Careers in Occupational Therapy

Our patients and your colleagues will expect you to live the St Andrew’s CARE values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence every single day.

Our Occupational Therapists are experts in understanding the link between occupation and health. We support individuals to function as independently as possible by helping them to acquire skills that are necessary for day-to-day living.

Following assessment to identify skills, strengths and needs, we treat individuals on a one-to-one or group basis, using the therapeutic tools of activity and meaningful occupation. We carry out regular reviews with each patient, including the use of recognised outcome measurement methods, like the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST), to see how an individual is progressing.

Roles in Occupational Therapy

Our Occupational Therapy department includes both occupational therapists and technical instructors who work with other healthcare professionals in multi-disciplinary teams across all our St Andrew's services. We employ approximately 150 across the teams.

Our team works in medium secure, low secure, locked and open services. Our pathways of care cover mental illness, personality disorder, learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury, progressive neurological conditions and autistic spectrum disorders.

Occupational therapy is highly valued by our patients and by other members of the multi-disciplinary team. We have a grading structure that allows people to progress from newly qualified through to a clinical specialist post, in addition to more senior grades that offer a dual clinical and managerial role.

Your first year with us

We expect our staff to practise at the level they have been appointed to. A newly qualified member of staff will undergo a mentoring programme and we recognise that it could take six months before they have all the skills necessary to fulfil the role competently. Qualified staff who are appointed to senior roles are expected to deliver their more clinically specialist skills once they are familiar with the patient group, the environment and the multi-disciplinary team. This does not take long. Our non registered staff follow a competency based induction programme, which takes three to six months to complete.

In your first year with us you will complete a competency-based induction pack, have regular meetings at least once a month with your supervisor, and be challenged and stimulated by the opportunities and expectations to deliver excellent patient care.

You will be part of a large, supportive team and have the opportunity to gain diverse experience in a more specialist clinical field.

We want every member of our Occupational Therapy team to deliver a busy timetable of activities that is focused on meeting our patients' complex and diverse needs. Our services are very specialist, and clinically provide exciting opportunities for you to develop personally and professionally. Our staff are well supported, with an established mentoring and supervision system in place. There are opportunities to attend further training, and staff are expected to conduct audit and research as part of their job.