Primary Integrated Community Services

Mental Health Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 23 November 2025

Job summary

PICS are pleased to be able to offeranewChildren and Young People(CYP)Mental Health Occupational TherapistpostinAshfieldSouthPCN, Mid Nottinghamshire areas within Primary Care. You will be joining an established team of Mental Health Occupational Therapists within PICShowever you will have the exciting challenge of starting the role in the PCNdelivering intervention to CYP after seeing theirGP.We are dedicatedto getting earlier access and for people to see the right person to meet theirneeds.

You will be providing holistic OT assessments, 1:1short termintervention and ensuring theyare aware of the most suitable services in the community. It will be your responsibility, alongside support from the PCN and OT Clinical Lead, to set up the services and create links with the community and tertiary services.

You will be supported by a wider team of clinicians includingaLead GPand our Occupational Therapist Clinical Lead who is on the PICS Leadership Team. We currently have Mental Health OTs working in other PCNsreceivingencouraging feedback from patients and clinicians with regards to the benefits of the service.

Main duties of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Provide intervention to children and young people presenting with mental health or wellbeing concerns, focusing on occupational performance (self-care, leisure, school, daily routines).

  • Assess presentation, risk and suitably devise a treatment plan in a time-limited appointments.

  • Have knowledge of mental health across childhoodand young people; understanding of resilience, emotional regulation, common mental health disorders in CYP; understanding of safeguarding children; familiarity with outcome measures & evidence-based OT in mental health

  • To helpchildren, youngpeopleand their care giverstoidentifytheir needs and make shared decisions about management using current evidenced based practice.

  • Liaise with Primary Care colleagues to ensure thatallthe patients needs are addressedincluding when to escalateto safeguardingor crisis teams.

  • Work across the PCN across multiple surgeriesand work closely with the OT Clinical Lead to design and deliver a service tailored to the needs of PCN.

  • Be able to build rapports with the CYP and their parents / guardians (this includes schoolsand other professionals).

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • HCPC registered

  • Occupational TherapyQualification

  • Post graduate experience working inCYPMental Health

  • Continued Professional Development in CYP assessment and interventions.

About us

PICS is the employer for this role. We collaborate with patients and partners to design and deliver clinically robust health and social care solution through Community Services, Out of Hospital Services, GP Practices, and Primary Care Networks. Find out more about us: http://picsnhs.org.uk/.

Benefits of working for PICS

We offer a comprehensive package which includes:

  • NHS Pension 2015 Scheme (subject to eligibility)

  • Alternative government-based scheme (subject to eligibility)
  • Generous annual leave entitlement which references NHS Agenda for Change and recognises previous NHS service, starting 35 days pro rata (inc bank holidays)
  • Competitive leave entitlement that includes maternity, paternity and adoption leave, study leave allowance, and sickness provisions
  • Access to education and training opportunities, depending on your role (CPPE Pharmacy, NHS England Roadmap for First Contact Practitioners, apprenticeship schemes, support professional development)
  • Working in a multi-disciplinary team with support from a wide variety of professionals
  • A flexible approach to a work-life balance
  • Cycle to work scheme (subject to eligibility)
  • Access to Blue Light Card scheme
  • All staff events and conferences
  • Staff engagement (Wellbeing Group, EDI Network, Staff Focus group)
  • Free parking across many sites
  • Personalised induction into the company and job role

Details

Date posted

18 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £38,682 - £40,823 per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

E0220-25-0013ASHS

Job locations

Ashfield South PCN

Nottinghamshire

NG17 7BG


Job description

Job responsibilities

ProfessionalLeadershipandDevelopment

  • To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development activities and to participate in the review and appraisal process.

  • To adhere to the individual Professional code of conduct and practice at all times.

  • To reflect on own practice individually and/or through regular clinical supervision.

  • Provide clinical education, training, and evaluation of clinical competence of team and multidisciplinary team staff, providing support and guidance.

  • To maintain, develop and disseminate specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice.

  • To critically evaluate own work using evidence-based projects, audits, and outcome measures.

  • To work autonomously as an Occupational Therapist within professional and PICS guidelines, policies, and procedures.

Communication and Relationships

  • Demonstrate advanced communication skills in providing advice, empowerment, facilitation, influence, motivation, and counselling.

  • Be able to provide concise summary of appointments, raise any concerns to appropriate professionals, communicate treatment plan and request additional support or requirements from GP or other Healthcare Professional.

  • Manage complex communication issues that may arise between differing health and social care professionals including de-escalation skills when working in highly antagonistic, hostile, and emotive clinical areas.

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve patients, parent sand carers in decision making, offering them informed choices, respecting their views.

  • Demonstrate the ability to recognise barriers to understanding that can been countered with those without English as their first language, patients with disabilities and those with mental health difficulties such as anxiety, clinical depression, or personality disorders.

  • Seek out different styles and methods of communicating to assist longer term needs and aims.

  • The nature of some communication can be unpredictable and can be of an urgent high priority nature: this can therefore be responsible for impacting into time allocated towards other necessary tasks.

  • Provide and receive complex and sensitive information in relation to patient care and will have the ability to advise and support others to communicate information in an understandable, empathic, and reassuring way to children and young people with Mental Health and/or Learning Disabilities and/or Cognitive difficulties and their parents, family and carers.

  • Utilise communications in accordance with Caldicott Principles, Data Protection, Freedom of Information Act and Trust Policies and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

  • Occupational Therapyqualification HCPC registered occupational therapist.

  • Post graduate degree/equivalent qualification or experience.

  • Practical experience inmeeting the health needs ofChildren and Young Peoplewith Mental Health underpinned by theory and experience.

  • In depth knowledge of National and HCPC policies, procedures, code of conduct and standards of care in relation to service provision for adults with mental health.

  • Post qualification experience of working collaboratively with statutory partners, third sector partners and families/carers.

  • Knowledge of safeguardingchildrensprocedures and the ability to take on a lead role in strategy meetings as and whenrequired.

  • Developed skills from a wide and variant background, experience and a broad yet deep knowledge base underpinned with a proventrack recordand/or an academically scrutinised knowledge base.

  • Proven professional development, a profile thatdemonstrates, advanced clinicaloccupational therapypractice.

  • Systematic understanding of how to manage a designated, complex, occupational therapy caseload(relativeto primary care)using theoretical and practical experience, completing assessments, planning, implementing occupational therapy interventions, and evaluating outcomes aligned to care plans.

  • Offer advanced consultation skills and developed specialist and generic knowledge to undertake comprehensive assessment of health and psychosocial care needs of patients with complex disease, including holistic assessment,gatheringand interpreting information, performing tests and analysingresults.

  • Analytical judgement underpinned with specialist knowledge and experience is used to develop evidenced based holistic personal care plan with patients, carers,relativesand health care professionals based on a fullassessment.

  • Provide evidence based written information, ensuring easy access to advice and information for patents, parents/carers.

  • Working knowledge of Microsoft and GP practice data monitoring systems.

  • Ability to write comprehensive clinical notes, implement and evaluate care plans.

  • Provides specialist education and training to other professionals involved in patient care

  • Participate in the education, inductionprogrammesand support meetings for other professional staff.

  • Monitor own performance by reflective practice andidentifytraining and educational needs.

  • Regular self-direction of learning needs.

  • Maintain up to date mandatory training records.

  • Identifythe potential benefits of, andparticipatingin, educational programmes forchildrenand their relatives/carers.

  • Address specific health targetse.g.,NHS Plan, National Service Frameworks related to own area of practice through education

  • Ensure own compliance and compliance of otherswith regard tomandatory training and individual health professional requirements.

Analytical and judgment skills

  • Ability to analyse and interpret complex, dynamic, and incomplete information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommendappropriate courseof action to address emergency issues in unfamiliar contexts.

  • Demonstratea high levelof reflective practice and competence in clinical reasoning and decision making based onevidence-basedOTpractice.

  • Analysis of and ability to work across organisational boundaries within health and social care and with wider community partners.

  • Make a judgement on whetherchildrenhave the capacity to give informed consent seekingadditionaladvice when necessary.It is desirable to have risk assessment experience including use of the Mental Health or Mental Capacity Actincluding with children

Planning and organisation skills

  • Responsible for planning andmanagingtheir ownworkloadalongside surgery rotas.

  • Work independently to manage own complex caseload.

  • Plan and organise specialist occupational therapy provision andadjustasrequired.

  • Promote, develop, and implement clinical standards and good practices both in care delivery andappropriate recordkeeping.

Responsibilities for patient/client care

  • Following the completion of a comprehensive core assessment, develop and provide an individualised,evidence-basedprogramme of care based on formulation, including to those with complex needs/challenging behaviours.

  • At all times work in collaboration with patients and carers ensuring that theCYP and parents /carersaretreated with compassion,respectand dignity.

  • Manage distress and conflict in theday-to-daywork withCYP and parents /carerswho, as an expression of their condition/ diagnosis, may at times be difficult to engage and/ordemonstratesignificant risk behaviours.

  • Provide effective care and therapeutic interventions tochildrenpresenting with a range of difficulties. To engage in active relapse prevention planning withCYP and parents /carerscontributing to their recovery and/ or wellbeing and discharge planning.

  • Provide specialist advice and guidance toCYP,parents/carers and practitioners of other professional disciplines, less experienced staff, voluntaryorganisationsand the public.

  • Recognise andanticipatesituations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of patients and theircarersand advise and treat on the promotion of health and the prevention of physical/mental and behavioural deterioration.

  • Work flexibly to meet the needs ofthe PCNwhich may regularly include working extended hours.This is pre-agreed with the surgeries if yourequireto work Enhanced Access.

  • Demonstrate flexibility in the role. This may involve working across clinical pathways to support the needs of the service, whilstensuring the delivery ofhigh-qualitycare at all times.

Policy and Service Development

  • Adhere to policies, procedures,protocolsand standards and be instrumental in embedding these in service provision.

  • Adhere to professional code of conduct and standards, and requirements of other legislation.

  • Understand,contributeand advise on statutory issues whichimpacton patients and carers. Perform statutory duties and seek advice where necessary.

  • Ensure Implementation of National, Trust and Local Service Legislation, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines for Health and Social Care and be involved in their development whereappropriate. Report any deficiencies within the clinical environment or equipment.

  • Activelyparticipatein service developments and improving the quality of the delivery ofevidence-basedTreatment Interventions by others, ensuring a consistent and standardised approach across the Pathway.

  • Participate in the effective monitoring, review and evaluation of the service provided

Human Resources

  • Take responsibility for keeping own professional knowledge and skills up to datethroughmandatory training, reflective practice, shared learning, etc.

  • Be responsible forbeing actively involved in CPD and professional development plans via supervision and appraisal process.

Please see the supporting documents for more information

Job description

Job responsibilities

ProfessionalLeadershipandDevelopment

  • To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development activities and to participate in the review and appraisal process.

  • To adhere to the individual Professional code of conduct and practice at all times.

  • To reflect on own practice individually and/or through regular clinical supervision.

  • Provide clinical education, training, and evaluation of clinical competence of team and multidisciplinary team staff, providing support and guidance.

  • To maintain, develop and disseminate specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice.

  • To critically evaluate own work using evidence-based projects, audits, and outcome measures.

  • To work autonomously as an Occupational Therapist within professional and PICS guidelines, policies, and procedures.

Communication and Relationships

  • Demonstrate advanced communication skills in providing advice, empowerment, facilitation, influence, motivation, and counselling.

  • Be able to provide concise summary of appointments, raise any concerns to appropriate professionals, communicate treatment plan and request additional support or requirements from GP or other Healthcare Professional.

  • Manage complex communication issues that may arise between differing health and social care professionals including de-escalation skills when working in highly antagonistic, hostile, and emotive clinical areas.

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve patients, parent sand carers in decision making, offering them informed choices, respecting their views.

  • Demonstrate the ability to recognise barriers to understanding that can been countered with those without English as their first language, patients with disabilities and those with mental health difficulties such as anxiety, clinical depression, or personality disorders.

  • Seek out different styles and methods of communicating to assist longer term needs and aims.

  • The nature of some communication can be unpredictable and can be of an urgent high priority nature: this can therefore be responsible for impacting into time allocated towards other necessary tasks.

  • Provide and receive complex and sensitive information in relation to patient care and will have the ability to advise and support others to communicate information in an understandable, empathic, and reassuring way to children and young people with Mental Health and/or Learning Disabilities and/or Cognitive difficulties and their parents, family and carers.

  • Utilise communications in accordance with Caldicott Principles, Data Protection, Freedom of Information Act and Trust Policies and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

  • Occupational Therapyqualification HCPC registered occupational therapist.

  • Post graduate degree/equivalent qualification or experience.

  • Practical experience inmeeting the health needs ofChildren and Young Peoplewith Mental Health underpinned by theory and experience.

  • In depth knowledge of National and HCPC policies, procedures, code of conduct and standards of care in relation to service provision for adults with mental health.

  • Post qualification experience of working collaboratively with statutory partners, third sector partners and families/carers.

  • Knowledge of safeguardingchildrensprocedures and the ability to take on a lead role in strategy meetings as and whenrequired.

  • Developed skills from a wide and variant background, experience and a broad yet deep knowledge base underpinned with a proventrack recordand/or an academically scrutinised knowledge base.

  • Proven professional development, a profile thatdemonstrates, advanced clinicaloccupational therapypractice.

  • Systematic understanding of how to manage a designated, complex, occupational therapy caseload(relativeto primary care)using theoretical and practical experience, completing assessments, planning, implementing occupational therapy interventions, and evaluating outcomes aligned to care plans.

  • Offer advanced consultation skills and developed specialist and generic knowledge to undertake comprehensive assessment of health and psychosocial care needs of patients with complex disease, including holistic assessment,gatheringand interpreting information, performing tests and analysingresults.

  • Analytical judgement underpinned with specialist knowledge and experience is used to develop evidenced based holistic personal care plan with patients, carers,relativesand health care professionals based on a fullassessment.

  • Provide evidence based written information, ensuring easy access to advice and information for patents, parents/carers.

  • Working knowledge of Microsoft and GP practice data monitoring systems.

  • Ability to write comprehensive clinical notes, implement and evaluate care plans.

  • Provides specialist education and training to other professionals involved in patient care

  • Participate in the education, inductionprogrammesand support meetings for other professional staff.

  • Monitor own performance by reflective practice andidentifytraining and educational needs.

  • Regular self-direction of learning needs.

  • Maintain up to date mandatory training records.

  • Identifythe potential benefits of, andparticipatingin, educational programmes forchildrenand their relatives/carers.

  • Address specific health targetse.g.,NHS Plan, National Service Frameworks related to own area of practice through education

  • Ensure own compliance and compliance of otherswith regard tomandatory training and individual health professional requirements.

Analytical and judgment skills

  • Ability to analyse and interpret complex, dynamic, and incomplete information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommendappropriate courseof action to address emergency issues in unfamiliar contexts.

  • Demonstratea high levelof reflective practice and competence in clinical reasoning and decision making based onevidence-basedOTpractice.

  • Analysis of and ability to work across organisational boundaries within health and social care and with wider community partners.

  • Make a judgement on whetherchildrenhave the capacity to give informed consent seekingadditionaladvice when necessary.It is desirable to have risk assessment experience including use of the Mental Health or Mental Capacity Actincluding with children

Planning and organisation skills

  • Responsible for planning andmanagingtheir ownworkloadalongside surgery rotas.

  • Work independently to manage own complex caseload.

  • Plan and organise specialist occupational therapy provision andadjustasrequired.

  • Promote, develop, and implement clinical standards and good practices both in care delivery andappropriate recordkeeping.

Responsibilities for patient/client care

  • Following the completion of a comprehensive core assessment, develop and provide an individualised,evidence-basedprogramme of care based on formulation, including to those with complex needs/challenging behaviours.

  • At all times work in collaboration with patients and carers ensuring that theCYP and parents /carersaretreated with compassion,respectand dignity.

  • Manage distress and conflict in theday-to-daywork withCYP and parents /carerswho, as an expression of their condition/ diagnosis, may at times be difficult to engage and/ordemonstratesignificant risk behaviours.

  • Provide effective care and therapeutic interventions tochildrenpresenting with a range of difficulties. To engage in active relapse prevention planning withCYP and parents /carerscontributing to their recovery and/ or wellbeing and discharge planning.

  • Provide specialist advice and guidance toCYP,parents/carers and practitioners of other professional disciplines, less experienced staff, voluntaryorganisationsand the public.

  • Recognise andanticipatesituations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of patients and theircarersand advise and treat on the promotion of health and the prevention of physical/mental and behavioural deterioration.

  • Work flexibly to meet the needs ofthe PCNwhich may regularly include working extended hours.This is pre-agreed with the surgeries if yourequireto work Enhanced Access.

  • Demonstrate flexibility in the role. This may involve working across clinical pathways to support the needs of the service, whilstensuring the delivery ofhigh-qualitycare at all times.

Policy and Service Development

  • Adhere to policies, procedures,protocolsand standards and be instrumental in embedding these in service provision.

  • Adhere to professional code of conduct and standards, and requirements of other legislation.

  • Understand,contributeand advise on statutory issues whichimpacton patients and carers. Perform statutory duties and seek advice where necessary.

  • Ensure Implementation of National, Trust and Local Service Legislation, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines for Health and Social Care and be involved in their development whereappropriate. Report any deficiencies within the clinical environment or equipment.

  • Activelyparticipatein service developments and improving the quality of the delivery ofevidence-basedTreatment Interventions by others, ensuring a consistent and standardised approach across the Pathway.

  • Participate in the effective monitoring, review and evaluation of the service provided

Human Resources

  • Take responsibility for keeping own professional knowledge and skills up to datethroughmandatory training, reflective practice, shared learning, etc.

  • Be responsible forbeing actively involved in CPD and professional development plans via supervision and appraisal process.

Please see the supporting documents for more information

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Please provide details of your CPD, using examples where necessary.
  • Please provide your registration number of your HCPC professional registration.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your knowledge and skills are suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Experience

Essential

  • Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your experience is suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Please provide details for why you would be a great fit for this role and why you have decided to apply.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Please provide details of your CPD, using examples where necessary.
  • Please provide your registration number of your HCPC professional registration.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your knowledge and skills are suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Experience

Essential

  • Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your experience is suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Please provide details for why you would be a great fit for this role and why you have decided to apply.

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

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

Ashfield South PCN

Nottinghamshire

NG17 7BG


Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

Ashfield South PCN

Nottinghamshire

NG17 7BG


Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

OT Clinical Lead

Desi Gillespie

Desiree.gillespie@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

18 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £38,682 - £40,823 per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

E0220-25-0013ASHS

Job locations

Ashfield South PCN

Nottinghamshire

NG17 7BG


Supporting documents

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