Occupational Therapist (Fixed Term)

Transformationunitgm; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare provider based in Cheltenham is seeking a part-time Occupational Therapist on a fixed-term basis to support community health services. The successful candidate will utilize a person-centred approach to aid patient outcomes, work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team, and gain experience in various community settings. The role offers opportunities for personal growth and professional development in an inclusive and supportive environment.

Benefits

Free car parking at many sites

27 days leave plus bank holidays

Generous NHS pension

Training and development opportunities

Flexible and family-friendly working opportunities

Qualifications

• Registered Occupational Therapist caring for patients in their own environment.
• Experience working with a diverse population and various services.
• Drive for excellence and ability to undertake mandatory training.

Responsibilities

• Utilise a person-centred approach to support positive outcomes.
• Work collaboratively within an MDT and ICS partners.
• Support urgent response work and management of long-term conditions.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Courage to make clinical decisions

Ability to work in a team

Experience in community settings

Education

Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy

Current moving and handling training

HCPC registration

Tools

Mobile office equipment

Job description

Main area Community Occupational Therapy Grade Band 5 Contract Fixed term: 10 months (Secondment Cover) Hours Part time - 30 hours per week Job ref 327-26-016

Employer Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Independent Living Centre Town Cheltenham Salary £31,049 - £37,796 per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 23/01/2026 23:59

Occupational Therapist (Fixed Term)

Band 5

We love what we do and we think you will, too!

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county .

We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care . We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you ’.

We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and w e are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality team s in all areas of the Trust .

Our application process aims to understand each candidates knowledge, skills and experience. We have found that candidates that use AI to generate their answers can lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.

It is really important to personalise your application to convey your individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively and for us to understand why you are applying for this role with GHC. We discourage over reliance on AI-generated applications as it will lessen your chances of success in securing an interview with us .

Job overview

1 x Fixed Term contract/secondment opportunity for up to 10 months, ending 10th November 2026.

Internal applicants who wish to be considered for a secondment opportunity should discuss with their line manager the suitability of a possible secondment

The hours are part-time, 30 hours per week.

We are currently seeking enthusiastic, skilled Occupational Therapists to work with us in utilising a person-centred approach to aid, coach and support positive outcomes for the diverse population of Cheltenham. You will have opportunities to gain experience working in urgent response work, Home First and Reablement services, falls response as well as the management of long-term conditions and housing adaptations.

As a Registered Occupational Therapist, you will be caring for patients in their own individualised environment. We work collaboratively with the wider MDT within our service and our Integrated Care System (ICS) partners to provide the high standard of care our patients deserve.

A valid UK driving licence plus the use of own transport for business purposes is essential. For qualifying staff the Trust has a Lease Car Scheme in place and also offers a popular Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme with our partner Tusker.

Main duties of the job

We are a Technologically SMART Trust, offering a ‘Mobile office’ model providing you with all the equipment needed to carry out your role in comfort whilst on the road. SMART working results in staff safety due to live system and instant access to patient notes and past interactions whilst on the move.

To excel in this role, you will require excellent communication skills, the courage to make clinical decisions and a willingness to develop your potential. You will require current HCPC registration, post-registration experience is helpful but not essential and we have an excellent preceptorship programme for newly qualified Occupational Therapists.

If you feel you have the drive for excellence and wish to experience the freedom, self-management and progressive nature of Gloucestershire Health & Care Foundation Trust Occupational Therapy then make applying the next investment in your future career today.

This post requires the post holder to be able to undertake all statutory and mandatory training and post holders must be able to undertake physical interventions. Fitness for physical intervention will be assessed by Occupational Health.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Working for our organisation

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We provide a Multi-professional preceptorship programme that is aligned to the National Preceptorship Framework for Nursing and have been awarded the Interim quality mark from NHS England.

Our programme is provided to all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners. In addition to the programme we also offer all preceptees the opportunity of enrolling and completing the level 7 (Masters) 15 credit validated module “Preceptorship for Healthcare” (AP7026).

• UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes

Qualifications

• HCPC registered
• Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy
• Current moving and handling training

Experience

• Experience working in a community setting
• Awareness of the Canadian model of Occupational Performance

When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:

• Free car parking at many of our sites
• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
• A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.
• A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours
• Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities