Highly Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	09 February 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£53,751 - £60,651 pa inc
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	11 March 2026
Location:	Erith, DA8 3EE
Company:	Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	7785730/277-7785730-CMH

Summary

TheClinical Specialist Occupational Therapist (OT)will play a vital role within a smallmulti-disciplinary team (MDT)dedicated to supporting individuals withcomplex mental health needswho arerough sleeping or at risk of homelessness.

This position focuses on deliveringspecialist assessmentsand interventions that help people establish routines, build healthy habits, and develop essential daily living skills. You will work creatively to identify meaningful activities, interests, and training opportunities that promote independence and wellbeing.

The role demands apersistent and innovative approachto engagement, as many individuals may find it challenging to access traditional services. Strong collaboration with statutory and voluntary sector organisations is essential to ensure holistic and effective support.
• Manage a clinical caseload of individuals with complex mental health needs.
• Collaborate effectively within a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to deliver holistic care.
• Lead the development of evidence-based OT practice within the service.
• Provide specialist OT assessments and interventions through individual and group work, focusing on:
• Self-care
• Work
• Leisure
• Drive service development initiatives to improve outcomes and accessibility.
• Lead or participate in research, audit and quality improvement activities to inform best practice.
• Apply advanced skills in crisis and risk management to safeguard service users.
• Offer specialist OT advice, guidance and consultation to MDT colleagues.
• Work autonomously, demonstrating accountability and professional judgement.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of OT assessment and interventions for this client group.
• Provide clinical leadership and support for junior staff and supervise OT students on placement.
• Contribute to the delivery and development of the Trust-wide OT service.
• Undertake agreed generic responsibilities as part of the job plan.
• Support service users with complex needs, including co-morbid mental health conditions, substance misuse, and physical health challenges.
• Comply with Trust requirements for violence management training relevant to the clinical area.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care
• Manage a capped caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, acting as lead healthcare professional (HCP) where appropriate.
• Undertake street outreach and engage with service users in diverse settings (e.g., supported accommodation, community locations) who may struggle to access mainstream services.
• Work collaboratively with service users to identify OT goals as part of the multi-disciplinary care plan, using specialist mental health and OT assessment tools and treatment techniques.
• Create tailored, individualised programmes and graded activity plans that enable clients to achieve realistic goals and maintain consistent engagement.
• Deliver specialist assessments and interventions in a variety of settings to ensure effectiveness and accessibility.
• Support individuals to navigate complex systems to access housing and support services.
• Ensure service users’ health, social, cultural, and spiritual needs are considered at all times.
• Assess and provide equipment to enhance independence for service users with physical disabilities alongside mental health needs.
• Monitor, evaluate, and adapt treatment plans to measure progress and achieve desired outcomes.
• Plan and deliver services within the Community Mental Health Framework.
• Apply advanced understanding of the impact of disability, providing training and advice on life skills to maximise functional ability.
• Assess occupational needs and develop, implement, and review treatment interventions.
• Identify appropriate referrals, prioritise workload, and manage effective discharge processes, ensuring all relevant parties receive necessary information.
• Contribute to and carry out mental health assessments, collaborating closely with MDT colleagues.
• Undertake risk assessments and develop risk management plans.
• Work as an integral part of the MDT and attend all relevant clinical meetings.
• The post holder will be required to work flexible hours (e.g. outside of 9am-5pm) due to the nature of the role and service need, for the purposes of meeting with service users at their sleep site.


This advert closes on Sunday 1 Mar 2026

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