Job summary
Are you an enthusiastic and skilled Band 6 Children's Occupational Therapist with experience working with children in clinic, community and/or school-based settings?

Join our friendly, ambitious and innovative SWFT Children's OT Team and be part of an exciting new partnership with Warwickshire ICB and Warwickshire County Council.

Through the Expert at Hand initiative, you'll help bring specialist OT expertise directly into mainstream education, empowering staff and supporting children through earlier universal advice and targeted intervention.

You'll manage a varied caseload using established, evidence-based clinical pathways, alongside helping develop and deliver this exciting new offer.

Based in Nuneaton, Rugby or Warwick, we offer flexible working, regular clinical supervision, PDRs and excellent CPD opportunities.

If you're collaborative, adaptable and passionate about improving outcomes for children and families, we'd love to hear from you!

Please note that these roles are community based, a valid UK driving licence and independent mean of transport is essential.

We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for these positions. Applicants must have the appropriate right to work in the UK for the duration of their employment.

Main duties of the job
To provide effective Occupational Therapy service to children and young people across Warwickshire within a variety of community based settings.

Following the principles of Governance, to develop and maintain a high quality service, through recognised professional standards, evidence based practice, and effective clinical audit programme.

To use a client centred approach within the multi-disciplinary team, and to work as an autonomous practitioner to enable each client to achieve their potential in areas of self-care, productivity and leisure, and to promote independence and participation in life roles in the home and community.

To manage a caseload of clients with complex conditions.

To deputise for the Senior Therapy Staff as required.

About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below: https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2 We appreciate you completing the survey.

Job responsibilities

• To be professionally and legally accountable for caseload of clients with complex needs with supervision.
• To manage the risk and clinical responsibility for junior staff and own caseload, and for the supervision of the caseload of both junior Therapy staff and support staff with supervision.
• To have a working knowledge of social care, education, health, housing and voluntary organisations eligibility criteria and relevant policies and procedures, to be able to effectively refer the client to these services.
• To have a sound range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills to engage effectively with clients and their carers to gain consent and active participation in treatment by developing a therapeutic relationship based on trust and negotiation within the legal framework with those clients who lack capacity to consent.
• To select and apply to standardised and non-standardised Paediatric Therapy and professional assessments tools using highly specialised co-ordination, dexterity, observation and communication skills with supervision.
• To plan, implement and review client centred individual and/or group interventions, using meaningful graded activity based on sound knowledge of evidence based practice, clinical reasoning and Therapy models of practice and specialised co-ordination, dexterity, observation and communication skills.
• To use highly specialist skills to interpret and analyse complex clinical, social and environmental factors to contribute to accurate diagnosis and prognosis of a wide range of complex health conditions and recommend the best course of intervention, and the development/review of treatment and discharge plans.
• To negotiate with client/carer to identify and formulate client centred, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART) goals using the specialist assessment information and to complete the designated outcome measures with supervision.
• To ensure junior staff and own and verbal and non-verbal, written and electronic client records, reports and activity data are maintained and kept up to date in accordance with professional and Trust record keeping standards.
• To provide verbal or written reports / letters. To represent the Therapy Service and / or clients at multi-disciplinary / multi-agency meetings and contribute to statutory assessments and multidisciplinary decision making with supervision.
• To provide Therapy expertise at appropriate local and regional working parties or meetings to develop, implement and redesign service delivery.
• To have a sound knowledge of specialist disability equipment for children and be responsible for the safe and competent use of all therapy equipment and to ensure junior staff and clients / carers attain competency prior to use.
• To have a working knowledge of appropriate legislation and comply with the Professional Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and Professional standards for Therapists and ensure that junior staff are aware of these.
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients, and be responsible for the provision of a service which is sensitive to these needs.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Diploma / Degree in Occupational Therapy
• State Registration with Health Professions Council

Desirable

• Evidence of Post graduate Continuous Professional Development
• Accredited Fieldwork Educator within 12 months of appointment
• Member of Specialist Interest Group - RCOT

Experience
Essential

• Post registration experience in physical disability / paediatrics
• Evidence of Post graduate training
• Experience of working in a range of Health/Social Care Community settings
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team

Desirable

• Experience of supervising OT support staff
• Experience of supervising students on placement

Skills
Essential

• Ability to demonstrate a sound knowledge of core skills of an Occupational Therapist and its application in a paediatric setting
• Ability to identify the principals of assessment and treatment planning in Paediatric Occupational Therapy
• Can demonstrate an understanding of the recommendation and provision of equipment and adaptations
• Demonstrate effective clinical reasoning
• Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritise own workload and demonstrate effective time management
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and national priorities
• Knowledge of clinical governance and its application
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Computer literacy

Desirable

• Clinical experience and knowledge of OT models of practice and outcome measures for physical disability / paediatrics

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Ability to build effective working relationships within multi-disciplinary team and with other professionals.
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet service needs
• Willingness to assist in change

Other job requirements
Essential

• Car Driver

Desirable

• Commitment to lifelong learning
• Presentation and training skills

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: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Children's Occupational Therapy, Saltisford Office Park, Warwick, CV34 4UL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.swft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Occupational Therapy Service Lead, EYMS Lead South, Joanne Mason, Joanne.Mason@SWFT.nhs.uk, 01926567122

Details
Date posted: 16 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Annualised hours
Reference number: 203-FH1258
Job locations: Children's Occupational Therapy, Saltisford Office Park, Warwick, CV34 4UL, United Kingdom

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check.