Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

The Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team in Crawley, West Sussex, are seeking to recruit a highly motivated and skilled Band 6 Occupational Therapistto join their team.

This exciting opportunity will offer you the opportunity develop and grow in their chosen career and in return you will be part of a dynamic team receiving ongoing support and supervision and the ability to work alongside a skilled Multi-disciplinary team.

Urgent Care operates every day of the year, so you will be required to undertake a flexible approach to working hours. The ability to travel is essential to this role.

Main duties of the job

We are a highly clinically skilled team who provide dynamic and comprehensive assessment, treatment and care to people in mental health crisis in their homes as an alternative to hospital admission.

This is a very exciting opportunity to gain experience of Urgent and Crisis care. The job is varied and challenging; it offers the chance to work with people with a variety of mental health issues, and to develop assessment skills. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team, working closely with your colleagues to provide safe and effective treatment. You will need to demonstrate the ability to be creative and flexible, have excellent interpersonal skills.

You will be able to provide your occupational perspective in your treatment and MDT working. For example this might involve using sensory strategies to support distress management and self-soothing or environmental adaptations such as prescribing equipment where needed (training provided).

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Working for our organisation

We're a large NHS Mental Health Trust in South East England. We're looking for people to help us provide high quality services for the patients, carers and local communities we serve.

We want patients and staff to recommend our organisation as a place where they would be happy for their friends and family to be treated. You can help us do this by bringing your skills, experience and commitment to Sussex Partnership.

We encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/ life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, home-working, part time hours, flexible start/ finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide occupational therapy interventions for referred clients using evidence based, client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

To promote and develop the role of Occupational Therapy within the clinical area.

AHP training and Development opportunities

• Regular Professional supervision
• Access to a wide range of Training and CPD opportunities including;
  • A programme of AHP specific training
  • Quarterly Occupational Therapy CPD Hubs
  • Communities of Practice (AMPS, Recovery Through Activity and Sensory Strategies)
• The opportunity to participate in a range QI work and service innovations
• Varied leadership development opportunities

This is an excellent time for Occupational Therapists to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as we have just launched our first AHP Strategy

Look at our AHP strategy and view our film at https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/AHP

Person specification

Essential
Essential criteria

• Degree/Diploma in occupational therapy
• Registration with the HPC as an occupational therapist
• Experience as a qualified occupational therapist in mental health
• Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of post graduate level study/training
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of supervising staff and students
• •Experience in applying a range of assessment tools and a comprehensive knowledge of occupational therapy clinical approaches used in mental health

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.