Band 6 Locum Community Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist – Urgent Response Team

Brief Job Overview

Tripod Partners are recruiting an experienced Occupational Therapist for a locum opportunity within North London Social Services. Working as part of the Urgent Response Occupational Therapy Team at the London Borough of Barnet, this role focuses on responding to urgent referrals involving complex moving and handling needs, safeguarding concerns, and high-risk situations where immediate intervention is required.

The successful candidate will work across the borough, carrying out Occupational Therapy and Moving & Handling Risk Assessments to support adults at immediate risk of injury, prevent hospital admissions, and ensure safe care arrangements are in place.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake urgent Occupational Therapy and Moving & Handling Risk Assessments across the borough.
• Assess complex moving and handling situations where existing equipment is no longer suitable or absent.
• Identify and reduce risks of injury to service users and carers.
• Provide recommendations for specialist equipment and safe transfer solutions.
• Respond to safeguarding concerns relating to equipment provision or manual handling practices.
• Assess individuals who are unable to transfer safely to and from beds, chairs, toilets, or manage stairs safely.
• Complete manual handling assessments relating to requests for increases from single to double-handed care.
• Provide urgent interventions where equipment has become unrepairable or unreplaceable, creating immediate risk.
• Support individuals with palliative diagnoses where specialist services are not already involved.
• Participate in the team’s duty rota, undertaking one duty day per week.
• Maintain accurate records, assessments, and recommendations in line with professional standards.
• Work autonomously while liaising effectively with multidisciplinary teams and partner organisations.

About You

You will be an experienced Occupational Therapist with substantial expertise in manual handling, risk assessment, and urgent community-based interventions. You will be confident working independently, managing complex cases, and making defensible clinical decisions in high-risk situations.

You will have excellent assessment and problem-solving skills, alongside the ability to respond quickly and effectively to urgent referrals while maintaining a person-centred approach.

Requirements

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Current HCPC registration.
• Extensive experience in moving and handling assessments (essential).
• Experience working within Adult Social Care or community occupational therapy services.
• Strong knowledge of risk assessment and safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage urgent referrals independently.
• Experience assessing complex equipment and transfer needs.
• Excellent communication, organisational, and case management skills.
• Ability to travel across the borough using public transport or own vehicle.

Contract & Salary

• Role: Occupational Therapist – Urgent Response Team
• Sector: North London Social Services
• Contract Type: Locum
• Contract Length: Ongoing
• Salary: £36 per hour
• Working Pattern: Full-time
• Office Requirement: 1 full day per week in the office
• Working Hours: Monday to Thursday 09:00 – 17:15, Friday 09:00 – 17:00
• Location: London Borough of Barnet

How to Apply

If you are an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with extensive manual handling experience and the ability to manage urgent, high-risk community cases autonomously, Tripod Partners would welcome your application.

To apply for this Occupational Therapist – Urgent Response Team role, apply using the form on the page.

Code: U. 009006. B20401