Occupational Therapist/Senior Occupational TherapistNHS

Job summary

Are you interested in supporting men with complex mental health needs within a prison setting? Would you like to work in York? Would you like to join TEW Health and Justice Services?

We are seeking an experienced Band 5 Occupational Therapist (minimum 18 months post-qualification experience at the point of application) or an existing Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our expanding service.

Due to the successful growth of occupational therapy within our Prison Integrated Mental Health Teams, we are recruiting a full-time Band 6 Senior Occupational Therapist to work across HMP Full Sutton and HMP Millsike, two neighbouring prisons located on the same site near York. You will work alongside our existing Band 7 Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist as part of a developing and innovative multidisciplinary team.

The Integrated Mental Health Teams at HMP Full Sutton and HMP Millsike are a partnership between TEWV and Rethink Mental Illness, delivering primary and secondary person-centred, recovery-focused mental health care. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide OT assessment, intervention and care planning for men with complex mental health needs, supporting recovery, wellbeing and successful transitions across custody settings and in preparation for release into the community.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will complete occupational performance assessments and occupational formulations, as part of the wider context of team assessment. In addition, you will use client-centred approaches to co-produce negotiated occupational goals and evaluate these in line with clinical outcome measures.

You will offer clinical advice and support relating to occupational needs with multi-disciplinary professionals and multi-agency partners, contribute to multi-disciplinary team working in line with the service operational policy and Health and Justice Clinical Model and use relevant electronic record systems in the prison setting including Systm One and NOMIS (as required).

The successful postholder will abide by all Trust policies and procedures, be able to respond flexibly and creatively to challenges that arise within the context of a prison setting, contribute to own clinical supervision provided by an experienced Occupational Therapist, line management from the Team Manager, and professional leadership from the OT Lead for Health and Justice Services. You will clinically supervise others where appropriate.

Job description

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Since 2015, Health and Justice have delivered mental health and learning disability care across HMP establishments and within the community. Occupational therapy is a core part of this work, supporting individuals to build skills, increase independence, and engage meaningfully in daily life.

Our occupational therapy team is professionally led by the Lead Occupational Therapist and benefits from a strong culture of collaboration. Therapists across the service meet regularly for peer support, continued professional development, and shared learning, helping to maintain high standards of practice and drive ongoing service improvement. As the value of occupational therapy within health and justice continues to be recognised, our team is expanding and strengthening its contribution across service.

We are proud of our Trustwide OT Pathway, which provides a consistent, evidencebased structure for clinical practice. This includes a clear triage process, standardised assessment tools and documentation, collaboratively developed treatment plans, and robust clinical outcome measures. These elements ensure our work is purposeful, transparent, and focused on meaningful change for the people we support.

Our therapists are supported through defined job plans, development frameworks, regular supervision, and established learning and governance networks. These structures enable the delivery of highquality care while ensuring staff feel equipped, supported, and confident in their roles.

This role is subject to Prison Vetting and the successful candidate must pass this before commencing employment. This includes a thorough review of personal information, including a criminal record check (both spent and unspent), a review of financial standing, and social media checks. Please note that vetting checks may also extend to family members and associates. You must also have resided in the UK for 3 years at the point of application. This will be considered as part of the shortlisting criteria and your application may be rejected if you do not meet this criteria.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

This job advert may close early if a high volume of applications have been received. If interested, please apply for this post as soon as possible.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.