Job summary
Are you a compassionate, dedicated and motivated Occupational Therapist who holds a current professional registration and always puts people at the heart of everything you do?

EIP Suffolk is currently able to offer an exciting opportunity to join our highly skilled and experienced team delivering bespoke and timely interventions to our service users, aged 14 - 65 years, and their families in line with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence Quality Standards for Early Intervention Services.

We are currently looking to recruit a full time Band 6 AfC Senior Occupational Therapist to our East Suffolk base in Ribbans Park, Ipswich. Previous experience of working with Psychosis within a community setting would be advantageous but not essential.

EIP Suffolk recognise the essential role Occupational Therapy plays within our multidisciplinary team and ensures a truly holistic treatment and support approach for our service users and / their families. Application as maybe submitted by Band 5 AfC OT with mental health experience would be considered.

Main duties of the job
EIP Suffolk use the Model of Human Occupation and associated assessments, this is a widely adopted model across the trust and will assist with informing your interventions for both your own assigned caseload and across the base MDT. The successful applicant will be expected to be familiar with this model and work towards a level of confidence enabling them to support new Band 5s or OT students on placement creating a supportive environment to encourage learning and progression.

You will be able to demonstrate a warm, compassionate and needs-led approach to working . The role includes multi-agency working alongside the family, local acute care services, primary care sector, social care, education, employment and voluntary services to ensure the service users needs are best met.

Responsibilities include undertaking assessments of individuals who are experiencing a First Episode of Psychosis, working collaboratively with their families and other supporting agencies to effectively address needs utilising the Mental Health Framework to manage a community caseload. Your role would hold protected time to offer Occupational Therapy assessment and care planning across the East clinical caseload in addition to case management of your own small caseload.

Working alongside our Senior Occupational Therapist based in West Suffolk, your role would hold a joint lead responsibility for our Social Recovery focused groupwork programme and continue to develop our service OT model countywide.

About us
EIP Suffolk offers regular clinical and management supervision with an emphasis on reflective practice both as 1:1 and group sessions. We hold a strong belief in team and individual development. We will offer you a full EIP induction program and have extensive training and career development that can be accessed across our Trust.

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce, including those from the global majority. We recognise that not everyone has equal access to opportunities and are working to address this.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and ensuring all candidates receive a positive and equitable experience.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Details
Date posted: 08 September 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: 246-WSU8223591
Job locations: EIP Suffolk (East), 23 Ribbans Park, Ipswich, IP3 8XL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
This essential work will be supported by our AHP Lead and will offer opportunity to engage with other OTs in our Locality and across the Trust with a specific focus on psychosis. The post holder will undertake the planning/delivery of direct patient care with minimal supervision, ensuring continuity of practice and working within a MDT/multi-agency environment.

• Managing a caseload of individuals experiencing their First Episode of Psychosis and the provision of mental health care services in line with NICE guidelines / quality standards for EIS.
• Provide planned care/risk assessment / screening for patients within their care plan and ongoing evaluation of patients needs via caseload management/supervision.
• Initiate and attend patient centred reviews, case conferences and other meetings as required.
• To advise the Responsible Medical Officer(s) and/or health and social care professional of any change in the patients conditions and / or circumstances.
• To work within the MDT offering specialist OT advise, screening and / assessment and to form working partnerships with other care providers.
• To ensure service users/carer(s) are enabled and empowered to make informed decisions about their care and delivery of that care, working with agencies from within and outside the MDT.
• To provide caseload management supervision to junior staff under direction and supervision of the Clinical Team Leader.
• Assist with the supervision of peers if requested.
• To enable service users to gain and maintain independence, always promoting hope and reducing potential stigma.
• To lead on Social Recovery groupwork programme.
• Identifying personal learning and training needs through KSF, appraisal and personal development plans on an annual basis.
• Undertake the supervision of students that will be undertaking placements within the Team.

We are confident that being part of EIP Suffolk would enable you to be the practitioner you trained, and would like, to be. This role will offer you the time and facilities to make a difference, whilst having the much wider Trust network across Suffolk.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• BSc/MSc or Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• Registered with the HCPC

Experience
Essential

• Post registration experience in mental health.

Desirable

• Experience working in a range of mental health settings.
• Supervising students/staff.

Skills
Essential

• Ability to deliver OT assessment and treatment with designated client group
• Ability to work under pressure managing own caseload and effective prioritisation

Desirable

• Experience of assessing and prescribing equipment.

Knowledge
Essential

• Working knowledge of Mental Health Act 1983 and any updates
• Specialist knowledge and application of Occupational Therapy Assessments and interventions relevant to this client group
• Understanding of the principles and application of the recovery model and social inclusion

Desirable

• Up to date with latest evidence-based research for specialist area.
• Knowledge of principles and application of Clinical Governance.

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 (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).

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

Employer details
Employer name: Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust
Address: EIP Suffolk (East), 23 Ribbans Park, Ipswich, IP3 8XL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: EIP Suffolk Service Lead / Matron Kate Parkes kate.parkes@nsft.nhs.uk 07769162500

Details
Date posted: 08 September 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: 246-WSU8223591
Job locations: EIP Suffolk (East), 23 Ribbans Park, Ipswich, IP3 8XL, United Kingdom

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).