The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 27 April 2026

Job summary

An opportunity has a risen for a Band 6 to join the paediatric team based at the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle. As a specialist centre the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work alongside highly experienced clinical staff and develop unique skills in acute and community paediatric care. As a national and regional specialist centre, the appointee will have a chance to network and learn from other specialist centres world wide.

This post will initially be based in the specialist area of paediatric community paediatrics but will form part of a wider Band 6 rotation across the acute and community paediatric services provided by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust.

  • Interview Date Tuesday 19 May 2026
  • 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
  • You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

Assessment and intervention of children with complex sensory, motor and developmental needs

Providing safe, effective and compassionate care

Carrying out postural assessments and emailing recommendations based on clinical need

Participating in service development and continuous service evaluation and improvement

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

  • Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
  • Freeman Hospital
  • Newcastle Dental Hospital
  • Cramlington Manor Walks
  • Urgent treatment centres
  • Newcastle Fertility Centre
  • Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
  • Northern Genetics Service

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2026-14-01-DR

Job locations

Great North Children's Hospital

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To provide a high standard of occupational therapy care to complex and highly complex patients within specialist area evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgement.
  • To provide day to day supervision of junior and support staff and students working in the specialist area.
  • The specialist practitioner is the clinical lead for the Occupational Therapy Service within the area of practice providing highly specialist knowledge within the Trust and externally to therapists and other health care professionals from secondary and primary care.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To provide a high standard of occupational therapy care to complex and highly complex patients within specialist area evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgement.
  • To provide day to day supervision of junior and support staff and students working in the specialist area.
  • The specialist practitioner is the clinical lead for the Occupational Therapy Service within the area of practice providing highly specialist knowledge within the Trust and externally to therapists and other health care professionals from secondary and primary care.

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

  • In-depth clinical knowledge of medical conditions and their effect on occupational performance
  • Highly developed understanding of OT process within acute setting
  • In-depth knowledge of health and social care policy, risk assessment and management
  • Extensive knowledge of a range of disability equipment
  • Extensive knowledge of a range of disability equipment. Extensive knowledge of eligibility criteria and procedures/policies relevant to disability equipment, minor housing adaptations
  • Highly specialist knowledge of moving and handling legislation and knowledge of current moving and handling best practice and associated equipment
  • Excellent understanding of professional ethics and their application into practice
  • Good knowledge of clinical governance
  • Evidence of CPD

Desirable

  • Knowledge of undertaking research and audit projects
  • Knowledge of team dynamics and team building

SKILLS

Essential

  • Good organisation, time management, problem solving and prioritisation skills
  • Supervisory, team management skills
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Commitment to personal and service development
  • Effective written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance

Desirable

  • IT skills
  • Presentation skills

EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Significant post-registration experience incl experience within physical health
  • Use of functional assessment and activity analysis

Desirable

  • Experience of working with patients with physical disability eg reduced mobility
  • Team management
  • Experience in supervising staff

QUALIFICATION

Essential

  • Degree/Diploma in OT
  • State registered with Health & Care Professions Council
  • Member of BAOT
  • Post graduate experience
Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

  • In-depth clinical knowledge of medical conditions and their effect on occupational performance
  • Highly developed understanding of OT process within acute setting
  • In-depth knowledge of health and social care policy, risk assessment and management
  • Extensive knowledge of a range of disability equipment
  • Extensive knowledge of a range of disability equipment. Extensive knowledge of eligibility criteria and procedures/policies relevant to disability equipment, minor housing adaptations
  • Highly specialist knowledge of moving and handling legislation and knowledge of current moving and handling best practice and associated equipment
  • Excellent understanding of professional ethics and their application into practice
  • Good knowledge of clinical governance
  • Evidence of CPD

Desirable

  • Knowledge of undertaking research and audit projects
  • Knowledge of team dynamics and team building

SKILLS

Essential

  • Good organisation, time management, problem solving and prioritisation skills
  • Supervisory, team management skills
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Commitment to personal and service development
  • Effective written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance

Desirable

  • IT skills
  • Presentation skills

EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Significant post-registration experience incl experience within physical health
  • Use of functional assessment and activity analysis

Desirable

  • Experience of working with patients with physical disability eg reduced mobility
  • Team management
  • Experience in supervising staff

QUALIFICATION

Essential

  • Degree/Diploma in OT
  • State registered with Health & Care Professions Council
  • Member of BAOT
  • Post graduate experience

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

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Great North Children's Hospital

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP


Employer's website

https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Great North Children's Hospital

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP


Employer's website

https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Advanced Occupational Therapist

Nichola Sykes

Nichola.Sykes@nhs.net

01912823452

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2026-14-01-DR

Job locations

Great North Children's Hospital

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)