Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist

We are looking for 2 experienced and motivated Occupational Therapists to join our Forensic Community Mental Health Teams as a Band 7 Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist.

This is an exciting new role and a real opportunity to shape, innovate and develop the OT offer within community forensic pathways, supporting people with complex mental health needs and a history of offending to move safely towards greater independence, meaningful occupation and community integration.

The post provides specialist OT input across two borough-based forensic community teams covering Lambeth and Southwark, & Croydon and Lewisham.

You will work autonomously within supportive multidisciplinary teams and alongside specialist community services, including Support Plus, the Forensic Intellectual and the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities team, offering expert occupational formulation, assessment and intervention while contributing to safe step-down planning, community rehabilitation and recovery-focused care.

Main duties of the job

• Provide advanced specialist Occupational Therapy assessment, formulation and intervention for adults with complex mental health needs and a history of offending.
• Manage a specialist caseload across forensic community teams, supporting recovery and safe community integration.
• Assess occupational, functional and vocational needs, identifying goals and developing person-centred treatment plans.
• Deliver individual and group interventions to improve independence, daily living skills, emotional regulation, community participation, education and employment outcomes.
• Contribute to risk assessment, risk management and discharge planning, ensuring safe transitions from secure services to community settings.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, service users, carers, housing providers, probation services and external agencies.
• Provide specialist advice, consultation, training and support to colleagues, partner organisations and wider support networks.
• Offer clinical leadership, supervision and mentorship to Occupational Therapy staff and students.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, reports and care documentation in line with professional and organisational standards.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit, research and clinical governance activities to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
• Promote recovery-focused, evidence-based practice and uphold professional, ethical and safeguarding standards at all times.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Occupational Therapist
• Member of OT professional body and / or special interest group.
• Training in the theory and application of the model of human occupation within the first 4 months of appointment

Experience

• Post registration experience as an OT working in forensic mental health
• Experience of carrying a caseload of service users with complex and diverse needs in a mental health setting
• Post-graduate clinical experience highly related to clinical field
• Working in groups / Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
• Experience of writing specialist occupational therapy reports

Knowledge / Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of mental health disorders, treatment approaches, and relevant mental health legislation.
• Experience of writing specialist Occupational Therapy reports
• Knowledge of recovery approach and other theoretical models in mental health rehabilitation and continuing care
• Safeguarding: recognise, assess, escalate and work collaboratively around safeguarding concerns in complex community situations
• Knowledge of the principles of risk management and risk assessment