Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 17/08/2026
- Closes
- 01/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role is for a Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist to join the NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service in London. The post holder will provide highly specialist assessment, diagnostic, and intervention Occupational Therapy services to children who are gender questioning, potentially with complex neurodevelopmental presentations. They will manage a complex caseload, support colleagues, contribute to service development and research, and educate Occupational Therapy students. The role offers opportunities for leadership development within a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team.
Key responsibilities
- Manage a complex caseload within the Southern Hub (London) Gender Service using advanced clinical reasoning to support assessments and implement Occupational Therapy interventions.
- Support and advise colleagues within the hospital and community in the management of complex cases requiring advanced clinical reasoning.
- Support with clinical Occupational Therapy developments, audit and research within the service.
- Be responsible for the maintenance and development of own CPD identifying and contributing to the evidence base of Occupational Therapy and the Gender Service.
- Educate Occupational Therapy Students on practice placements.
Essential criteria
- Our Always values
- Diploma or Degree in Occupational Therapy
- HCPC Registration
- Masters level or equivalent training in specialist area or evidence of significant practical experience, research or publication in specialist area.
- Significant clinical experience in paediatrics at Senior level.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and post registration education and training.
- Knowledge of specialist paediatric approaches in neurodevelopment.
- Experience with children or adolescents with complex neurodevelopmental presentation and preferably with experience of children who are gender questioning
- Experience of audit.
- Ability to supervise junior staff and students.
- High standard of performance in a range of neuro developmental and paediatric skills.
- Specialist knowledge, understanding and application of Occupational Therapy process relating to client centred practice.
- Specialist knowledge, application and analysis of standardised assessment tools.
- To carry out standardised and non-standardised assessments and advise on intervention and management to facilitate and promote functional independence.
- Ability to work autonomously, acting decisively on behalf of self and others, setting own priorities.
- Experience of working within multi-disciplinary diagnostic and intervention services.
- Ability to manage individual and team performance.
- Ability to promote clinical excellence in self and others.
- Demonstrate clinical leadership skills and excellent team building skills.
- Proven organisational and management skills.
- Demonstrates ethical reasoning and critical reflection.
- Committed to improve the experience of children, families and carers, appreciating complexity of context, culture of diversity.
- Proven experience in the training, teaching and supervision of others.
- Proven experience in developing and providing education and teaching programmes to other professionals and students.
- Ability to apply Clinical Governance principles to practice.
- Implementation of national initiatives and legislation relating to Health and Social Care in relation to Occupational Therapy.
- Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure.
- Ability to manage and recognise differences of opinion in both patient related and inter professional settings, coping positively with inter-professional tensions/ barriers.
- Able to positively manage exposure to patients and environments which may be highly distressing, antagonistic, open to aggression and unpleasant.
- Demonstrate ability to motivate and manage teams through change positively.
- Computer literacy.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of research
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £58,133 – £65,261 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 13d ago · Closes in 3d
Applications close soon — apply now if this is a fit.
Full advert · preview
Job summary
We are seeking a skilled and compassionate individual to join the NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (London) in the role of Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist.
The post holder will provide a highly specialist assessment, diagnostic and intervention Occupational Therapy Service to a specialist caseload of children who are gender questioning. This may include children or adolescents with a complex neurodevelopmental presentation.
The post holder will be responsible to the Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, and receive supervision and professional oversight from them and the head of paediatric Occupational Therapy.
The post offers opportunities to develop leadership skills by enabling you to take a key role in a number of exciting service development and research initiatives.
Unlock your potential and elevate your career by joining the NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (London). You will work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team with strong leadership. We are dedicated to fostering a supportive work environment and professional growth.
This role will be based in central London (Zone 1) close to transport links. The service is committed to supporting wellbeing through hybrid working, but there is an expectation to work onsite for a minimum of 60% of the working week.
Main duties of the job
- To manage a complex casel
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