Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 26 November 2026
Apply for this job
Job summary
We are seeking to recruit an experienced, creative Occupational Therapist to join the Integrated Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service (IHEWS) team at Lansdowne Secure Children's Home. You will be a core member of a Multi-Disciplinary Team supporting the young people in residence at Lansdowne. The focus is on providing timely, targeted and effective interventions to support the young people to live safely back in the community.

You will work closely with our Clinical Psychologist and Mental Health Nurse alongside the care team, the young people, and their families. Supporting the care team and wider network of professionals to assess, formulate, plan and deliver interventions to stabilise, reduce risk, support recovery and resilience building and enhance relationships.

Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for the provision of Occupational Therapy assessment, consultation and interventions to our cohort of young people aged 12-17 years old.

You will support the young person to explore and/or return to meaningful and valued activity through the provision of support to understand sensory need, sensory strategies, adaptive strategies, re-motivational process and occupational adaptation and environmental modifications

Working alongside colleagues as part of the MDT you will be responsible for the provision of Occupational Therapy assessment, consultation and interventions. You will support the young person to explore and/or return to meaningful and valued activity through the provision of support to understand sensory need, sensory strategies, adaptive strategies, re-motivational process and occupational adaptation and environmental modifications.

About us
You will employed to work as part of the IHEWS team at Lansdowne Secure Children's Home, an integrated multi-agency service between run by East Sussex County Council, and Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust.

As a heath practitioner you will be employed by Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and integrated into the existing governance arrangements for posts within Lansdowne.

Sussex Partnership provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. The trust is rated as 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC.

SPFT encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/lie balance brings about huge health related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, flexible start/finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

To support your development in the post we have allocated funding to purchase one module of the Sensory Integration Training (SI Module 1,2 or 3 as appropriate) on appointment

Details
Date posted: 12 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
Pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 354-CS-22004
Job locations: Lansdowne Secure Children's Home, Hawks Drive, Hailsham, BN27 1NP, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• Registered with HCPC
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
• Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
• Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
• Experienced working in a multi-disciplinary children and young person's environment
• Experienced working with families who are facing tough times and have a particular affinity for working with young people aged 11-17.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role.

You will receive supervision from the CAMHS Occupational Therapy professional lead within the wider CAMHS services and have opportunities to network with Occupational Therapists across young people services in Sussex.

The trust
This is an excellent time for Occupational Therapists to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as we have launched our first AHP Strategy and can offer the following to you:

• Regular professional supervision
• The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.
• Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities including
• A programme of AHP specific training
• Quarterly Occupational Therapy CPD Hubs
• Communities of Practice (AMPS and Sensory Strategies)

Have a look at our AHP strategy and view our film at https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/AHP

Informal discussion is encouraged prior to application.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
• Evidence of post qualification study
• Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
• Practice Education training
• Training in the use of standardised occupational therapy assessment tools

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: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Lansdowne Secure Children's Home, Hawks Drive, Hailsham, BN27 1NP, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Operations Manager, Flora Farmar, flora.farmar1@nhs.net

Privacy notice
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice.

Equal opportunities: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust welcomes applications from all sections of the community.