Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Team Lead - Acute Occupational Therapy

The closing date is 28 December 2025

Job summary

The Great Western Hospital is seeking a Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist to come and join our Acute Occupational Therapy Team.

The Great Western Hospital is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Band 7 Team Lead Occupational Therapist to join our Acute Occupational Therapy Team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a senior leadership role within a busy acute setting, working collaboratively with our existing Band 7 Team Lead to ensure smooth service delivery, shared leadership responsibilities and consistent support for the wider OT team. Together, you will provide operational oversight, clinical leadership and day-to-day coordination across a range of medical and surgical wards.

You will also work closely with our Band 7 Clinical Specialists, whose expertise supports quality patient care across areas such as Palliative Care, Frailty, Cardiology and Respiratory. Through strong partnership and shared decision-making, you'll help align leadership, specialist input and service priorities to ensure the team delivers safe, effective and patient-centred care.

If you'd like to learn more about this opportunity or arrange a visit to meet the team, please contact:

Michaela Kirby - michaela.kirby1@nhs.netBriony Howard - briony.howard1@nhs.net? 01793 646371

Main duties of the job

You'll be part of a vibrant OT service of 22 qualified OTs, assistants and apprentices, offering a friendly, collaborative and supportive working environment. Through our Improving Together methodology, you'll have the opportunity to lead and implement quality improvement initiatives and influence service developments.

At Great Western, we invest in our people. Through the Great Western Academy, you'll have access to a wide range of training, leadership programmes and higher-education opportunities to support your growth in this senior role.

To oversee, coordinate, and further develop the Acute Occupational Therapy service at the Great Western Hospital site. To work collaboratively with the existing Acute Occupational Therapy Team Lead to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery. To provide specialist clinical expertise and professional leadership to both qualified and unqualified staff, as well as to the wider multidisciplinary team. To act as the representative for Acute Occupational Therapy, delivering service updates and contributing to senior leadership across the Great Western site, while deputising for the Acute Therapies Lead when required.

About us

Our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.

Details

Date posted

11 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

249-7612179

Job locations

Great Western Hospital

Marlborough Road

Swindon

SN3 6BB


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from timetotime in the light of changing circumstances, in discussion with the post holder. This role profile is intended toprovide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developingthe role with initial and on-going discussions with the designated manager.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from timetotime in the light of changing circumstances, in discussion with the post holder. This role profile is intended toprovide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developingthe role with initial and on-going discussions with the designated manager.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy or equivalent training and experience
  • Registration with HCPC
  • Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by further training, short specialist courses, to master's equivalent level Willingness to undertake further training

Desirable

  • Leadership training courses
  • Practice Educator training/qualification
  • RCOT membership

Experience

Essential

  • oSpecialist clinical experience in complex caseload management and discharge planning within an Acute setting. oAbility to assess and identify complex equipment to facilitate safe discharges. oSound working knowledge of legislation and clinical governance relevant to the clinical area. oLeading within a multi professional team, sharing specialist skills and coordinating complex discharges. oUnderstanding and experience of working with Partner Organisations and Community Teams. oManaging conflict/difficult conversations oExperience of leading the day to day management of a team and coordinating team caseloads. oAbility to reprioritise own workload in order to support your colleagues. oStaff development through supervision and appraisal oExperience of and involvement in service development.

Desirable

  • oService review and change management oParticipation in recruitment process oExperience of budget management and workforce planning oExperience of incident and complaint management oExperience of performance and/or absence management
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy or equivalent training and experience
  • Registration with HCPC
  • Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by further training, short specialist courses, to master's equivalent level Willingness to undertake further training

Desirable

  • Leadership training courses
  • Practice Educator training/qualification
  • RCOT membership

Experience

Essential

  • oSpecialist clinical experience in complex caseload management and discharge planning within an Acute setting. oAbility to assess and identify complex equipment to facilitate safe discharges. oSound working knowledge of legislation and clinical governance relevant to the clinical area. oLeading within a multi professional team, sharing specialist skills and coordinating complex discharges. oUnderstanding and experience of working with Partner Organisations and Community Teams. oManaging conflict/difficult conversations oExperience of leading the day to day management of a team and coordinating team caseloads. oAbility to reprioritise own workload in order to support your colleagues. oStaff development through supervision and appraisal oExperience of and involvement in service development.

Desirable

  • oService review and change management oParticipation in recruitment process oExperience of budget management and workforce planning oExperience of incident and complaint management oExperience of performance and/or absence management

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

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Great Western Hospital

Marlborough Road

Swindon

SN3 6BB


Employer's website

https://www.gwh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Great Western Hospital

Marlborough Road

Swindon

SN3 6BB


Employer's website

https://www.gwh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Acute Occupational Therapy Team Lead

Michaela Kirby

michaela.kirby1@nhs.net

01793646371

Details

Date posted

11 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

249-7612179

Job locations

Great Western Hospital

Marlborough Road

Swindon

SN3 6BB


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)