Occupational Therapy Assistant

Tees Skes and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Occupational Therapy Assistant The closing date is 12 May 2026 An exciting opportunity has arisen for a competent, confident and enthusiastic part time (22.5 hours) Band 3 Occupational Therapy Assistant to join our team. The occupational therapy service is based within Secure Inpatient Services at Ridgeway, Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough. The multi-disciplinary team works with individuals with mental health needs, learning disabilities and autism within the context of forensic medium and low inpatient settings. The post holder will support occupational therapists in the provision of evidence‑based occupational therapy assessment and interventions as part of the OT Pathway linked to forensic mental health, learning disabilities and autism and offer input to individuals, their families and carers within secure inpatient services. You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role. Main duties of the job * To be responsible for working with delegated service users and contributing to assessments and interventions to address key occupational areas of self‑care, productivity and leisure. * To engage service users and their carers in therapeutic programmes of care, supporting them in achieving their identified goals and promoting independence and well‑being through a client‑centred approach. * To participate in clinical supervision. * To contribute to multi‑disciplinary team working. * To contribute to safety and quality improvement activities as part of occupational therapy team. * 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 Working within TEWV provides many opportunities for development, training and support. Within Secure Inpatient Services there is a supportive leadership structure for Therapies as well as clinical leadership within occupational therapy. You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network in forensic services in TEWV, in supporting the delivering of a high‑quality needs‑led OT service, utilising your technical and creative skills to engage service users in therapeutic activities and supporting service users/carers to achieve their identified goals. All team members must be committed to providing the best possible care for the people we work with and their families/carers. Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the supervising Occupational Therapist as identified by the relevant Lead OT. The post holder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to ensure fidelity to core occupational therapy delivery, enhance CPD and contribute to the wider OT service developments. Job responsibilities Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying. You must be able to demonstrate experience of working alongside occupational therapists or experience of paid or voluntary work with people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities. And a keenness to continually develop yourself and others. We will support use of transferrable skills from a range of clinical settings. There are varied opportunities for training and development, with CPD needs being identified and monitored through appraisal. Person Specification Qualifications * Relevant NVQ Level 3 in Care or Appropriate AVCE in Health & Social Care or Willingness to undertake within agreed timescale. * Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent) Experience * Experience of paid or voluntary work with people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities. * Experience working alongside occupational therapists. * Awareness of needs of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities. * Awareness of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. 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. Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust £25,760 to £27,476 a year pro rata, per annum #J-18808-Ljbffr