Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 17 August 2026

Details
Date posted: 03 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £41,959 to £50,117 a year
PER ANNUM RECRUITMENT & RETENTION INCENTIVE INCLUDED
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 277-8202226-SWALE
Job locations: HMP Swaleside, Brabazon Road, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, ME12 4AX, United Kingdom

Job summary
HMP Swaleside is a Category B men's prison located in Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

The post holder will be based at HMP Swaleside however occasional cover on a case by case basis may also be required at the neighbouring prison HMP Elmley which is a Category B Men's remand prison.

The post holder will work closely other multi-disciplinary professionals to develop and revise the therapeutic programme and activity plans as necessary to meet the needs of different offender groups.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post

Main duties of the job
Key Task and Responsibilities

• To manage a clinical caseload
• To work as a member of the MDT
• To support the development of evidence-based OT practice
• To provide OT specific assessment & interventions via groups & individual work related to self-care, leisure, and work.
• To contribute to service development
• To participate in research/audit activities
• To supervise the work of Support Workers and OT students on fieldwork placement
• Contribute to and carry out risk assessment & risk management plans.
• To provide specialist OT advice to the MDT
• To work independently without direct supervision
• To follow an agreed job plan

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes. We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Job description
Job responsibilities
Management responsibilities
To manage a caseload of patients with complex mental health needs, taking on the role of Care Co-ordinator To work with patients to identify OT goals as part of the multi-disciplinary care plan, using specialist mental health & OT assessment tools & treatment techniques. To work provide the most effective assessment & interventions. To plan & implement patient led individual and/or group interventions, using activity to achieve therapeutic goals. To ensure patients health, social, cultural, and spiritual needs are always considered. To assess for and provide equipment to enhance independence in daily living skills for patients with a physical disability in addition to their mental health needs. To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment to measure progress and identify outcomes. To plan and deliver services within the Care Programme Approach framework. To apply a high level of understanding of the effect of disability and provide training and advice on life skills to maximise functional ability. To assess the occupational needs of patients and establish and evaluate appropriate treatment interventions. To identify appropriate & inappropriate referrals and prioritise workload. To manage effective discharge ensuring patient and all relevant agencies are given relevant information. To contribute to and carry out risk assessment & risk management plans. To work as part of the MDT and attend all relevant clinical meetings. To apply increasingly complex skills and knowledge to establish professional competence and fitness to practice as a Band 6 OT To attend all relevant mandatory training as directed by the Trust. To contribute to CPD through participation in internal and external training and other development opportunities To maintain and update a CPD portfolio. To contribute to the teams clinical governance and quality agenda To ensure practice is evidence based. To demonstrate understanding and application of national guidelines and legislation relating to mental health & social care provision Observe and apply Health and Safety regulations. To always apply risk management procedures To promote and facilitate patient involvement in own clinical area.

Leadership
To undertake effective support, guidance, supervision, and appraisal of junior staff To ensure relevant national and local polices are implemented. To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and annual appraisal. To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, and consistent reliable attendance To contribute to the induction, training, and education of students [both OT & other professions] and other staff in clinical area To actively contribute to service & policy review and implementation To participate in the operational planning, implementation, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical care pathways and protocols within own clinical area To raise awareness of the OT service within own clinical area To participate in the development of the OT service within own clinical area To be responsible for maintaining stock & advising on resources required to carry out the role.

Research
To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research and apply them to practice. To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects

Communication
To communicate appropriately with patients and carers, team members, OT colleagues and other agencies To demonstrate effective communication skills with those who have difficulty with communication for any reason. To communicate effectively as required within job role using appropriate methods of communication. To promote an awareness of the OT role within the team, negotiating priorities where appropriate To ensure that up to date electronic and written records are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards. To comply with Trust reporting procedures for incidents and complaints.

On Call/Unsocial Hours
This post does not require on call or unsocial hours working.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

You will need to provide:

• Proof of right to work documentation
• Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID
• Proof of address documentation
• Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.

Address History:
5 years address history will be needed.

Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.

Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.

In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential

• Diploma/degree in OT
• UK HCPC Registration
• CPD portfolio containing evidence of active involvement of CPD activities.
• Interest in undertaking further relevant studies/training courses.

Experience
Essential

• Sufficient post registration experience as an OT including a minimum of 2 years mental health experience
• Demonstrate understanding of assessing and delivery of OT provision.
• Applying and interpreting standardised OT assessments
• Vocational interventions
• Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work reflecting OT and social inclusion.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential

• Ability to work autonomously, set own priorities and manage time effectively.
• Risk assessment and management skills
• Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions relevant to clinical area
• Detailed knowledge of mental health legislation, policy, and current practice

Effort and Environment
Essential

• Ability to engage in physical activity groups.
• Ability to meet the demands of a client group with complex needs which requires a high level of concentration and an ability to adapt quickly to a variety of emotional situations.

Additional information
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: Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address: HMP Swaleside, Brabazon Road, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, ME12 4AX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: http://oxleas.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Recruitment & Retention Resourcing Officer, Clare Denny
Email: claredenny@nhs.net
Telephone: 07504877653