• Location: Taunton & West
• 30 days annual leave entitlement with some hybrid working
• Continual professional development & opportunity to be part of employee development

• Be responsible for motivating and leading a team of Occupational therapists and Occupational therapy assistants.
• Effectively collaborate and develop partnerships with others
• Ensure practice is within national and local policies and procedures.
• Support service and strategic managers to drive change, thinking creatively and showcasing the value of the occupational therapy profession.
• Allocates cases and supports others with case management to ensure timely, high quality occupational focussed Interventions.

We've established smaller community-based teams that will integrate and engage with their local neighbourhoods. These groups are complemented by specialised teams such as Mental Health Social Care, Learning Disabilities, and Adult Safeguarding.

You will collaborate with fellow Advanced practitioner occupational therapists and social workers, Occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants, and receive support from Service managers, all while operating within multidisciplinary teams.

Information about our Somerset independent living centres can be found in the below links:

Equipment to help you (somerset.gov.uk)
Are you or someone you know struggling at home with daily living tasks?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But to be successful in the role you will:

• Be a qualified Occupational Therapist and be registered with HCPC
• Have access to/use of a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role
• Have knowledge and understanding of Social Care practice.
• Be solution focused to support people to be and remain independent.
• Be passionate about advocating for others.
• Be encouraged to express your own ideas.
• Have previous leadership experience

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.

• This grade offers 30 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!
• Relocation of up to £8,000, subject to meeting eligibility requirements.
• 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 9 post with a current salary of £40,476 to £44,711 per annum. Appointments are normally made at the bottom of the salary scale.

All Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist interviews can be conducted over MS Teams.

We've introduced a Competency Framework aligned with career paths, offering access to professional, leadership, and academic programs and certifications.

Our focus is on emphasising preventive measures, exemplified by our Occupational Therapy Service's initiative to establish Somerset Independent Living Centres across the region.

Continual support and growth opportunities are provided through regular CPD events organised by our dedicated Adult Social Care Learning and Development team. Additionally, we host an annual Carnival of Practice event featuring prominent speakers such as the Chief Social Worker. To bolster our workforce, we have a team of Advanced Practitioners in Practice Development roles. Personalised development plans, a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme, further enrich our support system.

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 we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve so we will always welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our teams. 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.

Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don't delay, apply today!

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.

Not currently living in Somerset? Don’t worry! Subject to meeting qualifying conditions, we offer relocation of up to £8,000.

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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