Qualified Occupational Therapist

Overview

Make a real difference. Support independence. Shape better lives.

We’re looking for motivated, values-led Occupational Therapists to join our Adult Occupational Therapy Team at Buckinghamshire Council. This is an opportunity to work in a forward-thinking, strength-based service where your professional judgement, autonomy and impact genuinely matter.

Why join us?

• Supportive management and reflective supervision
• Strong commitment to professional development
• Clear career progression pathway to give you opportunities to grow and flourish
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Free parking
• We cover the cost of your HCPC registration
• We offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period
• Exclusive discounts on a wide range of services, shops, and restaurants

Our strength-based practice model, Better Lives, focuses on independence, social connection and the outcomes that matter most to the people we support.

In addition to the salary advertised, you will receive a market premium of £2,275 per annum. You will also be entitled to a ‘Golden Hello’ lump-sum payment of £2,000 paid on successful completion of your probationary period

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

As an Occupational Therapist, you’ll act as a professional advocate for high-quality practice, working with adults and their families to deliver meaningful, outcome-focused support.

You’ll:

• Complete strengths-based assessments and reviews
• Promote independence and community-based solutions
• Manage a complex caseload with increasing autonomy
• Work in line with the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding procedures
• Collaborate with health, housing and community partners
• Contribute to OT triage, assessment clinics and service development
• Operate across Occupational Therapy triage and community settings, completing assessments and delivering interventions including equipment provision, moving and handling, minor and major adaptations.

You’ll also play a key role in modelling best practice, professional values and person-centred care across Adult Social Care.

Mobile:

A ‘mobile’ role gives you the flexibility to schedule your own diary, so you can meet with colleagues and clients in a variety of locations. You’ll access digital folders and resources on your laptop and be able to use the network wherever you are based. Working from home will be common, as well as meeting your team in the office where necessary.

About you

You’ll be:

• A qualified Occupational Therapist (degree or equivalent)
• HCPC registered
• Experienced in statutory adult services
• Confident using strengths-based and outcomes-focused approaches
• Reflective, adaptable and committed to continuous professional development
• Able to work independently while contributing positively to a wider team

For further details, please refer to the full job summary attached.

Other information

A full driving licence with access to a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role.

For more information about the role, please contact [email protected]

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining us, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

We know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Service Area

Our Occupational Therapy services have undergone a significant transformation in the last few years. As we adapt to working more closely with the community and supporting people near to where they live, we have created more roles in the team to fulfill the demand for Occupational Therapy support. 

We have developed a new career progression framework to encourage staff ambition and development, and to establish the conditions to deliver outstanding practice, we have reduced the numbers that managers supervise and the caseloads the team has. This has allowed us to have more contact with our residents.

If you are a great people person, familiar with working to a strength-based approach where you think outside of the box and enable people to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care, Occupational Therapy is one of the most rewarding services in our Adults and Health directorate.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/