Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Lead - Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 29 June 2025

Job summary

At Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) we believe in excellent care at the heart of the community.

Are you a dynamic, resourceful leader who would like to contribute to a fast moving and dynamic service?

We are looking to recruit an Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead within the Community Therapy Team North to provide clinical and professional leadership for the Occupational Therapy staff.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic forward thinking AHP team, passionate about providing therapy rehabilitation to our patients in the community . You will be well supported in the team and encouraged to expand and develop your leadership skills through supervision and internal training opportunities, to meet the needs of yourself and the service to promote clinical excellence.

The service area covered includes Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex so being a car driver is essential.

Flexible working will be required as the service covers 8am to 6pm.

Main duties of the job

Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead:

o Provide professional Leadership to the Occupational Therapists in the team.o To support the Leadership team in service development and ensuring clinical excellence.o To be part of the Leadership teams daily responsibility for work allocation and triage.o To support and implement service change and development.o To provide regular supervision and complete PDR's for staff.o To ensure all staff are up to date in their competencies.o To hold an active caseload of complex patients.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trusto Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Details

Date posted

20 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

150-KB1813-CC

Job locations

Hayworthe Villa

Market Place, Boltro Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 1DB


Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful applicant will deliver complex clinical care to patients in the community and support other staff with their own caseloads. You will need an excellent and wide-ranging knowledge of a variety of conditions.

You will support colleagues with mentoring, coaching and teaching. The emphasis will be on providing clinical leadership in order to support community patients to maximise their independence and achieve their goals.

You will also provide specialist support to therapy colleagues and work closely with the other clinical and operational leads for therapy services and members of the wider multidisciplinary team, ensuring seamless care for patients going in and out of hospital.

We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal skills, a demonstrable dedication to personal development and a commitment to providing high quality care to a range of patients with differing needs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful applicant will deliver complex clinical care to patients in the community and support other staff with their own caseloads. You will need an excellent and wide-ranging knowledge of a variety of conditions.

You will support colleagues with mentoring, coaching and teaching. The emphasis will be on providing clinical leadership in order to support community patients to maximise their independence and achieve their goals.

You will also provide specialist support to therapy colleagues and work closely with the other clinical and operational leads for therapy services and members of the wider multidisciplinary team, ensuring seamless care for patients going in and out of hospital.

We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal skills, a demonstrable dedication to personal development and a commitment to providing high quality care to a range of patients with differing needs.

Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • Professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy
  • Currently registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
  • Post registration qualification or training to Masters level or equivalent, or be willing to undertake

Desirable

  • Advanced Physical assessment course or Masters level module
  • Mentoring course or equivalent or Qualified Practice Assessor
  • Recognised Leadership Qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience within clinical case management
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Evidence of a consistent pattern of learning from education and training
  • Experience working across the boundaries of primary, community and secondary care

Desirable

  • Experience of clinical leadership within a service
  • Experience of leading service development and change
  • Experience of active participation in research

Skills

Essential

  • Up to date knowledge and skills within clinical area (Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy)
  • Up to date knowledge of health and social care policy
  • Able to use advanced reasoning and assessment skills in a wide range of approaches to treatments and management of conditions
  • Able to analyse complex situations and problem solve as necessary
  • Able to direct and co-ordinate programmes of care working autonomously and collaboratively
  • Able to mentor, supervise and develop other professionals
  • Able to communicate effectively where barriers or obstacles exist and able to deploy strategies to overcome these
  • Able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic health service
  • Able to use recognised IT packages e.g. Microsoft Office including Excel and able to use IT systems and keyboard skills including accurate data recording skills
  • Able to identify the training needs of self and others and to provide relevant and appropriate learning
  • Able to work in partnership and collaboration with other professionals in other services and challenge and negotiate with them as needed
  • Able to meet conflicting deadlines, prioritise effectively and manage own and others workload
  • Able to teach patients and carers to participate and manage their own care as appropriate
  • Able to monitor, maintain and improve standards of care

Other requirements

Essential

  • Car driver (Valid Driving License for use in the UK)
  • An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
  • Willingness to undertake training to develop within the role

Desirable

  • Access to a vehicle for work purposes
Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • Professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy
  • Currently registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
  • Post registration qualification or training to Masters level or equivalent, or be willing to undertake

Desirable

  • Advanced Physical assessment course or Masters level module
  • Mentoring course or equivalent or Qualified Practice Assessor
  • Recognised Leadership Qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience within clinical case management
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Evidence of a consistent pattern of learning from education and training
  • Experience working across the boundaries of primary, community and secondary care

Desirable

  • Experience of clinical leadership within a service
  • Experience of leading service development and change
  • Experience of active participation in research

Skills

Essential

  • Up to date knowledge and skills within clinical area (Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy)
  • Up to date knowledge of health and social care policy
  • Able to use advanced reasoning and assessment skills in a wide range of approaches to treatments and management of conditions
  • Able to analyse complex situations and problem solve as necessary
  • Able to direct and co-ordinate programmes of care working autonomously and collaboratively
  • Able to mentor, supervise and develop other professionals
  • Able to communicate effectively where barriers or obstacles exist and able to deploy strategies to overcome these
  • Able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic health service
  • Able to use recognised IT packages e.g. Microsoft Office including Excel and able to use IT systems and keyboard skills including accurate data recording skills
  • Able to identify the training needs of self and others and to provide relevant and appropriate learning
  • Able to work in partnership and collaboration with other professionals in other services and challenge and negotiate with them as needed
  • Able to meet conflicting deadlines, prioritise effectively and manage own and others workload
  • Able to teach patients and carers to participate and manage their own care as appropriate
  • Able to monitor, maintain and improve standards of care

Other requirements

Essential

  • Car driver (Valid Driving License for use in the UK)
  • An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
  • Willingness to undertake training to develop within the role

Desirable

  • Access to a vehicle for work purposes

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hayworthe Villa

Market Place, Boltro Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 1DB


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hayworthe Villa

Market Place, Boltro Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 1DB


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Lead Community Therapy Team North

Debbie Pirkis

debbie.pirkis@nhs.net

07484403616

Details

Date posted

20 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

150-KB1813-CC

Job locations

Hayworthe Villa

Market Place, Boltro Road

Haywards Heath

RH16 1DB


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