Occupational Therapist

The Specialist Accommodation Gateway is an exciting and growing part of Cardiff’s housing and social care pathway. It brings together a wide range of accommodation solutions into one coordinated, person-centred access point, ensuring clients receive the right home, at the right time, with the right level of support.

The Gateway manages allocations across Managed Accommodation, Community Living and Extra Care schemes, Step Up and Step Down pathways, and short-term Respite options. It plays a vital role in supporting hospital discharge, preventing unnecessary admissions, promoting independence, and enabling access to long‑term housing that meets assessed need.

This is an ambitious, fast‑developing service that works closely with Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Scheme Managers, health partners and wider housing teams to deliver better outcomes for people with complex needs. The Gateway is central to transforming how Cardiff delivers fair, consistent and transparent accommodation decisions.

As the Occupational Therapist within the Specialist Accommodation Gateway, you will provide specialist functional, environmental and clinical advice to support fair, lawful and needs‑led accommodation decisions for people with complex health, mobility and care needs.

You will play a key role in Step‑Up and Step‑Down pathways, assessing individuals and their home environments to determine whether they can safely return home with adaptations, or whether alternative accommodation should be considered. Your professional judgement will directly inform discharge planning, crisis prevention and longer‑term housing outcomes.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to Specialist Accommodation Gateway Panel meetings, providing expert advice on the suitability of accommodation options in relation to mobility, accessibility, equipment and functional need. Your input will help ensure that accommodation decisions promote independence, reduce risk and support wellbeing.

You will work closely with Gateway colleagues, social care and health partners to ensure assessments, recommendations and decisions are clearly recorded and aligned across systems. You will also support the ongoing development of Gateway processes, sharing professional expertise to help strengthen pathways and improve outcomes for clients.

This is a rewarding role for an Occupational Therapist who enjoys working collaboratively, applying professional judgement in complex situations, and seeing the direct impact of their work on people’s ability to live safely and independently.

We are looking for motivated, compassionate and solution‑focused individuals who are passionate about helping people achieve independence and stability. You will thrive in a role where every day is different and where teamwork, clear communication and sound judgement are essential.

You will bring:

A commitment to person-centred practice
An understanding of how to assess need holistically and match people to appropriate accommodation and support.

Strong partnership working skills
The ability to work effectively with colleagues across housing, social care and health to support joined‑up decision making.

Confidence in making sound, timely decisions
You will be comfortable evaluating information, managing complexity and making recommendations in time‑critical situations.

A positive, proactive approach to change
The Gateway is continually evolving, and you will contribute ideas and support ongoing development and improvement.

Excellent organisational skills
Accuracy, consistency and attention to detail are essential to ensure fair allocations and smooth transitions.

A genuine desire to make a difference
You will care…