Job Description

We're looking for an Advanced Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our welcoming and dedicated AHP team on a fixed-term contract from January to December 2026 .



This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to both our Neonatal and Early Years Occupational Therapy pathways , supporting infants and young children with complex developmental needs. You'll play a key role in providing assessment, early intervention, and family-centred care that helps every child reach their potential.



As part of a passionate and collaborative team, you'll deliver developmentally informed care across two Level 2 neonatal units in Lewisham and Woolwich , contribute to our developmental follow-up clinics , and provide support to children within the Early Years pathway in the community.



This role offers the opportunity to further develop your advanced clinical skills, work closely within a multidisciplinary team, and make a real difference to outcomes for babies, young children, and their families in the vibrant and diverse borough of Lewisham.



In this role, you will provide specialist occupational therapy across both the Neonatal and Early Years pathways, working closely with the neonatal occupational therapist and a supportive multidisciplinary team.



This fixed-term post offers the opportunity to join a forward-thinking service dedicated to high-quality, developmentally informed care for high-risk infants and young children.

Key responsibilities:

Deliver advanced occupational therapy for premature and medically complex babies from birth to two years.



Provide Early Years community input two days per week with the occupational therapy team.



Support the coordination and delivery of neonatal and Early Years services, ensuring continuity of early intervention across settings.



Offer specialist advice and guidance to therapists and the wider MDT.



Collaborate with neonatal and community AHPs to develop and implement therapeutic programmes meeting children's occupational therapy needs.



Contribute to data collection, audit, and service development to maintain evidence-based practice and quality improvement.



This is an exciting opportunity to influence early outcomes for infants and young children through compassionate, family-centred, and evidence-informed care.



Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:



Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development



Widening access (anchor institution) and employability



Improving the experience of staff with disability



Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development



Making equalities mainstream



To work as a Band 7 Advanced Specialist Occupational Therapist across the Neonatal and Early Years pathways , providing highly specialist occupational therapy for infants and young children with a wide range of medical and developmental diagnoses. The post holder will hold a mixed caseload including neonatal inpatients, developmental follow-up, and Early Years community cases. In-depth knowledge and experience in neonatal therapy and early child development are required, as well as the ability to work competently and autonomously at a Band 7 level across acute and community settings.



To ensure the successful implementation of specialist areas within the occupational therapy clinical pathways, alongside wider service development initiatives within a multidisciplinary context.



To provide specialist support and guidance to other occupational therapists and members of the neonatal and community AHP teams, supporting best practice in early intervention, developmental care, and family-centred approaches.



To work collaboratively with staff on the neonatal units and within community AHP teams, supporting the establishment and delivery of intervention programmes that meet children's occupational therapy needs across both hospital and Early Years settings.



To be responsible for providing advanced, individualised, child-focused assessments and interventions that integrate understanding of child development, disability, environment, and occupation, in order to address functional performance, participation, and developmental needs.



To select, administer, and analyse standardised and non-standardised assessments specific to neonatal and community paediatric occupational therapy, providing diagnostic and predictive information to support accurate assessment, goal setting, and intervention planning.



To use highly specialist skills to negotiate and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) goals with families, early years staff, and other professionals. To monitor, evaluate, and modify interventions using appropriate outcome measures, including Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), ensuring progress is evidenced and interventions remain effective.



To identify and, where appropriate, assess and plan intervention to meet the assistive technology and equipment needs of children -- including orthotics, postural management, specialist seating, and mobility equipment -- ensuring safe use and appropriate training for carers, families, and education staff.



To undertake complex risk assessments for children on the caseload, ensuring all recommendations prioritise safety, function, and participation.



To address consent throughout all stages of involvement, working in partnership with parents, carers, and other professionals.



To work sensitively and effectively with families from diverse social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, adapting communication style to meet individual needs -- for example, through the use of interpreters, simplified language, or visual supports.



To maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records on electronic systems, in line with Trust and national guidance, ensuring all client contact and intervention data are recorded to a high standard.