University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
B5-6 Progressive Occupational Therapist - rotational
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
Are you a Band 5 Occupational Therapist looking to further your OT career and not sure where you want to specialise, looking for a supportive environment to develop your skills and gain both knowledge and confidence? Then this may be the perfect opportunity for you!
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced B5 OT, with postgraduate experience in several clinical areas, who is looking to progress to a B6 post, after completion of competencies, and who feels they would benefit from working across a wide range of specialty clinical areas before choosing their main area of interest. The current rotations are in proportionate care, critical care, cancer care, surgery, CT, medicine, MOP, vascular, AMU, Paeds, Ortho and neurology, however these are subject to change.
You will be responsible for managing a varied and complex caseload as well as supporting & supervising B3-5 therapy staff & students. All our therapy staff are required to be able to undertake flexible working over a 7-day period, including weekends.
Working for our organisation
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
We are offering this as a progressive post, to give you an opportunity to grow into a B6 clinician by completing competencies over a period of approximately 12 months, depending on hours, and existing experience/skills.
This post is part of the wider Therapy services department. You will have many opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 300 therapy staff including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff, so will have peer support available to you.
This post is suitable for a B5 OT, with postgraduate experience, looking to advance to B6. This is a B5-6 development post where you will rotate every 9 months to a different clinical specialty, to learn and understand more about leadership and management, whilst being closely supported.
There is regular clinical supervision as well as peer support. There are also opportunities for involvement in audit and research. Service development is always encouraged as we strive for new & innovative ways of working.
Please ensure you fulfil all the essential criteria and have read the job description before applying.
As well as the person specification, we are looking for people with the following skills specific to this post:
Essential Skills
- Postgraduate experience of working across several clinical areas/ multiple rotations in the acute setting, demonstrating a broad knowledge base
- Evidence of postgraduate development to support enhanced skills and decision making
- Understanding and experience of assessing for complex equipment needs including managing pressure care to support with discharge planning
- Clear expressed reasoning to work in this rotational post within UHS
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Desirable Skills Needed
- Postgraduate involvement in audit/research/clinical project/service development
- Postgraduate experience in supervising other staff or students
- Evidence of providing teaching to therapy staff and students
Training and support can be offered to meet your learning requirements.
Please Note
Interviews will be held on 21st August 2026, with face-to-face interviews only due to a practical interview component. If you cannot attend an interview in person, please do not apply as no virtual alternative can be offered. As part of the interview involves a practical assessment, please wear smart, comfortable clothing. Please be aware that we are advertising a B6 OT post as well, please consider which post suits you better. We do not accept CV applications. This post is for qualified OTs with postgraduate experience and not new graduates, please enquire about our B5 opportunities. We may also offer fixed term opportunities through this advert, and put suitable candidates on a reserve list for future equivalent posts.
We actively encourage all potential applicants to contact us to ask any questions you may have.
For other therapy career opportunities please email Annette.Purkis@uhs.nhs.uk
Person specification
Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience
Essential criteria
- Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent
- Current or pending HCPC registration
- Previous experience working as a qualified Occupational Therapist
- Work with a variety of physical and mental health conditions/multiple pathology during student placements
- Experience of fitting a range of equipment
- Experience of working with support staff
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Skills and competencies
Essential criteria
- Communication
- Time management
- Prioritisation
- Diplomacy
- Working autonomously
- Interpersonal skills
- Taking the initiative
Trust Values
Essential criteria
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills