North London NHS Foundation Trust
Specialist Occupational Therapist - Rehab
The closing date is 22 November 2026
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Older Adults, Rehabilitation and Learning Disabilities Care Group of The North London Foundation Trust.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate, proactive and dynamic Occupational Therapist to work in the Rehabilitation Pathway across Enfield and Barnet. The post holder's base will be on Somerset Villa at Chase Farm Hospital with the expectation of linking in with the Community Rehab Teams and supporting timely discharges.

Somerset Villa is a 13 bedded unit offering rehabilitation assessment and treatment to those with a range of continuing mental health problems. Many service users require treatment under the MHA 1983. The service operates a multi-disciplinary approach to care that includes nurses, doctors, occupational therapists and psychologists who work together in devising individualised care packages to minimize the effect of on-going psychological symptoms, promote mental health and facilitate the development of sufficient coping skills, knowledge, confidence and motivation.

This post will be under the guidance and support of the Occupational Therapy Older Adult inpatient Lead and Head of Allied Health Professions for the Care Group. The successful applicant will manage a caseload and will be expected to supervision responsibility for junior staff members.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will manage a defined caseload of clients with varied mental and physical health needs, using evidence-based, client-centred approaches to assess, plan, deliver and evaluate Occupational Therapy interventions. They will contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of Occupational Therapy provision at Somerset Villa and across the Enfield and Barnet Community Rehabilitation Teams.

Working as a Senior Occupational Therapist on the ward, the postholder will deliver individual and group interventions that support patients' goals, interests, independence and engagement in meaningful daily activities. They will undertake functional assessments, gather relevant information and complete activities of daily living (ADL) reports to support treatment planning and timely discharge.

The postholder will contribute to the development of the ward's therapeutic programme and work collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team to support patients' physical, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing.

They will provide leadership, supervision and support to junior staff, Occupational Therapy colleagues and other disciplines as appropriate. Working closely with the inpatient rehabilitation therapy lead and community rehabilitation Occupational Therapists, they will support effective, coordinated Occupational Therapy provision across the rehabilitation pathway.
About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.
Our Five-Year Strategy:

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
• We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

The post holder will be aligned with our values:

• We Are Kind
• We Are Respectful
• We Work Together
• We Keep Things Simple
• We Empower
• We Are Proudly Diverse

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.
Details
Date posted: 06 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £45,953 to £54,254 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 455-NLFT-8391408
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The postholder will work as a Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist within the Mental Health Rehabilitation Pathway, primarily based at Somerset Villa, Chase Farm Hospital, while working collaboratively with the Enfield and Barnet Community Rehabilitation Teams. The role will support recovery, independence, meaningful occupational participation and timely discharge across the inpatient and community rehabilitation pathway.
The postholder will:

• Manage a defined caseload of service users with complex mental and physical health needs, taking responsibility for Occupational Therapy assessment, intervention, evaluation and discharge planning.
• Undertake specialist functional and occupational assessments using appropriate standardised and non-standardised tools, activity analysis and clinical reasoning.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate evidence-based, recovery-focused and client-centred individual and group interventions that promote independence, wellbeing and engagement in meaningful occupations.
• Lead and co-facilitate therapeutic groups and provide individual interventions that support daily living skills, social participation, vocational goals and community integration.
• Complete functional and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessments, home visits and relevant Occupational Therapy reports to support rehabilitation and timely discharge.
• Work collaboratively with service users to identify goals, co-produce care plans and develop coping strategies, self-management skills and recovery plans.
• Support discharge planning by identifying occupational and environmental needs and developing links with community services, accommodation, education, employment and other meaningful activities.
• Work closely with carers, families, community services, voluntary organisations and other agencies to support recovery and successful transition into the community.
• Work as an active member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing an Occupational Therapy perspective to assessment, treatment planning, risk management, rehabilitation and discharge.
• Maintain effective communication and collaborative working with Occupational Therapy colleagues and the wider clinical team across inpatient and community rehabilitation services.
• Provide supervision, mentoring and professional support to junior staff, support Occupational Therapy students and contribute to staff induction, teaching and practice development.
• Contribute to the organisation and delivery of the Occupational Therapy programme, including the development and maintenance of an appropriate therapeutic timetable.
• Respond flexibly to changing clinical and operational priorities, contributing to service continuity and escalating safeguarding concerns, staffing pressures, risks and barriers to discharge appropriately.
• Contribute to service development, clinical governance, audit, quality improvement and service evaluation, using outcome measures, activity information and service-user feedback to support improvements in care.
• Maintain accurate, timely clinical records and specialist Occupational Therapy reports in accordance with professional and Trust standards, including appropriate recording on RiO.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, professional standards, evidence-based practice and Trust policies relating to mental health rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy.
• Maintain HCPC registration and take responsibility for continuing professional development, supervision, reflective practice and maintaining professional competence.
• Work in accordance with Trust requirements relating to safeguarding, risk management, confidentiality, information governance, equality, health and safety and infection prevention and control.

The postholder must be an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with a recognised Occupational Therapy qualification and relevant experience within inpatient and/or community mental health services. They will require experience of Occupational Therapy assessment, therapeutic group work, multidisciplinary working and supervising junior staff and/or students.
The role requires effective communication, clinical reasoning, organisation, prioritisation and caseload-management skills, alongside the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. The postholder should demonstrate a flexible, proactive and professional approach and a commitment to recovery-focused, client-centred and non-discriminatory practice.
Overall, the Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapist will provide specialist Occupational Therapy across the rehabilitation pathway, combining direct clinical practice, recovery-focused intervention, discharge planning, multidisciplinary working, leadership and service development to promote independence, meaningful occupation and successful transition into the community.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist

Desirable

• Evidence of other relevant Postgraduate
• Membership of RCOT
• Practice Educator Trained

Skills
Essential

• Ability to work with individuals and groups and an understanding of team dynamics
• Experience in Group Work

Desirable

• Evidence of creativity with intervention & intervention planning
• Example of building community links

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in inpatient or community mental health settings
• Experience of use of standardised and non standardised assessments
• Experience of supervision

Desirable

• ability to assess and prescribe small OT Equipment and aids
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Flexibility in way of working
• Ability to work as part of a team

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: North London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Chase Farm Hospital, 127 The Ridgeway, Enfield, EN2 8JL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of AHP, Older Adults, Rehab & LD, Kwaku Agyemang, kwaku.agyemang@nhs.net, 07909449402
Supporting documents
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