Paediatric Occupational Therapist

As a Paediatric OT, you will:

• Functionally assess pupils within their school environment to identify barriers to participation and emerging needs.
• Complete occupational analysis of everyday school activities such as handwriting, dressing for PE, using cutlery, organising equipment and accessing lessons.
• Provide practical recommendations and model strategies for individual pupils, groups, classes, teachers and SENCOs.
• Deliver or jointly deliver targeted groups, including sensory processing, fine motor development, ADHD and regulation.
• Coach and train school staff so that strategies can be embedded into everyday practice.
• Audit learning environments and identify appropriate reasonable adjustments.
• Develop whole-school approaches that support participation, accessibility and independence.
• Co-design and review interventions with school staff, focusing on functional outcomes.
• Work with parents and carers to provide advice, resources, workshops and strategies that can be used consistently at home and school.
• Support the development of training materials and resources for education settings.
• Participate in individual Autism assessments as part of the wider neurodevelopmental assessment pathway during school holidays, where appropriately trained.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, reports, audits, training logs and intervention plans.
• Contribute to evidence-based practice and remain up to date with developments in paediatric Occupational Therapy.

Experience and Training

We are keen to hear from therapists at different stages of their careers.

You do not need previous experience in Autism assessment or ADOS-2 to apply. Experience in this area is desirable, but not essential, and we are happy to support the right candidate with appropriate training and development.

Experience working within schools, education or local authority settings would be highly desirable, as both roles involve working closely with teachers, SENCOs and wider education teams.

We are particularly interested in candidates who are passionate about developing their careers within paediatric, education and neurodevelopmental services.

About You

We are looking for therapists who are:

• Compassionate and child-focused, with safeguarding and care central to their practice.
• Collaborative and able to build effective relationships with children, families, school staff and other professionals.
• Confident in their clinical reasoning and decision-making.
• Able to manage a varied caseload and work independently.
• Flexible and adaptable across different school environments.
• Comfortable delivering training, workshops and consultation.
• Interested in developing their practice and learning new skills.
• Able to take a whole-school, SEND and individual approach depending on the needs of the child and setting.

Essential Requirements – OT

• Recognised Occupational Therapy qualification, such as BSc or MSc.
• HCPC registration.
• RCOT membership.
• Strong paediatric OT clinical knowledge.
• Knowledge of areas including sensory processing, motor coordination, fine and gross motor development, self-care, regulation, executive functioning, attention and participation.
• Full driving licence and ability to travel between different sites across Sheffield.

Essential Requirements – SLT

• Recognised Speech and Language Therapy qualification, such as BSc or MSc.
• HCPC registration.
• RCSLT membership.
• Strong paediatric Speech and Language Therapy clinical knowledge.
• Knowledge of SLCN, language development, social communication and neurodevelopmental needs.
• Full driving licence and ability to travel between different sites across Sheffield.

Why Join Us?

You will be joining a supportive multidisciplinary environment with opportunities to develop your clinical skills and career.

We provide:

• Regular clinical supervision.
• Ongoing professional development and training.
• Support to develop skills in Autism assessment and neurodevelopmental services.
• Career development and progression opportunities.
• Peer review and multidisciplinary team discussions.
• A collaborative local team of OTs and SLTs.
• Access to a wider multidisciplinary team with a broad range of specialist knowledge.
• The opportunity to influence how schools support children and young people.
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children's participation, communication, independence and access to education.

Benefits

• 26 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, pro rata.
• Company pension scheme, where applicable.
• Comprehensive induction programme.
• Professional learning and development opportunities.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Dedicated regular clinical supervision.
• Supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary working environment.
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Regular team events.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Travel expense scheme.

Location and Travel

The roles are based across Sheffield, working within school settings during term time and at a clinic location during school holidays.

A full driving licence and the ability to travel flexibly between different sites across Sheffield during the week is essential. A travel expense scheme is available.