Specialist Community Occupational Therapist

Job overview

This is a unique opportunity for a passionate and experienced Occupational Therapist to lead and shape the occupational therapy offer across Westminster’s Community Mental Health Hubs. Based within the Queens Park and Paddington (QPP) Hub, you’ll take a key role in embedding recovery-focused, trauma-informed and occupation-centred practice across QPP, North and South Westminster hubs.

We are committed to strengthening OT identity, improving access to specialist OT input, and ensuring service users benefit from meaningful, evidence-based interventions that support self-management, skill development and social inclusion. As part of a wider borough-wide transformation, this role offers scope to develop the psychosocial pathways, support staff development, and influence strategic service design alongside the Borough Head OT and other lead clinicians.

You’ll be joining a values-driven, collaborative service with strong links to acute, rehabilitation and voluntary and third sector partners — where there is real appetite for innovation, co-production, and occupational therapy leadership at the heart of mental health care.

Main duties of the job

We’re looking for someone who is clinically confident, proactive, and deeply committed to the power of occupation in supporting recovery. You’ll manage a complex clinical caseload and contribute to the borough-wide psychosocial pathway through individual and group work.

You’ll provide professional and clinical leadership to occupational therapists across the Westminster hubs — supporting consistent practice standards, mentoring junior staff and apprentices, and helping to grow a learning culture through supervision, training, and student placement coordination.

You’ll take the lead in developing OT-specific pathways that reflect the aims of community transformation — with a strong focus on rehabilitation, skill-building and prevention, helping people stay well in the community and easing pressure on acute services.

Collaboration is key in this role — working closely with MDT colleagues, inpatient services, and voluntary and third sector partners to build smooth, responsive transitions between services. You’ll also contribute to quality improvement, research and innovation, and link in with other Lead OTs and transformation projects across CNWL.

We’re keen to hear from candidates who bring compassion, flexibility, strong communication skills, and a clear commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed care. A willingness to undertake Open Dialogue training and support its implementation within Westminster services is also expected.

Working for our organisation

We are delighted that you are interested in working with us here at CNWL. Our Trust is an exciting place to work, offering a wealth of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for all our staff.

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally, and internationally for providing high-quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values. 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 are a Trust committed to staff personal development, with a Trust-wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core.

We encourage staff input and ideas related to moving services forward, improving care pathways, and meeting the needs of our client group.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, evidence-based occupational therapy interventions for service users with complex needs, using a trauma-informed and recovery-focused approach.
• Promote inclusion and equality in all clinical practices, respecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of service users and carers.
• Apply specialist knowledge to group and individual interventions that support service users’ wellbeing, recovery, and participation in daily life.

• Provide professional leadership, supervision, and support to occupational therapists across the Westminster Community Mental Health Hubs.
• Contribute to the strategic development of occupational therapy within the service, in collaboration with the Head OT and other senior leaders.
• Support workforce development, including recruitment, supervision, performance management, and student education.

• Promote the role and value of occupational therapy within multidisciplinary teams and wider services.
• Work closely with colleagues, community agencies, and service users to ensure integrated, person-centred care.
• Represent OT in key service and referral meetings and build strong local networks.

• Lead and participate in quality improvement, clinical audit, and service evaluation to enhance practice and outcomes.
• Ensure safe, effective, and compliant clinical governance across the OT provision.
• Promote a culture of reflective practice, innovation, and continuous professional development.

• Engage in ongoing learning and support the development of others through supervision, mentorship, and training delivery.
• Uphold professional standards and ensure practice aligns with HCPC, RCOT, and Trust guidelines.

full details in JD

Person specification

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services.
• Experience of leading and/or developing a service/component of a service.
• Experience in using a range of standardised OT assessments including MOHO assessments
• Experience of supervising and appraising staff / unqualified staff; recruitment and workforce planning
• Experience of effective partnership working, with internal and external providers, in promoting socially inclusive opportunities for service users
• Experience in managing a complex caseload- care planning and risk management

• Experience in managing complex HR issues with staff e.g. the management of performance / long term sickness
• Previous experience in a senior or leadership role within a mental health setting.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES

• Effective leadership skills through the management of designated projects, service improvement audits and research
• Excellent communication skills
• Teamwork - A collaborative and supportive approach to working within a multidisciplinary team, encouraging a positive and inclusive team culture.
• Knowledge of OT models, recovery principles and trauma informed approaches and their application to service delivery
• Ability to work autonomously, on own initiative and under pressure to meet deadlines; & to make and action decisions independently within agreed time frames and to prioritise workload and to delegate effectively.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance, identify and undertake appropriate learning and development opportunities as part of ongoing CPD
• The ability to understand and implement National Policies, Equal Opportunities and the Code of Ethics at level appropriate to the job.

• Delivery of formal presentations and teaching sessions.
• Training in psychological therapies e.g. DBT, CBT

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• HCPC registered Occupational Therapist

• Post graduate training specific to clinical specialty
• Management & Leadership training
• Sensory integration training

ATTITUDES, APTITUDES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Demonstrates an enthusiasm for the post.
• Ability to recognise and articulate own values and principles, understanding how these may be different from those of others

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.

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

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.

If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.