Band 6 Locum Inpatient Occupational Therapist

Paediatric Occupational Therapist – Specialist Practitioner – Band 6

Location: Achieving for Children – Kingston & Richmond, Chessington

Area: South West London NHS

Salary: £44.75 per hour Limited/Umbrella

Job Type: Locum

Contract Length: Ongoing

About the Role

Tripod Partners are currently recruiting for a Paediatric Occupational Therapist – Specialist Practitioner to join the Paediatric Health Occupational Therapy service within Achieving for Children, supporting children and young people across Kingston and Richmond.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist to work as an autonomous practitioner within a specialist service supporting children and young people aged 0–18 with significant disabilities and complex health needs.

The service works across Early Years settings, mainstream schools and special schools, supporting children and young people experiencing significant functional difficulties with self-care, school occupations, mobility, posture, equipment use and other activities of daily living as a result of complex, severe or enduring physical and/or developmental conditions.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a specialist caseload of children and young people with complex physical, learning and social needs.
• Complete comprehensive paediatric occupational therapy assessments and develop appropriate intervention programmes.
• Provide high-quality, person-centred Occupational Therapy to help children and young people maximise their independence and achieve their potential.
• Work across a range of settings, including Early Years, mainstream schools and special schools.
• Assess and support functional difficulties relating to self-care, school occupations, mobility, posture, equipment and activities of daily living.
• Plan, implement and evaluate appropriate Occupational Therapy interventions using a range of therapeutic techniques and approaches.
• Use both standardised and non-standardised assessments as appropriate to the child or young person’s needs.
• Prepare clear, comprehensive reports for EHCP assessments and reviews, MDT assessments and other agencies.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and provide specialist Occupational Therapy advice to other professionals.
• Provide advice, training and practical strategies to parents, carers and school staff to support children and young people’s occupational performance.
• Develop and implement specialist OT programmes and support others to deliver these effectively.
• Contribute to the supervision and development of Occupational Therapy students and support/junior staff.
• Participate in clinical audit and research activities where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate professional records and comply with relevant professional and service standards.
• Work flexibly across the service and undertake other duties appropriate to the grade of the post.

About You

We are looking for a passionate and experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist who can work confidently as an autonomous practitioner while contributing positively to a collaborative multidisciplinary service.

You will have a strong understanding of child development, neurodevelopment and childhood occupations, together with experience of assessing and supporting children and young people with physical and developmental disabilities.

You will be confident communicating sensitive and condition-related information to children, young people, families and professionals, using empathy, reassurance and excellent interpersonal skills. You will also be able to provide clear advice and practical strategies to schools, caregivers