• Location: Mendip
• Hybrid working opportunities
• Opportunity to join the path to becoming a fully qualified Occupational Therapist
• 28 days annual leave entitlement
  
  

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this position as it does not meet the requirements of the home office.

Our goal, is to work with people to develop gloriously ordinary lives throughout our practice which means;

• Travelling within the community and on rare occasions countywide so access to/use of a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role
• Working on either a full or part time basis
• Undertaking assessments of a range of activities of daily living and recommend or prescribe solutions within an assessment centre or the persons own home
• Support people to achieve their desired aims and goals in everyday life.
• Provide support to the occupational therapists and housing occupational therapists as directed.
• Encouraging people to be independent, helping them grow their confidence and to make the most of the support available in their local community.
• You will influence the development of the Occupational Therapy service and the wider adult social care service. You will bring your ideas to the table, and you will be encouraged to make improvements to ways of working.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Hold or are in the process of achieving NVQ level 3 qualification.
• Are not afraid to do things differently to create support that is better for people
• Have experience of working in a caring or supportive role
• Are passionate about advocating for others.
• Are innovative, creative and solution focused in supporting people to be independent.

At Somerset Council, we work hard to attract the best staff and we want to make sure that once you are on board, you are well supported and rewarded for the work you do.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• • This grade offers 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and the option to request to buy up to 2 weeks additional annual leave pro rata
  • Hybrid working options where the role allows
  • A clear career pathway with apprenticeships, professional, leadership and academic programmes and qualifications, regular CPD opportunities and a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme
  • A new comprehensive induction programme supported by Practice Development Advanced Practitioners, plus a confidential and impartial welcome call to ensure your induction goes smoothly
  • Ongoing support & development opportunities – regular CPD events arranged and delivered by our dedicated Adult Social Care Learning and Development team, including an annual Carnival of Practice event with key speakers such as the Chief Social Worker, a team of Advanced Practitioner – Practice Development roles to support our workforce, personalised personal development plans, a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme.
  • Local Government pension scheme
  • Employee support networks that acknowledge and celebrate the richness of diversity and equality within our workforce
  • Guaranteed Interview Schemes – Disability Confident, Veterans, Care Leavers
  • Employee assistance and support offering a variety of wellbeing services and events to support a healthy work/life balance inc. a free online gym offer, dedicated Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors and much more!
  • Access to the Blue Light Card which offers thousands of discounts online and on the high street
  • My Staff Shop which offers a variety of discounts including; cinemas, shopping, restaurants, gym discounts and more!
  • Discounted lease car options via salary sacrifice, along with discounts on fuel
  • Cycle to work scheme

   

   

This is a Grade 12 role with a current salary of £27,711 to £31,067 per annum. Appointments are normally made at the bottom of the salary scale.

We are a socially active council and run many webinars and events, team away days, volunteering opportunities plus, hold regular staff Q&A sessions. We encourage professional development and training to support your learning and aspirations. And there are also a variety of networking groups and activities that you can join.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

Got a question about becoming an Occupational Therapist with Somerset Council? Get in touch with Helen Readdy on helen.readdy@somerset.gov.uk

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.

Investment

We have recently invested £1.4m into our workforce. As a result, we have substantially increased the number of social work, occupational therapy, advanced practitioner and other leadership posts. We’ve also increased; Adult Social Care Practitioner roles, introduced Occupational Therapy Assistants and strengthened our Business Support. This investment is enabling us to re-focus on providing excellent social work and occupational therapy practice and doing the right thing, with and for, the people we serve.

Smaller specialist teams

We have created smaller neighbourhood teams who will know and be part of their local communities, alongside new specialist teams including Mental Health Social Care, Learning Disabilities and Adult Safeguarding.

Additional posts

We have created additional Advanced Practitioner Posts to provide compassionate and visionary leadership, and developed effective, supportive teams with a strong sense of identity and belonging.

There are also new Practice Development Advanced Practitioner Posts within teams/services focusing on practice, social work values, human rights, social justice, anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice, and providing practice education, quality assurance and CPD.

Competency framework linked to Career pathways

We have launched a Competency Framework linked to a career pathway, and professional, leadership and academic programmes and qualifications.

We are prioritising the prevention agenda including our Occupational Therapy Service developing Somerset Independent Living Centres across Somerset.

Ambitious

We are ambitious and are working to make real change happen. We want relationship-based practice, compassionate leadership and co-production with the people we work with and serve, to be at the heart of all we do.

We are reclaiming narratives about social work and believe in the power of lived experiences of people (including workers), and sharing stories. To get a sense of this, listen to Social Work Sessions podcast: Social Work Sessions

You will be working alongside nationally recognised professionals with staff shortlisted for “Social Worker of the Year” awards 2022 and 2023.

We have a supportive and friendly culture… Don’t believe us? Checkout our Glassdoor rating.

Somerset has plenty to offer! Situated in a beautiful, rural county in a central southwest location but with good city links. With scenic countryside, historic sites, charming towns and villages, family-friendly attractions, beaches, festivals (Glastonbury!) and events, outdoor activities, zoos, water parks and plenty of local produce to try, there’s something for everyone!

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