Job summary
Ready to take the next step in your OT career? Join Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) as a Senior Occupational Therapist!
Are you a Band 5 OT ready to progress to Band 6? Or already a Band 6 and want a fresh challenge? This is your chance to grow your skills in a supportive, innovative service that's transforming children's community care across Devon.
As part of our Early Child Development Pathway, you'll work alongside Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Early Years Practitioners, and two experienced Band 7 OTs. As OTs in this pathway we help children and families thrive by maximising occupational performance at home, school, and in the community.
What's in it for you? - Support to progress from a Band 5 to Band 6
- Mentorship and support from experienced senior clinicians
- Opportunities to specialise in early years, sensory development, and neurodevelopmental needs
- A collaborative, multidisciplinary team that values learning and innovation
If you're passionate about working with young children, love teamwork, and want to develop your expertise in a dynamic, integrated service, CFHD is the place for you.
We are CFHD OT on Vimeo<https://vimeo.com/1054106042/f9a7cc7e77?share=copy>
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Main duties of the job
- Hold responsibility for the assessment and treatment of a designated caseload within your competence and capability.
- Use astrengths-based approach to deliver:
- Evidence-based interventions
- Goal-focused collaborative practice
- Routine Outcome Measures
- Provide specialist OT advice and interventions within multidisciplinary teams linked to Child Development Centres across Devon.
- Deliver interventions including:
- Direct therapy, coaching, and workshops
- Recommend adaptive equipment and home/school adaptations
- Guidance for home or school adaptations
- Offer early help and interventionsto children with differences in their occupational performance.
- Supervise and support band 4 and 5 colleagues, and contribute to student placements.
- Promote participation of service users across the service.
- Work flexibly across geographical areas to support colleagues according to need and demand.
About us
Why work with us?
- Joining Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) you become part of a dynamic team delivering occupational therapy in the Early Child Development pathway. You'll collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team to provide top-quality care to children with developmental and sensory needs.
- We value compassion, inclusion, and flexibility, with a strong focus on continuous learning and recognition. Our inclusive and forward-looking culture celebrates diversity and fosters professional growth.
- At CFHD, we deliverintegrated health and social care services that make a real difference. Join us to grow your career and impact young lives.
- Within ECD you will be part of asupportive community service, working alongside enthusiastic colleagues who provide mentorship, inspiration, and professional support.
- This is a fantastic opportunity todevelop your expertise in early years, sensory development, and neurodevelopmental needs within an integrated, learning-focused environment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description for further details.
As a Senior Occupational Therapist within the Early Child Development Pathway, you will play a key role in supporting children and families to achieve their full potential in everyday life. This is a progressive role designed to develop your clinical expertise and leadership skills within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.
Your Core Responsibilities
- Comprehensive Assessment & InterventionUndertake holistic assessments of children with a range of developmental, sensory, and neurodevelopmental needs. Plan and deliver tailored interventions that promote participation and independence across home, school, and community settings.
- Evidence-Based PracticeApply advanced clinical reasoning and use outcome measures to guide decision-making. Ensure interventions are strengths-based, goal-oriented, and aligned with best practice standards.
- Collaborative WorkingWork closely with Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Early Years Practitioners, and other professionals to provide integrated care. Contribute to joint planning and shared problem-solving within the Child Development Centre network.
- Early Help & Specialist Support
Provide proactive, light-touch interventions for common challenges such as sleep routines, communication difficulties, and positive behaviour strategies. Offer tailored advice and practical strategies to families and professionals, ensuring recommendations are easy to implement and effective. You will also at times offer specialist guidance on adaptive equipment and environmental modifications to enhance participation and independence in everyday activities.
- Professional Development & SupervisionSupport and mentor Early Years Practitioners, Band 4 or 5 OTs in the future, and students on placement. Engage in reflective practice and contribute to service development initiatives.
- Flexibility & Service ContributionWork across geographical areas when required to meet service needs. Promote participation and inclusion for children and families throughout all aspects of care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description for further details.
As a Senior Occupational Therapist within the Early Child Development Pathway, you will play a key role in supporting children and families to achieve their full potential in everyday life. This is a progressive role designed to develop your clinical expertise and leadership skills within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.
Your Core Responsibilities
- Comprehensive Assessment & InterventionUndertake holistic assessments of children with a range of developmental, sensory, and neurodevelopmental needs. Plan and deliver tailored interventions that promote participation and independence across home, school, and community settings.
- Evidence-Based PracticeApply advanced clinical reasoning and use outcome measures to guide decision-making. Ensure interventions are strengths-based, goal-oriented, and aligned with best practice standards.
- Collaborative WorkingWork closely with Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Early Years Practitioners, and other professionals to provide integrated care. Contribute to joint planning and shared problem-solving within the Child Development Centre network.
- Early Help & Specialist Support
Provide proactive, light-touch interventions for common challenges such as sleep routines, communication difficulties, and positive behaviour strategies. Offer tailored advice and practical strategies to families and professionals, ensuring recommendations are easy to implement and effective. You will also at times offer specialist guidance on adaptive equipment and environmental modifications to enhance participation and independence in everyday activities.
- Professional Development & SupervisionSupport and mentor Early Years Practitioners, Band 4 or 5 OTs in the future, and students on placement. Engage in reflective practice and contribute to service development initiatives.
- Flexibility & Service ContributionWork across geographical areas when required to meet service needs. Promote participation and inclusion for children and families throughout all aspects of care.
Person Specification
1. Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Occupational Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Diploma level specialist training or experience
Desirable
- Post-graduate certified courses specific to children's needs (e.g. Sensory training; ADOS, 3di etc)
2. Experience
Essential
- To work within trust clinical guidelines and Royal College of OT and HCPC standards. To have working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own quality and safety of practice
- Extensive knowledge of Occupational Therapy models of practice and specialist approaches
- Experience of Occupational Therapy therapeutic interventions for children and young people including but not inclusive to: manual handling, specialist equipment, 24-hour postural management, fine motor, sensory differences and housing adaptations
- Knowledge of a wide range of Occupational Therapy assessment tools appropriate to meet a wide range of needs in the paediatric population
- Knowledge of normal child development and a broad range of paediatric conditions
- Community based Children's Occupational Therapy experience
Desirable
3. Specific
Essential
- Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to keep accurate and legible children/young people and families clinical notes in line with RCOT and HCPC guidance
- Ability to plan organise and prioritise effectively
Person Specification
1. Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Occupational Therapy
- HCPC registration
- Diploma level specialist training or experience
Desirable
- Post-graduate certified courses specific to children's needs (e.g. Sensory training; ADOS, 3di etc)
2. Experience
Essential
- To work within trust clinical guidelines and Royal College of OT and HCPC standards. To have working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own quality and safety of practice
- Extensive knowledge of Occupational Therapy models of practice and specialist approaches
- Experience of Occupational Therapy therapeutic interventions for children and young people including but not inclusive to: manual handling, specialist equipment, 24-hour postural management, fine motor, sensory differences and housing adaptations
- Knowledge of a wide range of Occupational Therapy assessment tools appropriate to meet a wide range of needs in the paediatric population
- Knowledge of normal child development and a broad range of paediatric conditions
- Community based Children's Occupational Therapy experience
Desirable
3. Specific
Essential
- Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to keep accurate and legible children/young people and families clinical notes in line with RCOT and HCPC guidance
- Ability to plan organise and prioritise effectively
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).
