Community Resource Team - Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist - INTERNAL
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Additional Information
If you are successful at the interview for this post, you will receive your conditional offer of appointment and information pack via email.
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Please note successful applicants with a start date from 1st April onwards the salary will be as per the 2026/27 pay award. For further detail the pay circular is available via this link https://www.nhs.wales/files/pc-resources/afc-w-02-2026-pdf-pdf?ts=1773244958086
Job Overview
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL ACCEPT APPLICATIONS ONLY FROM STAFF CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY ANEURIN BEVAN UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD
Blaenau-Gwent is seeking an exceptional Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our dynamic integrated Community Resource Team.
The Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist (Band 7) is an advanced autonomous practitioner within the Community Resource Team, providing highly specialist occupational therapy assessment, intervention and clinical leadership to support adults with complex health and social care needs in the Blaenau Gwent Locality.
The post holder is professionally and clinically responsible for the management of a defined caseload requiring advanced clinical reasoning, risk management and decision‑making skills.
The role supports admission avoidance, early supported discharge and rehabilitation pathways, enabling individuals to maximise independence and remain safely in their own homes. They will be experienced in providing occupational therapy interventions that are aligned to the principles of Better Care, Discharge to Recover, Assess and Preventive models of practice.
In line with Band 7 expectations, the post holder provides clinical leadership, supervision and education, contributes to service development and quality improvement, and plays an active role in shaping integrated community services.
The Blaenau Gwent Community Resource Team operates from 8 am to 8 pm, 365 days a year, and the post holder will be required to work late shifts, weekends and bank holidays on a rotational basis8 pm
Main duties of the job
- Act as an expert clinical practitioner, managing a complex and highly specialist caseload, including multifactorial physical, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental needs
- Undertake advanced occupational therapy assessments, demonstrating high‑level clinical reasoning, formulation and intervention planning
- Lead on complex risk management, including safeguarding, mental capacity, and high‑risk discharge planning
- Provide specialist input to support hospital admission avoidance, crisis response and timely discharge from acute settings
- Evaluate outcomes and adapt interventions using evidence‑based practice
- Provide professional and clinical supervision to Band 5/6 occupational therapists, support staff and students
- Act as a specialist clinical resource within the CRT and across partner organisations
- Support competence development, reflective practice and professional accountability within the OT workforce
This post is a fixed-term/secondment for 10 months until 31st March 2027 to meet the needs of the service. If you are interested in applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Working for our organisation
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award-winning NHS organisation with a passion for caring. The Health Board provides an exceptional workplace where you can feel trusted and valued. Whatever your speciality or stage in your career, we have opportunities for everyone to start, grow and build your career. The health board provides integrated acute, primary and community care serving a population of 650,000 and employing over 16,000 staff. speciality
We offer a fantastic benefits package and extensive training and development opportunities with paid mandatory training, excellent in-house programmes, opportunities to complete recognised qualifications and professional career pathways, including a range of management development programmes. We offer flexible working and promote a healthy work-life balance, provide occupational health support and an ambitious plan for a Wellbeing Centre of Excellence to support you at work.
Our Clinical Futures strategy continues to enhance and promote care closer to home as well as high-quality hospital care when needed. Join us on our journey to pioneer new ways of working and deliver a world-class healthcare service fit for the future.
Qualifications And Knowledge
Essential criteria
- OT degree or diploma
- Member of HCPC
- Professional knowledge acquired through a degree supplemented by further training, short specialist courses, to a master’s equivalent level
- Master's level study (CQFW level 7) or recognised equivalent– at least 3 modules (@20/30credits each) from: o Research o OT practice o Practice modules linked to clinical area o Leadership
- Introduction to leadership and management training
- Accredited practice placement educator
Desirable criteria
- Member of the relevant RCOT Specialist Section
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive experience in working within the specialist area related to the post.
- Significant experience working at the Senior OT level
- Significant experience in supervising less experienced OTs
- Involvement in innovative working practices
- Contributing to the development of local clinical guidelines.
- Experience in leading change in OT clinical practice.
- Involvement in planning local service delivery.
Desirable criteria
- Leading the development of local clinical guidelines
- Involvement in research and/or audit.
- Line management responsibilities
- Operational responsibility for a specific area
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
- Ability to assess, plan and implement highly specialised treatment and advice in a specialist area related to post.
- Able to analyse and reflect on clinical practice and use this to shape future practice
- Negotiation and problem-solving skills are utilised within OT and wider MDT teams
- Strong mentoring and supervision skills
- Ability to use highly specialist clinical skills to interpret complex assessments for a second opinion
- Ability to work in a consultative model
- Able to develop and implement standards to support best clinical practice across the department
- Able to interpret and utilise evidence to inform practice.
- Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues.
- Specialist knowledge of assessment and intervention for the area of clinical responsibility.
- Understanding of local integrated systems of OT delivery
- Evidence of relevant and appropriate CPD
- Knowledge of general department and Health Board policies and systems
- Knowledge and understanding of the current agenda and drivers for health and social care policies, including legislation.
- Detailed knowledge and application of principles of clinical governance and risk management.
- Ability to communicate highly complex and potentially distressing information to service users, carers and colleagues
- Professional confidence
- Able to self-regulate their own performance.
- Able to participate as an active and contributing member of the MDT
- Able to motivate, support, and mentor other OT staff to help develop their practice
- Commitment to developing further leadership/clinical skills
- Able to work flexibly and respond to unpredictable demands.
- Enjoys using own initiative and is tenacious, creative and innovative.
Desirable criteria
- Implementation of national initiatives affecting OT
- Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel around geographical areas to meet the requirements of the post.
- Committed to person-centred, non-discriminatory practice.
- Documented evidence of CPD.
- Satisfactory Enhanced DBS clearance, including an Adults Barred List check
