring fresh ideas, and help shape the future of community therapy, we'd love to hear from you. In return, you'll be part of a multidisciplinary team and have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people's lives every day.

Main duties of the job
To be responsible for the comprehensive assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients, including those with complex presentation, using treatment techniques to promote normal movement, motor relearning, cognitive therapy, compensatory techniques and daily living skills.
To use standardised and non-standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial and social functioning.
To assess for and prescribe adaptive equipment from the core catalogue, complete special orders to increase / enable or compensate for independent function.
To assess for major and minor adaptations, including disabled facilities grant applications.
To carry out assessment and compile supporting evidence to enable change in individuals housing arrangements (e.g. Devon Home Choice).
To assess postural and seating needs.
Complex manual handling risk assessment and provision of equipment for use in the community setting.
To have a working knowledge of legislation including The Care Act, Manual Handling Operations Regulations, Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act, Mental Capacity Act / Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and how these relate to the Occupational Therapy role.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.
All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Details
Date posted: 06 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year, pa, pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: B9832-2026-PTA-1672
Job locations: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom; Plympton Clinic, Station Road, Plympton, PLYMOUTH, PL7 2AU, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility for People Management:

• To provide leadership, supervision, appraisal support, and co-ordinate the day-to-day activities of support and admin staff where applicable.
• To provide cover for staff who are absent.
• To attend student educator training and actively support student placements within the team.
• To participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities, work experience and training staff and students from other units/disciplines/schools/colleges and training schemes as agreed with supervising Therapist and Therapy Team Lead.
• To plan, organise and lead when delegated both formal and informal treatments and health education groups for both service users and formal/informal carers.
• To educate service users and both formal/informal carers regarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits that affect service user safety and independence in the hospital and home, leisure and workplace.
• Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.
• To assess, prescribe and authorise equipment and make recommendations for minor and major adaptations to increase/enable or compensate for independent function, teaching compensatory techniques as required.
• To assess seating and positioning needs and treat as appropriate including assessment for and prescription of standard wheelchairs and accessories when accredited, referring on to AJM Wheelchair Service as required for assessment of complex and specialist mobility and seating needs.
• To identify the need for splinting and positioning to prevent and manage deformity and improve function for the upper limb, and subsequently referring to specialist services or colleagues to meet this need.
• To utilise Livewell SW resources responsibly, following policy and guidance around the security, useability, decontamination, and maintenance of assessment equipment utilised in the clinical setting.
• To ensure new and replacement equipment is not used by self or staff until it has been commissioned in accordance with Livewell SW policy. Defective equipment is reported and made safe without delay in accordance with Livewell SW procedures.
• On the rare occasion you may handle service user valuables as part of a home visit or community assessment, that you follow Livewell SWs policy Cash & Cheque Handling Procedures, section 6 Patient Money, section 7 Patient Travel.

Responsibility for administrative functions:

• To maintain high professional standards at all times, complying with standards of practice stipulated in the Royal College of Occupational Therapy Professional Standards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics and all of HCPCs standards and regulations.
• To follow Livewell uniform policy at all times, and to present in a professional manner.
• To actively engage in caseload supervision with line manager, taking responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development and statutory training demonstrating the ability to apply skills / knowledge as defined by identified competencies.
• To work as an autonomous practitioner, seeking guidance where necessary.
• To prioritise and to be responsible for the day-to-day management of own caseload and service users in your care, delegating activities as appropriate.
• To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance.
• To ensure all leave is requested in line with Livewell SW policy.
• To comply with the Lone Working Policy and procedures, utilising safety devices and/or apps, and always informing the department of your whereabouts during work hours.
• To develop skills and knowledge through participation in the Preceptorship programme and to go on to support future preceptees, in the capacity as a Preceptor.
• To take responsibility for ensuring own personal and professional development and statutory training demonstrating the ability to apply acquired skills/knowledge and maintaining fitness to practice.
• To ensure use of risk assessment in all areas of your work are undertaken and comply with Livewell SW Health and Safety policies and Lone Working Policy.
• To maintain up to date, accurate and complete records of all activity and clinical input (all formats of service user contacts, MDT care plans, assessments, reports), ensuring confidentiality at all times, complying with Livewell SW Health & Corporate Records policy and HCPC requirements for thorough and sufficient records.
• To provide written communication with outside agencies and charitable bodies to support the need for services and equipment on discharge or when transferred.
• To report accidents, incidents, complaints, or faulty equipment in line with Livewell SW policy and procedures.

Responsibility for people who use our services:

• To ensure the service user is aware of the role and philosophy of Occupational Therapy and components of the OT process, utilising all means necessary to enable individuals to understand the nature and purpose of proposed actions or intervention, including explaining any possible risks involved.
• To respect the individuals values, cultural and religious diversity of service users and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs.
• To provide education and advice to service users, carers and/or family members regarding the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and physical deficits on service user safety and independence in the home, leisure, and workplace. This can include imparting sensitive information and advice to service users and carers which could have life changing consequences.
• To provide an opportunity for people and carers to express their feelings whilst encouraging acceptance and adjustment to their new circumstances.
• To understand and comply with the safeguarding process and understand how and when alerts are required. To contribute to safeguarding investigations with support of other colleagues.
• To demonstrate a high level of understanding of conditions relevant to the diagnostic area and those service users presenting with multi pathology, using a selection of both standardised and non-standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical, psychosocial, and social functioning.
• To carry out baseline medical investigations e.g. temperature, respirations and blood pressure checks to assist with medical diagnoses and identification of most appropriate treatment pathway.
• To carry out environmental home assessments, pre discharge home assessments discharge home visits and follow up as required. The assessment involves reviewing ergonomic layout of the property to maximise functional ability within the home, assessment of disabled access, equipment needs recommendation for minor and major house adaptations, risk and safety review and referring to other agencies and Social Services as necessary.
• To carry out assessment and compile supporting evidence to enable change in individuals housing arrangements (e.g. Devon Home Choice).
• To be competent to identify the need for an enabling package of support and set goals to promote independence.
• To record and report regularly on service users progress and treatment to the multidisciplinary team or supervising OT in individual clinical areas.
• To be responsible for goal planning, reviewing treatment programmes and applying outcome measures used in the clinical area. To share in close liaison with all members of the multi-disciplinary team, carers and family in accordance with consent given.
• To be responsible for the timely discharge of people from your caseload.
• To ensure continuation of care in the community, or transfer of service users to other hospital settings, by establishing a comprehensive discharge plan and completing onward referrals, with good communication to statutory and voluntary services.
• To refer to follow up services to ensure treatment programmes are in place to progress functional independence based on identified needs at discharge. Demonstrating to and informing community staff re ongoing service user needs in the community i.e., home carers and reablement assistance.
• To maintain competence in the use of complex manual handling techniques and equipment including the prescriptions of manual handling equipment for use in the home, demonstrating the use to formal and/or informal carers.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments:

• To demonstrate leadership skills through the management of designated projects.
• To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within your area.
• To take an active role in audit, research and interdisciplinary development within the service as required.
• To be responsible for collecting and reporting statistical data in line with the Livewell policies and procedures.
• To actively contribute to service development and contribute to Livewell SWs clinical governance arrangements and quality agenda.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Diploma / degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Current HCPC Registration.

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification in OT Professional Practice.

Experience
Essential

• Team working.
• Use of functional assessment and activity analysis.
• Ability to work autonomously with individuals.
• Group work skills.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literacy.
• Good personal organisation skills.
• Ability to manage own workload and prioritisation of tasks.

Desirable

• Working as member of MDT with the ability to work flexibly.
• Rehabilitation treatment planning.
• Multi-pathology assessment.
• Environmental assessment and discharge planning.
• Multi-disciplinary documentation.
• Experience of risk assessing patients in an in-patient rehabilitation setting.
• Assessing for postural management, seating, and pressure care.
• Orthotics/splinting.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Supervisory and delegation skills.
• Documented evidence of CPD.

Additional Requirements
Essential

• A commitment to client centred, non-discriminatory practice.
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.

Desirable

• Membership of Professional body.
• Membership of specialist interest groups.

Knowledge
Essential

• Application of OT process.
• Knowledge of current best practice in OT.
• Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice.
• Basic knowledge of national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care and their impact on service provision.
• Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Health, safety and risk awareness.

Desirable

• Experience of planning, coordination and evaluating intervention plans.
• Application of health, safety and risk management policies.
• Knowledge of clinical conditions relevant to area of practice.
• Knowledge of a range of standardised/non standardised assessments.
• Knowledge of outcome measures.
• Knowledge of wheelchair provision.

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: Livewell Southwest
Address: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: South Community Therapy Team Lead, Natasha Kelly, n.kelly1@nhs.net, 01752434171

Supporting documents
Supporting links: Rewards and Benefits, Livewell Triangle, Careers Page
Privacy notice: Livewell Southwest's privacy notice