Specialist Occupational Therapist - Neurosciences inSouthampton inSouthampton PUBLISHED THU 5 DEC 2024

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for a detailed job description for the role.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our excellent Regional Wessex Neurosciences Centre at University Hospital Southampton. This post is a full time (1 wte) or part time (0.6 WTE) opportunity working primarily in neurosurgery & neurology services, however, is part of the wider neurosciences team, with close links to the hyper acute stroke, stroke rehabilitation, and spinal service.

This allows staff to gain a wider experience and knowledge across neurosciences according to the service needs, with the possibility of working in the other clinical areas in future.

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the 'Job Description and Main Responsibilities' section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

About us

We are looking for a skilled and dynamic occupational therapist to provide senior clinical and operational leadership, alongside the current senior therapists within the UHS neurosciences team and assist with strategic development of the therapy service within neurosciences.

You will work as part of a combined therapy services team delivering patient care across a 7-day service, including weekends and bank holidays, on a roster basis.

This post is part of the wider Therapy services department. You will have many opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 300wte Therapy staff including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff.

We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist who wishes to progress their career to specialise in neurosciences. You will be completing specialised neuro-specific assessments, goal-directed treatments & multi-therapy discharge planning. You will be required to liaise closely with local community services, specialist regional units & local DGHs.

We are looking for a forward-thinking Occupational Therapist who is passionate about high quality patient centred care within the field of neurosciences. You will need excellent communication skills & the ability to work flexibly to accommodate the ever-changing nature of an acute & complex environment. You will be responsible for managing a varied and complex caseload as well as supporting & supervising B3-5 therapy staff & students. All our therapy staff are required to be able to undertake flexible working over a 7-day period.

This post is suitable for a B5 OT looking to advance to B6, or a B6 who wishes to specialise in the field of neurosciences. We have an extensive induction programme, an established area specific in-service training programme as well as a robust OT neuro-specific training with a focus on developing & sharing best practice across the Wessex region. There is regular clinical supervision as well as peer support. There are also opportunities for involvement in audit, research & service development is always encouraged as we strive for new & innovative ways of working.

Essential skills- Holds an OT qualification and HCPC registration- Experience working with patients with neurological conditions, completing neuro assessments- Experience working in the acute hospital setting, ideally across a variety of clinical areas and conditions- Has experience in assessing for, and fitting, a wide range of equipment, including pressure relief and hoists.- Can adapt to a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, with good time management skills.- Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills- Enjoys, and thrives, when working within a team- On application form demonstrates a clear desire to work within UHS therapy services- On application form demonstrates a clear desire to work in acute servicesDesirable skills- Involvement in service developments and facilitating change- Evidence of emerging leadership skills- Evidence of providing teaching to wider MDT, therapy teams and students- Has experience in supervising other staff or students.- We actively encourage all potential applicants to contact us to ask any questions you may have.

If you are enthusiastic, innovative OT, happy to work in a fast-paced, acute environment, we would love to hear from you.

If this post is not for you and you are interested in finding out about other Therapy opportunities, please email