Occupational Therapy Assistant

The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) supports the delivery of therapeutic, recreational, and occupationally focused interventions for service users experiencing mental illness, including those with a history of offending. Based either in the Recovery Hub or on the ward, the OTA works under the supervision of a registered Occupational Therapist to promote rehabilitation, recovery, and meaningful engagement.As part of the multidisciplinary team, the OTA contributes to the planning and delivery of a diverse and flexible programme of activities, developed collaboratively with service users and colleagues and overseen by an Occupational Therapist. This includes facilitating 1:1 and group interventions, supporting assessment and care planning through observation and feedback, and ensuring practice remains person-centred and recovery-focused.The OTA also undertakes community-based activities where required to support daily living skills, discharge planning, and wider community engagement.
The role includes exercising appropriate autonomy in delivering therapeutic interventions while maintaining safe environments and upholding high professional standards.

Main duties of the job

To provide a flexible programme of recreational, vocational and educational activities within the service in collaboration with the Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT), volunteers and sessional workers.

To provide support and engage service users in therapeutic activities to promote recovery, independence and well-being

To support the development of a balanced therapeutic ward based programme for service users at different stages of recovery

To contribute to the collaborative care planning process, monitoring service users progress, taking account service users goals and aspirations and adjusting interventions accordingly

To work independently, facilitating group or individual work, planned with a registered OT.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.