East London NHS Foundation Trust

Occupational Therapy Assistant

The closing date is 22 March 2026

Job summary

JOB SUMMARY

The Occupational Therapy (OT) inpatient service is a dynamic and forward-thinking team that actively encourages and supports professional and service development. As an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) you will work within this team to provide specialized Occupational Therapy interventions under the guidance of a qualified Occupational Therapist.

You will work within an already well-established multi-disciplinary team to promote and facilitate the OT program, both on the ward and in the community. This will involve providing one-on-one interventions, conducting group work, and helping clients access relevant local community resources to support their discharge.

You will receive regular supervision from an experienced Occupational Therapist, as well as peer support from colleagues within the inpatient service. There will be regular ward meetings and Trust-wide Occupational Therapy meetings, along with opportunities for personal development, supervision, annual appraisals, and additional support from an experienced Band 7 Occupational Therapist, the Head of Occupational Therapy, the ward manager, and the matron.

As an ELFT employee within Luton and Bedfordshire, you may need to be allocated to different locations within the service based on service need.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

Support the Occupational Therapy Service in its' provision of assessment, treatment, maintenance and resettlement of service users within the Mental service for Bedfordshire on the wards, in the OT department and in the community.

Contribute to the planning, provision and evaluation of the OT service.

3. To develop specialist knowledge and skills in acute mental health, and to train and educate others in their practice.

To assist the OT service in establishing work placements within the Trust and with partner organisations.
To maintain positive key relationships with the following:

Lead Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapy colleagues

Modern Matron, Clinical Practice Lead and nursing staff on aligned ward

Multi-Disciplinary Teams working to aligned ward

Service users and their families/ carers.

Links with external agencies and other appropriate community services

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Date posted

06 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year PA

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

363-BED7812367

Job locations

Oakley Court

Angel Close

Luton

LU4 9WT

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and ResponsibilitieS

Patient Care

To ensure clients are provided with treatment and rehabilitation programs based on individual assessment of need.
To develop and maintain a client-centered treatment approach sensitive to the personal and cultural needs of individual service users.
To assist with developing opportunities for clients to engage in education and work projects.
To support and collaborate with service users in care planning within the framework of the Care Planning Approach.

Physical skills required facilitate a wide range of physical activities with clients, including moving and using equipment as required.

Ability to manage frequent highly distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems.

Ability to assess and manage exposure to potential hazards including frequent verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression in hospital setting and community settings (e.g. clients home, community venues, public transport etc.) whilst ensuring safety of self, client and members of the public.

Clinical

To assist other team members in the assessment and observation of service users.

To carry out interventions under the guidance of professionally qualified staff members.
Under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist or other professionally qualified team member to implement agreed occupational therapy treatment plans by carrying out practical individual and group activities with service users.
To work and liase as required with the multi-disciplinary team, including attendance at client-related meetings.
Maintain records and report observations of clients progress and performance verbally and in writing.
To ensure that all clinical contact carried out incorporates risk assessment and appropriate management of risk.
To participate in the development of evidence based delivery of therapeutic interventions, as directed by qualified staff members.

Administration

To ensure that documentation and patient records are recorded and counter signed and adequately stored in line with Trust and COT guidelines. To maintain required statistical information. To provide accurate and current information on the service to service users and carers as required. To carry out administrative tasks as required for the smooth running of the department.

Management

To co-ordinate the day to day running of occupational therapy programs, to ensure robust delivery of the clinical service.
To provide regular clinical and professional supervision for other members of the OT team
To assist the Service Head OT in the planning, provision and evaluation of the inpatient occupational therapy service and countywide.
To assist with the review and implementation of local policies and procedures.
To implement Trust and Service policies and procedure.
To ensure staff attendance at clinical and administrative meetings.
To provide student placements as well as supporting with the planning and monitoring of placements within the service.
To actively promote interest in and understanding of the profession by others.
To actively seek out and participate in own supervision.

Human Resources

To participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision, and to engage in self-development through appraisal and individual performance review.

To participate in in-service and external training, as agreed with Line Manager and Supervisor, and to feedback and reflect on training attended.
To assist team members in providing training to students placed with the clinical team.
To participate in the induction of new members of staff under guidance from senior colleagues.

Performance and Quality

To observe and adhere to College of Occupational therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

To be aware of and adhere to Department, Unit and Trust-wide policies and procedures, including Risk Management procedures.

To attend departmental and administrative meetings as required.

To identify relevant resources and develop partnerships to enable clients to integrate into the community

To actively encourage user involvement in service development

To assist with the development of culturally sensitive OT services.

Financial and Physical Resources

To prepare and order stock and equipment as appropriate and participate in the processing of deliveries as required.

To maintain equipment and materials in a condition compliant with Health and Safety requirements.

Responsible for accurately completing petty cash vouchers related to purchases made for individual client service provision

Physical, Emotional and Mental effort

To display the physical skills required to facilitate a wide range of activities both on a one to one and group basis, including

using equipment as required

To display the ability to manage frequent highly distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems.

To display the ability to assess and manage exposure to potential hazards including frequent verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression in hospital setting and community settings (e.g. clients home, community venues, public transport etc.) whilst ensuring safety of self, client and members of the public.

Job Description Agreement

This job description is intended as a guide to the main duties of the post and is not intended to be a prescriptive document. Duties and base of work may change to meet the needs of the service or because of the introduction of new technology. This job description may be reviewed from time to time and changed, after consultation with the postholder.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and ResponsibilitieS

Patient Care

To ensure clients are provided with treatment and rehabilitation programs based on individual assessment of need.
To develop and maintain a client-centered treatment approach sensitive to the personal and cultural needs of individual service users.
To assist with developing opportunities for clients to engage in education and work projects.
To support and collaborate with service users in care planning within the framework of the Care Planning Approach.

Physical skills required facilitate a wide range of physical activities with clients, including moving and using equipment as required.

Ability to manage frequent highly distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems.

Clinical

To assist other team members in the assessment and observation of service users.

To carry out interventions under the guidance of professionally qualified staff members.
Under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist or other professionally qualified team member to implement agreed occupational therapy treatment plans by carrying out practical individual and group activities with service users.
To work and liase as required with the multi-disciplinary team, including attendance at client-related meetings.
Maintain records and report observations of clients progress and performance verbally and in writing.
To ensure that all clinical contact carried out incorporates risk assessment and appropriate management of risk.
To participate in the development of evidence based delivery of therapeutic interventions, as directed by qualified staff members.

Administration

Management

To co-ordinate the day to day running of occupational therapy programs, to ensure robust delivery of the clinical service.
To provide regular clinical and professional supervision for other members of the OT team
To assist the Service Head OT in the planning, provision and evaluation of the inpatient occupational therapy service and countywide.
To assist with the review and implementation of local policies and procedures.
To implement Trust and Service policies and procedure.
To ensure staff attendance at clinical and administrative meetings.
To provide student placements as well as supporting with the planning and monitoring of placements within the service.
To actively promote interest in and understanding of the profession by others.
To actively seek out and participate in own supervision.

Human Resources

To participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision, and to engage in self-development through appraisal and individual performance review.

To participate in in-service and external training, as agreed with Line Manager and Supervisor, and to feedback and reflect on training attended.
To assist team members in providing training to students placed with the clinical team.
To participate in the induction of new members of staff under guidance from senior colleagues.

Performance and Quality

To observe and adhere to College of Occupational therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

To be aware of and adhere to Department, Unit and Trust-wide policies and procedures, including Risk Management procedures.

To attend departmental and administrative meetings as required.

To identify relevant resources and develop partnerships to enable clients to integrate into the community

To actively encourage user involvement in service development

To assist with the development of culturally sensitive OT services.

Financial and Physical Resources

To prepare and order stock and equipment as appropriate and participate in the processing of deliveries as required.

To maintain equipment and materials in a condition compliant with Health and Safety requirements.

Responsible for accurately completing petty cash vouchers related to purchases made for individual client service provision

Physical, Emotional and Mental effort

To display the physical skills required to facilitate a wide range of activities both on a one to one and group basis, including

using equipment as required

To display the ability to manage frequent highly distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems.

Job Description Agreement

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

NVQ and/or B Tech in Care Related skills.
Qualification in relevant practical skills
Relevant GCSE's

Experience

Essential

Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing
Ability to consider client's needs in practical terms
Demonstrate problem solving skills
Ability to use own initiative and work alone at times
Ability to plan and organise group and 1:1 activities

Desirable

Word processing skills, e.g. Windows
Experience working within a Mental Health setting

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Basic understanding of needs and concerns of people with mental health problems
Understanding of varying needs of clients from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds
Basic understanding of O.T. and ability to learn about the OT process

Desirable

Planning and running groups

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

NVQ and/or B Tech in Care Related skills.
Qualification in relevant practical skills
Relevant GCSE's

Experience

Essential

Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing
Ability to consider client's needs in practical terms
Demonstrate problem solving skills
Ability to use own initiative and work alone at times
Ability to plan and organise group and 1:1 activities

Desirable

Word processing skills, e.g. Windows
Experience working within a Mental Health setting

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Basic understanding of needs and concerns of people with mental health problems
Understanding of varying needs of clients from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds
Basic understanding of O.T. and ability to learn about the OT process

Desirable

Planning and running groups

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).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Certificate of Sponsorship

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oakley Court

Angel Close

Luton

LU4 9WT

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oakley Court

Angel Close

Luton

LU4 9WT

Employer's website

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