Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist
Job Description
Job summary
Have you thought about working within prison mental health services?
We have an exciting opportunity for an Occupational Therapist to be the one of the first to join our mental health team at HMP Millsike, a brand new Category B men's prison, located in the village of Full Sutton near York.
Prison environments are one of the most challenging, yet rewarding places for healthcare professionals to work. If you're looking for a role where you can develop your existing Clinical skills and learn something new every day in an environment that never stands still, then this could be the opportunity for you.
As a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist you will be professionally and clinically accountable for a highly complex caseload, assessing occupational performance and delivering specialist occupational interventions, providing Trust-wide clinical leadership and advice in the specialist area, demonstrating adherence to the Trust Values at all times and operating as a leader in the team, service and organisation.
HMP Millsike will have an operational capacity of 1500 people who will spend their sentences learning the skills they need to find work on release as part of the government's drive to cut reoffending. The prison site is currently under construction and Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust were recently awarded the Mental Health Service contract to begin delivering services in April 2025.
The working base is flexible between HMP Millsike and HMP Full Sutton.
Main duties of the job
The post holder should be be independent with complexity, expertise and leadership in the following areas:
- To provide Trust-wide clinical leadership and advice in own specialist area.
- To provide clinical supervision and specialist training for occupational therapy staff within the designated specialty and other healthcare professionals.
- To be responsible for managing a highly specialist caseload, triaging and prioritising referrals, completing evidence-based assessments and interventions to address key occupational areas of self care, productivity and leisure.
- To use client-centred approaches to co-producing negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these with service users collaboratively.
- To contribute to multi-disciplinary team working
- To contribute to and lead on service improvement and quality initiatives
- To use the Trust electronic patient record system
- To abide by all Trust policies and procedures
- To be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenges
About us
About Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
This post will both deliver a highly specialist caseload within HMP Millsike and HMP Full Sutton as well establishing occupational therapy services, alongside the Lead occupational therapist and the Trust OT pathway, within this new contract. This includes delivery of occupational therapy within the in-reach mental teams
Job responsibilities
This role will be essential in expanding and evaluating occupational therapy within prison health care, and the post holder will be integral to supporting others within this specialism Trust-wide.
This role is an expansion of occupational therapy within health and justice, which is an exciting and evolving service across the Trust. You will receive support from this close network of therapists within the region including Lead occupational therapist, peers including registered therapists and support staff. This support also extends to national networks through Royal College of Occupational Therapists and informal peer support groups within this field of practice. Monthly Occupational Therapy Learning and Governance Network meetings will provide an opportunity to receive and offer guidance and support to colleagues as well as developing practice and learning.
Please see the attached job description and person specifications which outlines the main duties and responsibilities of both the band 6 and band 7 roles.
Additional contact details:Charlotte French Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist: [email protected]
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters in Occupational Therapy or related subject (or willingness to undertake within agreed timescale)
- Registration with HCPC
- Clinical Supervisory Skills course.
- Trust training in Appraisal and Recruitment (or willingness to undertake within an agreed timescale)
- Trust QIS (Quality Improvement System) for Leaders (or willingness to undertake within agreed timescale)
- Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)
Desirable
- Accredited Practice Placement Educator (APPLE)
Experience
Essential
- Substantial clinical experience in own specialist area
- Experience of leading quality improvement activities
- Participation in service development
- Experience of leading clinical governance activities including clinical audit
- Participation in research and development
- Substantial experience in clinical supervision of staff
- Substantial experience in design and delivery of training
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly specialist clinical knowledge in own specialist area
- Good understanding of national strategy, guidance and key standards in own specialist area and their application in practice
- Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act and their application in practice.
Desirable
- Business planning process
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
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Address
HMP Millsike
York
YO41 1PS
