Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job description

Be part of our BHT family

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients' own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact [email protected] or phone 01494 734868.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking an experienced and innovative Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist (Band 7) to join the Experts at Hand programme within the Children and Young People's Integrated Therapy Service.

This exciting role sits at the forefront of SEND reform, supporting mainstream education settings across Buckinghamshire to develop inclusive environments that enable children and young people to thrive. Working collaboratively across education, health and care, the post holder will provide highly specialist occupational therapy consultation, coaching, training and targeted support to schools, early years settings, further education colleges, special schools and alternative provision.

The role focuses on early intervention, prevention and capacity building, helping education settings identify and overcome barriers to participation, learning and independence through the graduated approach. Rather than delivering statutory therapy, the successful candidate will empower education staff to implement evidence-based occupational therapy strategies and reasonable adjustments within everyday learning environments.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated occupational therapist with expertise in SEND, inclusion and occupational performance, who is passionate about influencing practice at a systems level and improving outcomes for children and young people across Buckinghamshire.

Main duties of the job

As a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist within the Experts at Hand programme, you will provide expert consultation, coaching and training to education settings across Buckinghamshire, supporting the development of inclusive environments. Working collaboratively with schools, colleges and early years providers, you will identify and reduce barriers to participation, independence and learning through whole-setting observations, environmental assessments and evidence-based occupational therapy recommendations.

Using your specialist knowledge, you will support education staff to implement effective strategies for children and young people with a range of needs, including sensory processing differences, motor coordination difficulties, functional independence difficulties and participation restrictions. You will coach and empower staff to make reasonable adjustments and embed inclusive practice through the graduated approach.

The role includes designing and delivering training programmes, workshops and resources that build workforce confidence and capability across education settings; working closely with colleagues across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector, strengthening local SEND provision and supporting positive outcomes for children and young people.

You will provide supervision and support to occupational therapy colleagues and therapy assistants, while contributing to service development, quality improvement, audit and innovation initiatives.

Working for our organisation

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