Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You'll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you'll do the best work of your life - and make a difference to other people's lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Occupational Therapist to join the Adult Community Mental Health Team in Colchester as Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist.

We are seeking an inspirational clinician and leader who is passionate about delivering high-quality, recovery-focused mental health care and championing the role of Occupational Therapy within community services. The successful candidate will provide professional and clinical leadership to the Occupational Therapy workforce and the wider MDT professions, supporting the delivery of evidence-based interventions that promote independence, social inclusion, meaningful activity, and recovery.

The post holder will work as a senior member of the multidisciplinary team, combining advanced clinical practice with leadership responsibilities. They will lead the development of Occupational Therapy services across the locality, support workforce development, and contribute to service improvement initiatives that enhance outcomes for people experiencing complex mental health difficulties.

Working closely with Team Leads, Clinical Managers, Professional Leads and the wider MDT, the post holder will play a key role in shaping and developing services in line with EPUT's strategic priorities and transformation agenda.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will work as a Clinical Lead within the locality based mental health team, with direct leadership and line management responsibility for the Occupational Therapy team and provision. As a core senior practitioner within the SCMHT they will also support the delivery of services as part of wider multi-disciplinary and senior teams.

The post holder will have the opportunity to utilise clinical skills as they contribute directly with the management of people with complex care needs, and leadership skills providing supervision and shaping the delivery of…