Lead Occupational TherapistNHS

Job summary

LeadOccupational Therapist - Acute Inpatient Services 1 x Full Time (37.5 HPW) Post at Lynfield Mount Hospital1 x Part Time (30 HPW) Post at Airedale Centre for Mental Health

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Acute Inpatient Services as an Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead. This senior role provides clinical, professional and operational leadership across our acute mental health wards, supporting high-quality, recovery-focused care for people with complex mental health needs.

You will provide expert clinical guidance, lead service development, workforce planning and professional supervision, and work closely with service managers and multidisciplinary teams to enhance Occupational Therapy services. The post holder will promote evidence-based practice, quality improvement, clinical governance and innovation to ensure positive outcomes for service users and carers.

The successful candidate will be a HCPC-registered OT with substantial experience within mental health services, including inpatient settings. You will have a proven track record in clinical leadership, staff supervision and service development, alongside a passion for supporting colleagues and improving care.

This is an excellent opportunity to influence practice, shape services and lead the future direction of Occupational Therapy within Acute Mental Health Services.

Join us and help deliver compassionate, person-centred care while making a meaningful difference to the lives of those we support.

Main duties of the job

Copilot said: Main Responsibilities

• Manage a specialist occupational therapy caseload, undertaking assessment, treatment planning, care coordination, rehabilitation and discharge planning for individuals with complex mental health needs.
• Provide clinical leadership and expert occupational therapy advice to staff and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based and recovery-focused care.
• Lead the development and delivery of occupational therapy services across acute inpatient settings, supporting service improvement and operational objectives.
• Supervise, support and develop occupational therapy staff and students through clinical supervision, appraisal, induction, training and professional development.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to maximise service user outcomes, rehabilitation opportunities and safe discharge planning.
• Lead quality improvement, clinical governance, audit and research activity, promoting evidence-based practice and continuous service enhancement.
• Manage workforce responsibilities including recruitment, performance management, absence management, workload planning and staff wellbeing.
• Contribute to professional and organisational development through participation in working groups, policy development and service transformation initiatives.

Closing Date: 24 August 2026Shortlisting Date: W/C 25 August 2026Interview Date: TBC

Job description

Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.

Right to Work in the UK

Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.

Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work andresidein the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.

Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trusts eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond theexpirationof your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.

As a condition of continuous employment, it essential youmaintainthe legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visaexpiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, mayimpactyour eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work statusimmediatelyand to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visain a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.

About us

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -

We Care- We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference

We Listen- We understand people's views and respond to their individual needs

We Deliver- We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners

We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :

Increase mileage rates for > 4500

A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages

A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities

Plus many more.

We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.

Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate's best interest to apply as soon as possible