Band 6​/Paediatric Occupational Therapist: Sensory Specialist

Location: Unlocking Language, Canary Wharf Clinic, London

Role: Band 6/7 Paediatric Occupational Therapist (full-time or part-time)

Specialism: Sensory Processing & Sensory Integration

Client Group: Children and young people aged 2–25, with a particular focus on Early Years, younger children and children with complex needs

Salary: £42,471- £50,000

Unlocking Language is a specialist paediatric therapy service supporting children, young people and their families across London and Essex.

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Band 6 or Band 7 Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join our multidisciplinary team at our Canary Wharf clinic.

This is an exciting opportunity for an Occupational Therapist with a strong interest and experience in sensory processing, sensory integration and regulation to help further develop the occupational therapy and sensory provision within our clinic.

You will work closely alongside our Speech and Language Therapists, supporting children with a wide range of developmental, sensory, communication and complex needs.

The successful Occupational Therapist will provide specialist assessment, intervention and advice for children and young people aged approximately 2–25 years, with the majority of the caseload focusing on Early Years and younger children.

Children attending the clinic may present with:

• Autism
• Developmental delay
• Sensory processing differences
• Sensory seeking or sensory avoidant behaviours
• Emotional and sensory regulation difficulties
• ADHD
• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/dyspraxia
• Fine and gross motor difficulties
• Motor planning and praxis difficulties
• Poor body awareness and proprioception
• Vestibular processing difficulties
• Attention and engagement difficulties
• Complex developmental needs
• Learning disabilities
• Physical disabilities
• Difficulties with activities of daily living and independence
• Handwriting and pre-writing difficulties
• Play and participation difficulties

A key focus of this position will be developing our sensory and regulation provision within the Canary Wharf clinic.

You will:

• Carry out specialist sensory assessments and observations.
• Identify children's individual sensory processing profiles and how these impact participation, regulation, learning, play and daily life.
• Plan and deliver individualised sensory-based occupational therapy programmes.
• Develop and implement sensory diets and sensory strategies where clinically appropriate.
• Design and deliver sensory circuits, including alerting, organising and calming activities.
• Support children who experience sensory dysregulation.
• Provide strategies for sensory seeking, sensory avoidance and sensory sensitivities.
• Support proprioceptive, vestibular, tactile and interoceptive development.
• Work on body awareness, motor planning, coordination and postural control.
• Advise parents, therapists and other professionals on environmental adaptations and regulation strategies.
• Support the development of sensory programmes that can be continued at home, nursery or school.

We are particularly interested in a therapist who is passionate about helping us build a high-quality, evidence-informed sensory environment for the children attending our clinic.

An exciting part of this role will be helping us develop and adapt our Canary Wharf clinic to incorporate a dedicated sensory room and enhanced sensory provision.

The Occupational Therapist will have the opportunity to advise on:

• Sensory room design and layout
• Appropriate sensory equipment
• Safe and therapeutic use of equipment
• Regulation spaces
• Movement-based equipment
• Proprioceptive and vestibular activities
• Calming environments
• Sensory circuits within the clinic
• Creating sensory opportunities throughout the wider clinic environment

You will:

• Complete comprehensive occupational therapy assessments.
• Develop individualised therapy goals and intervention plans.
• Deliver one-to-one occupational therapy sessions.
• Review children's progress and adapt intervention accordingly.
• Support fine motor, gross motor and visual-motor development.
• Develop pre-writing, handwriting and…