Occupational Therapist

Job summary

Are you an Occupational Therapist who strives for excellence and wants to make a real difference? Join our pioneering trauma-informed community mental health team in Harrow.

This role offers the opportunity to deliver a specialist Occupational Therapy service within an Assertive Outreach model, working with adults experiencing severe and complex mental health needs who are at risk of disengaging from services. You will manage a small, high-intensity caseload, providing proactive, person-centred and evidence-based interventions focused on engagement, recovery and meaningful participation.

You will work with individuals presenting with complexity such as non-engagement, recent admissions, substance misuse, housing instability and increased risk. Using a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, you will support people to rebuild routines, roles and independence, within a structured framework that promotes clear goals and measurable outcomes.

Working both autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute your specialist occupational perspective to care planning while delivering coordinated, compassionate care alongside service users, families and carers.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an innovative service and make a lasting impact in a dynamic community setting.

Main duties of the job

Provide specialist Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions for individuals experiencing significant occupational dysfunction, including barriers to participation and limited access to meaningful roles. Deliver intensive, time-limited assertive outreach support with frequent, proactive contact during periods of risk or disengagement, using creative and flexible approaches to maintain engagement.

Plan and deliver interventions within a structured framework with clear goals, outcome measures and transition planning. Contribute to risk assessment and management, balancing positive risk-taking with safety in complex presentations. Manage referrals autonomously within the multidisciplinary team, including prioritisation and delegation.

Apply Occupational Therapy models such as MoHO alongside evidence-based approaches to guide practice. Use outcome measures to evaluate impact and inform care planning. Ensure service users remain central to formulation and goal setting, involving carers where appropriate, and provide culturally responsive, inclusive care.

About us

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will deliver a specialist Occupational Therapy service within an Assertive Outreach function embedded in Harrow Community Mental Health Hubs (CMHH), providing evidence-based, person-centred assessment and intervention for adults with severe and complex mental health needs who are at risk of disengaging from services.

The role focuses on direct clinical care, managing a small, high-intensity caseload and delivering time-limited, intensive interventions through proactive and persistent engagement. Practice will be guided by Assertive Outreach principles, including flexibility, collaborative risk management and a strong focus on sustaining engagement.

The post holder will work with individuals presenting with high levels of complexity, including disengagement, medication non-adherence, recent admissions, housing instability, substance misuse and escalating risk. They will deliver occupationally focused, strengths-based and trauma-informed interventions to support participation and recovery, within a structured outreach model that includes clear goals, outcome measurement and planned step-down to routine CMHH care.

Working both autonomously and within a multidisciplinary team, the post holder will contribute specialist occupational perspectives to care planning and deliver high-quality, coordinated care in partnership with service users, families and carers.

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) registered Occupational Therapist.
• Post qualification training in relevant mental health skills.

Desirable

• Practice Educator training
• Member of the Royal College of OT (RCoT)
• Additional training in specialist standardised assessments

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Working as an OT in secondary mental health services.
• Experience of working with individuals who are disengaged or hard to reach
• Managing a defined caseload, including prioritisation and autonomous working.
• Delivering OT assessments and interventions in community settings.
• Experience of proactive, persistent engagement approaches
• Experience of managing high-risk and complex cases in community settings.
• Supporting occupational performance through environmental adaptation and equipment provision.
• Working in partnership and co-producing care with service users and carers.
• Facilitating groups or structured interventions.

Desirable

• Experience of working in assertive outreach or similar intensive community based services
• Experience of trauma-informed practice
• Supervision of OT students / non-qualified staff.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

Essential

• Knowledge of OT theory and models (e.g. MoHO) and their application in mental health.
• Strong communication skills, including engaging individuals with complex needs and conveying sensitive information.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of an MDT
• Skills in delivering individual and group interventions.
• Ability to prioritise workload and work flexibly in a dynamic community setting.
• Ability to work flexibly and creatively to maintain engagement
• Ability to work in a culturally responsive and inclusive way.
• Knowledge of the impact of mental and physical health on occupational performance.
• Knowledge and application of risk assessment and management, including positive risk-taking.
• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and their application in practice.
• Confidence in balancing positive risk-taking with safety

Desirable

• Knowledge of research and development principles at graduate level.
• Knowledge and skills in vocational rehabilitation, sensory approaches, and brief solution-focused interventions.
• Awareness of housing, benefits, and wider health and social care systems
• Experience working with homelessness or housing instability
• Experience within criminal justice settings

ATTITUDES, APTITUDES, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Essential

• Motivated and committed to working in an Assertive Outreach service.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, delegate, and manage workload effectively.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to working in a dynamic environment.
• Good self-awareness, with the ability to use initiative and work independently.
• Ability to manage conflict constructively and maintain professional boundaries.
• Willingness to develop knowledge and skills through ongoing learning.
• Ability to take responsibility and demonstrate accountability in practice.
• Act as a positive role model, supporting and influencing the practice of others

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

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

First Floor Bentley House

Bentley House

Harrow

HA3 5QX

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)

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