Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist - Stroke

The closing date is 01 October 2025

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Occupational Therapist to further develop and consolidate their clinical expertise across a range of specialist areas, including the Hyperacute Stroke Unit, Acute Stroke Unit, Neuro Outliers, and Neuro Outpatients.

We are seeking a passionate, proactive, and highly motivated individual to join our Neuro Therapy team at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Our team fosters a culture of openness and integrity, actively supporting both personal and professional development while maintaining high standards of clinical care.

If you are looking to deepen your clinical practice within a supportive and forward-thinking environment, this role offers an ideal platform.

You will be well supported in your role by the Clinical Lead, Therapy Service Manager, and a collaborative multidisciplinary team. This is a fixed-term position for 12 months to cover maternity leave, and we are looking for someone who can bring their skills and experience to help lead and support the Occupational Therapy service, ensuring high-quality care for our patients.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide a high standard of specialist assessments and treatments for patients across our service areas.
  • Use specialist knowledge to make comprehensive referrals for patients moving from the acute setting into the community.
  • Use strong interpersonal skills to communicate often complex information to a variety of people including the MDT, community services and service users.
  • Provide supervision and support to members of the therapy team
  • Plan and motivate the team to be involved in and deliver on quality improvement projects to contribute to service development.
  • Hold shared responsibility with other Band 7 therapy staff in the team to manage the team, including sickness, annual leave, rotas, performance to standards, supervision, engagement.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Details

Date posted

17 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

418-DTO7775-KA

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU40DZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see detailed Job Specification, Personal Specification and Functional Aspects form which outline the main responsibilities of this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see detailed Job Specification, Personal Specification and Functional Aspects form which outline the main responsibilities of this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy
  • HCPC Registration
  • Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses/in-service trainings relevant to the clinical field.

Desirable

  • Evidence of managerial / leadership training.

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial postgraduate experience, also within the relevant speciality
  • Relevant NHS experience

Desirable

  • Clinical Educators Certificate/training

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of the workings of community services
  • Understanding of clinical governance and its implications for services, including experience of quality issues and audit

Communication

Essential

  • Example of ability to disseminate complex information to others
  • Evidence of ability to pass on skills/ knowledge to others
  • Example of being able to communicate where there may be barriers to understanding

Skills

Essential

  • Examples of good Leadership skills
  • Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies

Desirable

  • Evidence of use of Data collection & analysis skills
  • Examples of Service improvement skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma/degree in Occupational Therapy
  • HCPC Registration
  • Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendance at recent postgraduate courses/in-service trainings relevant to the clinical field.

Desirable

  • Evidence of managerial / leadership training.

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial postgraduate experience, also within the relevant speciality
  • Relevant NHS experience

Desirable

  • Clinical Educators Certificate/training

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of the workings of community services
  • Understanding of clinical governance and its implications for services, including experience of quality issues and audit

Communication

Essential

  • Example of ability to disseminate complex information to others
  • Evidence of ability to pass on skills/ knowledge to others
  • Example of being able to communicate where there may be barriers to understanding

Skills

Essential

  • Examples of good Leadership skills
  • Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies

Desirable

  • Evidence of use of Data collection & analysis skills
  • Examples of Service improvement skills

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

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU40DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU40DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Specialist Occupational Therapist

Emma Burgess

emma.burgess@ldh.nhs.uk

01582497350

Details

Date posted

17 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

418-DTO7775-KA

Job locations

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU40DZ


Supporting documents

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