Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 29 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join the Specialist Autism Team, a unique and continuously developing service which works closely with secondary mental health care services to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions for autistic individuals.

This post is a fantastic opportunity for a creative and innovative practitioner with a passion for delivering person-centred care, which is driven by the individuals whom we support.We are looking for an exceptional Band 7 practitioner who is able to demonstrate daily clinical leadership to the staff team to ensure the delivery of high quality specialist, bespoke services which are designed to meet individual need and preference.

Main duties of the job

The Specialist Autism Team adopts a multidisciplinary team approach to working which supports the evolutionary scope of the service. The MDT is made up of Occupational Therapists, Nurses (RMN & RLD), Speech and Language Therapists, Therapy Assistants & Clinical Psychologists.Through such an approach we are continually learning, developing and findings different ways of working in order to meet the needs and wishes of the individuals we work with. For this reason we have regular team development sessions and each team member plays a vital role in sharing knowledge and information.

We work as a tertiary service between the core hours of 9am until 5pm (Monday-Friday), with some flexibility required on occasion to meet individual need and preferences.

If you are a motivated clinician with a keenness to showcase and adapt your transferrable skillset then please review the attached job description and person specification for further details.

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

Date posted

15 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

351-SPS1460-CLK

Job locations

Specialist Autism Team

Preston

PR1 7LY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role

Person Specification

Education

Essential

Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy
Current professional registration with HCPC as Occupational Therapist and responsibility for maintaining this registration
Masters module/post grad qualification in relevant field of clinical expertise (or working towards) / post-grad qualification/equivalent knowledge & experience to masters level

Knowledge

Essential

Compliance with regulatory bodies and codes of professional conduct
Knowledge of current key NHS developments and policies and implications for service delivery
Knowledge of current models of service for autistic people

Experience

Essential

Evidence of extensive & significant clinical knowledge, skill and experience and therapeutic approaches
Evidence of management development through continuous professional development and/or formal management courses
Experience of partnership working across a range of agencies and professional boundaries

Person Specification

Education

Essential

Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy
Current professional registration with HCPC as Occupational Therapist and responsibility for maintaining this registration
Masters module/post grad qualification in relevant field of clinical expertise (or working towards) / post-grad qualification/equivalent knowledge & experience to masters level

Knowledge

Essential

Compliance with regulatory bodies and codes of professional conduct
Knowledge of current key NHS developments and policies and implications for service delivery
Knowledge of current models of service for autistic people

Experience

Essential

Evidence of extensive & significant clinical knowledge, skill and experience and therapeutic approaches
Evidence of management development through continuous professional development and/or formal management courses
Experience of partnership working across a range of agencies and professional boundaries

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.

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

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

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Specialist Autism Team

Preston

PR1 7LY

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Specialist Autism Team

Preston

PR1 7LY

Employer's website

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