Principal Occupational Therapist Community East SussexNHS

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Principal Occupational Therapist (OT) as the professional and clinical lead for Occupational Therapy across adult mental health, community services in East Sussex. This is a senior leadership role, providing strategic direction, clinical expertise, and professional governance for OT practice across East Sussex community, including our neurodevelopmental workers in the Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams.

The post includes direct and indirect clinical contributions within the Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams, as well as the opportunity to shape, champion and embed OT practice; ensuring it is visible, valued and integral to the delivery of compassionate, effective mental health care.

You will play a key role in shaping service development, influencing multidisciplinary practice, and embedding occupational perspectives into assessment, care planning, risk management and community intervention for adults with complex mental health needs. The role also contributes to policy development, workforce planning, quality improvement initiatives and service transformation.

You will work closely with other professions within Sussex Partnership, social care and our third sector partners. You will be committed to delivering high-quality, responsive and inclusive services in partnership with families, carers and experts by experience.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide professional and clinical leadership for Occupational Therapy across adult community mental health services in East Sussex, with responsibility for coordinating and developing Occupational Therapy pathways. This includes professional management, leadership and supervision of the Occupational Therapy workforce, and ensuring services are high-quality, effective and compliant with professional, national and local standards.

The post holder will play a key role in professional governance, contributing to the development, implementation and monitoring of the governance agenda, and ensuring a strong Occupational Therapy contribution to quality clinical care, service performance and continuous improvement across Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the role incorporates a clinical component, supporting complex OT assessments and interventions with adults who have mental health needs in our communities, consultation and support to families and carers, and specialist advice and consultation to multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams. This clinical contribution ensures the Principal Occupational Therapist maintains direct involvement in service delivery, supports best practice, and informs strategic and professional leadership.

Job description

Please see the attached job description for full details and additional information to the main duties above.

About us

SPFT provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.

This is an excellent time for Occupational Therapists to be joining SPFT as our community services continue to go through an exciting transformation. There is a robust AHP workforce and strategy and we can offer the following to you:

o Regular professional supervision

o The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.

o Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities including

o A programme of AHP specific training

o Quarterly Occupational Therapy CPD Hubs

o Communities of Practice (AMPS, Sensory Strategies, Recovery through activity)

For more information around being an AHP within SPFT please visit Allied Health Professions :: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust