Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Paediatric Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 22 September 2025

Job summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our Children & Young People's Integrated Therapy (CYPIT) team. This is an excellent opportunity for a newly qualified therapist or someone looking to move into their first paediatric role.

You will support children, young people, and their families across a variety of settings, including early years, school-age, and special school caseloads. To succeed, you'll need excellent communication and interpersonal skills, an understanding of the diverse needs of children and families, and a passion for delivering impact-based, child-centred care.

Working in a supportive and passionate team, you'll benefit from our Trust-wide Learning and Development programme, regular supervision, and opportunities to build your CPD portfolio. You'll also play a key role in promoting integrated services, collaborating with schools, families, and multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure seamless support for the children in our care.

This role offers the chance to grow your skills, gain valuable experience, and make a real difference in the lives of children and young people across Berkshire.

Main duties of the job

  • Take responsibility for your own caseload

  • Develop skills to work autonomously to assess, plan, deliver, and evaluate interventions.

  • Provide high-quality, evidence-based therapy across a range of settings, including schools, clinics, homes, and community venues.

  • Deliver training and support to schools, parents, carers, and young people.

  • Have opportunities to contribute to service development, clinical projects, and innovative ways of delivering care.

  • Access regular supervision, mentoring, and CPD opportunities to support your professional growth.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust sites

Details

Date posted

15 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£32,602 to £39,686 a year per annum (inc. of HCAS)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-CFS581

Job locations

CYPIT East Berkshire - St Marks Hospital

112 St Marks Road

Maidenhead

SL6 6DU


Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

  • A passion for working with children and young people.

  • A collaborative approach, working alongside families, schools, and colleagues.

  • Excellent communication skills.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.

If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Gemma West on 07789741450 or email: gemma.west@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

  • A passion for working with children and young people.

  • A collaborative approach, working alongside families, schools, and colleagues.

  • Excellent communication skills.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.

If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Gemma West on 07789741450 or email: gemma.west@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • Professional Qualification e.g. Professional knowledge acquired through degree/ diploma supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist Training
  • An understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people

Desirable

  • Able to demonstrate required clinical knowledge of up-to-date Occupational therapy interventions and service issues relevant to Children and Young Peoples service provision.

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate experience in working with children in any capacity
  • Able to demonstrate a clinical knowledge and familiarisation with a range of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools relevant to occupational therapy interventions

Desirable

  • Student placement in paediatrics or previous experience in paediatrics
  • Experience of working with families from a wide variety of backgrounds including age and ethnicity
  • Experience of supporting CYP in both community and educational settings

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Evidence of a value system which puts the child at the heart of actions
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of paediatrics and the diverse needs of children and young people in a broad sense
  • Evidence of an understanding and application of Care Planning approaches, and evidence of a belief in its value
  • Able to use IT to support and innovate clinical development
  • Clear, succinct written communication skills
  • Ability to work in a calm and confident manner in stressful situations
  • Ability to work successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • Knowledge of current professional and statutory issues
  • Ability to work across professional boundaries to effect seamless family care
  • Ability to self-motivate

Desirable

  • Understanding of English Education System

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • Car Driver and willingness to work across Berkshire, as required
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Able to work with children and young people who may have behavioural challenges and learning and/or physical difficulties
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • Professional Qualification e.g. Professional knowledge acquired through degree/ diploma supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist Training
  • An understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people

Desirable

  • Able to demonstrate required clinical knowledge of up-to-date Occupational therapy interventions and service issues relevant to Children and Young Peoples service provision.

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate experience in working with children in any capacity
  • Able to demonstrate a clinical knowledge and familiarisation with a range of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools relevant to occupational therapy interventions

Desirable

  • Student placement in paediatrics or previous experience in paediatrics
  • Experience of working with families from a wide variety of backgrounds including age and ethnicity
  • Experience of supporting CYP in both community and educational settings

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Evidence of a value system which puts the child at the heart of actions
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of paediatrics and the diverse needs of children and young people in a broad sense
  • Evidence of an understanding and application of Care Planning approaches, and evidence of a belief in its value
  • Able to use IT to support and innovate clinical development
  • Clear, succinct written communication skills
  • Ability to work in a calm and confident manner in stressful situations
  • Ability to work successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • Knowledge of current professional and statutory issues
  • Ability to work across professional boundaries to effect seamless family care
  • Ability to self-motivate

Desirable

  • Understanding of English Education System

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • Car Driver and willingness to work across Berkshire, as required
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Able to work with children and young people who may have behavioural challenges and learning and/or physical difficulties

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

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

CYPIT East Berkshire - St Marks Hospital

112 St Marks Road

Maidenhead

SL6 6DU


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

CYPIT East Berkshire - St Marks Hospital

112 St Marks Road

Maidenhead

SL6 6DU


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

CYPIT Early Years Lead (East)

Gemma West

gemma.west@berkshire.nhs.uk

07789741450

Details

Date posted

15 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£32,602 to £39,686 a year per annum (inc. of HCAS)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-CFS581

Job locations

CYPIT East Berkshire - St Marks Hospital

112 St Marks Road

Maidenhead

SL6 6DU


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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