Senior Occupational Therapist - MHST

Senior Occupational Therapist - MHST

Go back Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 20 February 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified competent, confident, and enthusiastic full time permanent Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Harrogate Wellbeing in Mind Team, based in schools. Occupational Therapy is a governed complex intervention; as a Specialist occupational therapist in TEWV working as part of the national Mental Health Support Team (MHST) agenda, you will be responsible for managing this complexity as part of the three strands of MHST delivery that the Wellbeing in Mind Team (WiMT) must undertake, ensuring adherence to the Trust Values at all times.

• Offer consultation, advice, and guidance to staff in each education setting
• Contribute to the "Whole School Approach" offer via training, assemblies, group work and attendance events which relate to wellbeing within each education setting
• Receive referrals for occupational therapy, triage and prioritise these, completing evidence-based assessments and interventions to address key occupational areas of self care, productivity and leisure
• Use client-centred approaches to co-produce negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these with service users collaboratively
• Participate in clinical/professional and management supervision
• Contribute to multi-disciplinary team working
• Lead on service improvement and quality initiatives
• Use the Trust electronic patient record system
• Abide by all Trust policies and procedures
• Respond flexibly and creatively to challenges

The Wellbeing in Mind service is a mental health support team that works directly into education. This is in line with the government's priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people within education settings.

Each MHST national has 3 core functions:

• Support the development of a whole-school or college approach to wellbeing, including developing policies, resources, campaigns, training, assemblies and PHSE curriculum
• Provide timely advice and consultation to education staff to build skills and confidence in supporting student wellbeing
• Undertake direct assessments and intervention for young people within education, offering a low intensity service model (primarily using cognitive-behavioural therapy)

Each function accounts for a third of the team s workload.

We are looking for OTs who can work flexibly to meet service needs and have the vision, energy and inspiration to develop creative, imaginative solutions to working with young people and families.

The successful candidate will work with young people in a variety of primary, secondary and further education settings, their families and educational staff. The postholder will consider the wider social prescribing agenda and support the creation of opportunities for young people. The postholder will access wider support from the Occupational Therapy network in CAMHS in TEWV to develop a new way of delivering a high quality, needs-led OT contribution to the service, utilising core Occupational Therapy skills to ensure all of the young people referred have a robust occupational therapy assessment and intervention plan in place.

The post-holder will work collaboratively with a wide number of agencies, voluntary services and community groups to develop the ability of young people to engage in occupation and improve or maintain their mental wellbeing. They will also deliver activities related to the whole school approach to wellbeing and offer informal advice and support to educational staff.

The successful candidate will be compassionate, enthusiastic and motivated to improve the lives of young people experiencing a mental health problem while minimising the impact of mental ill health. The role involves delivering occupational therapy with flexible hours across the entire week.

The OT role will bring a fresh perspective to the needs of the young people we work with and enhance the existing care offered. A forward-thinking, creative approach will be supported to utilise core OT skills to inform and complement care.

The ability to engage and communicate with children and young people across the developmental spectrum, as well as parents/carers and systems around them, is essential. The post holder must demonstrate experience in delivering occupational therapy, a keenness to continually develop themselves and others, and a particular interest in this field of OT.

You will access wider support from the occupational therapy network in CAMHS in TEWV to develop a high quality, needs-led OT service, utilising core occupational therapy skills to ensure all the people we work with have a robust occupational therapy assessment and intervention plan in place.

Clinical/Professional supervision is provided by the Lead Occupational Therapist for CAMHS for the Trust. The postholder will attend OT Learning and Governance Networks to…