Step Up to Lead: Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist with a focus on physical health? Do you want to take the next step in your career, taking on a leadership role within a team while staying hands-on with patient care?
We’re looking for a passionate candidate to join us as Senior OT for our West Berkshire Community Hospital Inpatients Unit, a friendly and supportive community-based physical health service. The unit includes two wards helping adult patients recover from surgery or acute medical conditions as they prepare to return home. This post is being offered as a secondment or a fixed term contract – so is a great opportunity for development for aspiring leaders.
What makes this role different?
Support a team of OTs while managing a smaller personal caseload. Your focus will be on mentoring junior staff and managing a complex clinical case load .
Collaborate for better care: Work closely with the Therapy Team Leads to develop and improve patient care.
Flexible working: Enjoy standard Monday to Friday hours, with flexible working and part-time options from 30 hours per week
This core hours of this role will be are 8am – 4pm however we support flexible working. Currently we are not following weekend working patterns but this may change in the future.
You will be based at West Berkshire Community Hospital, London Road, Thatcham RG18 3AS .
A clinical expert in your specialist area, you’ll support with leading the Occupational Therapy contribution to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) on inpatient wards.
Plan and deliver Occupational Therapy for patients with wide ranging physical conditions and diverse presentations, taking lead responsibility for their care.
Autonomously manage a caseload of patients, some with highly complex needs, conducting assessments and developing patient-centred care plans.
Work as part of the MDT, including case conferences and discharge planning, ensuring patient information is managed professionally in line with confidentiality and data protection standards.
Supervise and support Band 5 Occupational Therapists, OT assistants, and multi-therapy assistants, ensuring ongoing supervision, appraisals, and training to maintain high-quality service.
Provide professional training and support to the MDT in your specialist area.
Lead the implementation of changes in clinical practice, including planning, developing, and evaluating services, and managing projects such as audits and research.
Foster key relationships with various healthcare teams, including acute care, secondary care, primary care and GPs, intermediate care teams & social services, clinical governance & patient safety managers community matrons, case managers and district nurses.
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Qualified OT with current HCPC registration
Significant post qualification experience - ideally in physical health, including complex conditions
A clear understanding of the NHS
Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently
A desire to enhance leadership skills and engage in continuous professional development
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible