Job summary
INTERNAL VACANCY

We are looking to recruit a number of Band 4 Associate Practitioners in Occupational Therapy to join our established and supportive Wakefield Community Rehabilitation Team. Our team prides itself on providing a recovery focused, client centred service of functional rehabilitation. The team provides assessment, goal setting, intervention, review and evaluation to a high standard and works in collaboration with service users to develop holistic plans of care. We work in the community, within peoples homes and across community mental health bases and acute hospital. We work in a safe and supportive way for both staff and service users.

We actively welcome any prospective applicants to make contact to discuss the role further.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

At the time of advertising, this role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. For this reason, we are unable to sponsor anyone for a skilled worker visa for this role.

We are happy to accept applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. Such applications will be considered alongside all other applications.

Main duties of the job
The Community Rehabilitation Team consists of Band 6 Specialist Occupational Therapists and Band 4 Associate Practitioners. It is a 7 day service and your role will involve weekend shift work. We work across the entire Wakefield and the 5 Towns locality. As such, you will need your own vehicle for this role and be comfortable with autonomous, lone working and regular travel across a large geographical area.

The role of the Associate Practitioner within the team is to deliver intervention which has been care planned by the Occupational Therapists and agreed with service users. Due to the nature of the work, there will be times where you will have to adapt plans based on presenting circumstances, manage risk and be assertive in engaging individuals in behavioural change. Associate Practitioners are required to be involved in service planning, to input into Occupational therapy reviews and be actively involved in team meetings.

We work closely with the Enhanced, Core and Insight community mental health teams. We provide evidence based interventions informed by the Recovery model. You will gain experience of working with a wide range of conditions and complexities, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, personality disorder and OCD. You will have the opportunity to work with other professionals and care providers to meet the needs of our service users. Service networking is actively encouraged, and we have well established links with our local partners.

About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we are run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Date posted: 04 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9378-W1570

Job responsibilities

• Undertake delegated duties under the supervision of registered health care professionals. Consulting as necessary and working collaboratively within the health care team to deliver therapeutic interventions, psychological and physical care to a defined group of service users.
• Deliver evidence based planned care, which is safe and effective, in a manner which is caring, compassionate and enables service users to reach an optimum level of functioning, independence, rehabilitation and recovery.
• Provide care within well established policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, and established clinical care plans, whilst acting within the required sphere of clinical competences for the role at all times.
• Following initial assessment by a registered health care professional, exercise initiative and judgement in care planning, goal setting, delivery, implementation and evaluation of care.
• Work collaboratively and in partnership with others, develop knowledge to promote holistic care.
• Demonstrate sound knowledge of the care and treatment programmes of individual service users to enable the post holder to contribute and inform the decision making of registered health care professionals.
• Make appropriate care adjustments, within the agreed level of autonomy for the post, and be able to communicate any changes to service users, carers and the health care team. This may include regular assessment, evaluation, reporting and escalating relevant information to appropriate health and social care professionals.
• Undertake enhanced training and preparation to meet the specific clinical needs of the service and to equip the post holder for an enhanced leadership role.
• Contribute to enabling service users to reach their potential, including the utilisation of public health approaches e.g., providing advice and support or signposting to the appropriate service.
• Undertake and maintain the required statutory, mandatory and core training as required by the specific area of service.
• May be required to work in challenging environments which could include using managing aggression and violence techniques, lone working and conflict resolution.
• Supervise and delegate work to health care support workers, participate in their induction, training, appraisal.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification
Essential

• Demonstrates excellent customer care skills
• Of care procedures, practice, recovery model, care pathway and person centred care
• Provide and receive practice supervision
• Enthusiastic, able to work flexibly on a 24hr shift pattern to meet the needs of service users (where appropriate to the role)
• Demonstrates safe decision making skills commensurate with role.
• Excellent communicator, numeracy/literacy, IT/keyboard skills
• Diversity/Cultural understanding
• Knows responsibilities regarding confidentiality and trust.
• Resilience to pressure and exposure to emotional, distressing or hazardous situations e.g., verbal aggression, body fluids, etc.
• Non-judgemental, empathetic manner
• Demonstrates Trust Values
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good administration and organisational skills
• Able to use observation skills to identify potential risks and act appropriately
• Able to fulfil the requirements of the value based induction

Desirable

• Language skills other than English
• Experience of supervising/inducting others

Personal Attributes

• Responsive attitude and approach
• Dress appropriately for the environment
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to role

Physical Attributes

• A satisfactory sickness record over previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy)
• Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary)

Training

• Must be willing/able to undertake all appropriate Trust mandatory training requirements, and subsequent refresher training relevant to the area.
• Must be willing/able to undergo job development and training and maintain skills.
• Demonstrate excellent knowledge of service user safety, e.g., Prevention and management of violence and aggression, moving and handling, etc

Experience

• Significant experience in providing care and/or health-related procedures (where appropriate to the role)
• In working in a caring environment at a band 3 or equivalent level of competence
• In dealing with the public.
• In working as an effective team member.
• In working effectively, professionally and independently or as part of a multidisciplinary team
• In demonstrating initiative, decision-making and prioritisation skills.
• In user/carer involvement.

Qualifications

• A-C in Maths/English GCSE or equivalent
• Level 5 Apprenticeship/Foundation degree in Health and Social Care or equivalent relevant to the post
• Or, level 3 Apprenticeship/Diploma in Health and Social Care with the ability to demonstrate competencies at level 5 and willingness to work towards achievement of level 5 qualification.
• Care certificate or required to achieve within 12 weeks of commencement (where relevant to the post)

Desirable

• Experience of the speciality area
• Group Facilitation skills
• Willingness to undertake further study/development

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.

Employer details
Employer name: South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
Address: Drury Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre, Drury Lane, Wakefield, W Yorkshire, WF1 2TE, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk

For questions about the job, contact:
Adam Carter
adam.carter@swyt.nhs.uk
07824350180