Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist - Band 6/7

Location: Vauxhall, London
Setting: Specialist Secondary School - Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
Hours: Full-time / Part-time considered
Salary: NHS Band 6 or Band 7, depending on experience
Contract: Permanent / Fixed-term / Term-time options considered

An exciting opportunity to make a real difference

We are seeking an enthusiastic, creative and highly skilled Occupational Therapist to join our specialist secondary school in Vauxhall, London, supporting young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

This is an exciting opportunity for an Occupational Therapist who is passionate about working therapeutically within education and wants to play a key role in helping young people develop the skills, confidence and independence they need to thrive.

We welcome applications from experienced Band 6 Occupational Therapists looking to develop their expertise within a specialist educational environment, as well as Band 7 Occupational Therapists who can bring advanced clinical knowledge, leadership and service development experience.

About the role

Working as an integral member of our multidisciplinary and education teams, you will provide specialist occupational therapy assessment, intervention and advice to students aged approximately 11-16 years.

You will work with young people who may experience difficulties with:

• Emotional regulation and sensory processing
• Anxiety and emotional wellbeing
• Attention, concentration and executive functioning
• Interoception and body awareness
• Social communication and participation
• Motor coordination and functional skills
• Self-care and independence
• Engagement in learning and school routines
• Transitions and preparation for adulthood
• Behaviour that may present as a barrier to learning and participation

You will use an occupationally focused, strengths-based approach to understand each young person's individual needs and identify practical strategies that enable them to participate more successfully in school and everyday life.

Key responsibilities

You will:

• Complete comprehensive occupational therapy assessments using appropriate clinical reasoning and outcome measures.
• Develop and deliver individualised occupational therapy interventions.
• Provide consultation, advice and training to teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral staff and other professionals.
• Work collaboratively with families and carers to promote consistency between school and home.
• Develop sensory and environmental strategies that support regulation, engagement and participation.
• Contribute to individual education and support plans.
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes and adapt interventions accordingly.
• Maintain accurate, high-quality clinical records in line with professional and organisational requirements.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary meetings and wider safeguarding processes.
• Support staff to develop their understanding of occupational therapy and the needs of students with SEMH presentations.
• Promote occupational therapy as an integral part of the young person's educational experience.
• Work within professional, ethical and safeguarding frameworks.

For Band 7 applicants

In addition to the above, the successful Band 7 candidate will be expected to provide clinical leadership, support the development of occupational therapy provision within the school and contribute to service development, quality improvement and supervision of junior colleagues or students.

There will be opportunities to develop and embed innovative occupational therapy approaches across the school, ensuring that therapy is integrated into everyday educational practice rather than delivered in isolation.

About you

We are looking for an Occupational Therapist who is:

• HCPC registered and appropriately qualified.
• Experienced in working with children and/or young people.
• Passionate about supporting young people's mental health, wellbeing and participation.
• Confident working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and education team.
• Able to build positive, trusting relationships with young people who may have experienced significant challenges.
• Creative, flexible and solution-focused in their approach.
• Confident providing advice, training and consultation to non-clinical colleagues.
• Able to manage their own caseload and prioritise effectively.

If interested, please apply below.