Job Description

Do you have a passion for supporting patients to stay at home and avoid hospital admission? Are you committed to delivering a fast-paced, high-quality service? Do you want to be part of a caring, dedicated team?



We are looking for a Senior Occupational Therapist to join our Urgent Community Response (UCR) team. If you are ambitious, proactive, and experienced, and you want to help lead an innovative team providing excellent community care, we'd love to hear from you.



The Urgent Community Response (UCR) service provides urgent support seven days a week to help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. We achieve this by delivering a two-hour crisis response by a skilled multidisciplinary team who visit patients at home or in their usual place of residence. This service supports people experiencing a decline in health or mobility who are at risk of hospital admission.



Our teams work closely with local ambulance services to help divert category 3 & 4 patients from the ambulance queue, providing rapid assessment and care in the community so patients can safely remain at home.



In addition to the two-hour response, we also provide a general virtual ward service, supported by digital technology and remote monitoring. This enables patients to receive hospital-level care in familiar surroundings, helping speed up recovery and free up hospital beds for those who need them most. Care includes daily reviews by our clinical team, which may involve home visits or virtual consultations.



Our multidisciplinary team--comprising GPs, Nurses, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Health & Therapy Assistants--works flexibly to provide care 365 days a year, from 8am to 8pm.



As part of the UCR Service, you will deliver urgent clinical interventions, including intravenous therapy, within multidisciplinary pathways designed to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. This includes both the two-hour crisis response and the general virtual ward, aligned with national specifications.



Operating 365 days per year, the service receives referrals from a wide range of health and care professionals. Patients are triaged, assessed, and supported over several days to help them remain safely at home.

The successful candidate will:

Provide direct clinical care to patients

Offer clinical expertise and problem-solving support to colleagues within the team

Help coordinate the multidisciplinary team, including allocating visits appropriately

Identify patients suitable for early discharge from hospital or for admission avoidance pathways

Contribute to service development through reflective practice, clinical supervision and audit



We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.



Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.



Why work for us?

Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement Excellent training, development, and research opportunities Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence --guide everything we do.



We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.



This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.



Work collaboratively within a supportive multidisciplinary team to deliver holistic care and rehabilitation in community, unit or home setting



Plan, implement and regularly review individual treatment programmes, adapting to the changing needs of patients



Undertake comprehensive, person-centred assessments, escalating concerns where appropriate



Educate and empower patients and carers with advice and information to promote self-management and wellbeing



Monitor and document changes in patient condition, adapting care plans in response to progress or changing needs



Accept and manage referrals in line with service criteria and operational policies



Assess and manage clinical risk within your caseload, adhering to health and safety regulations and the lone worker policy

Maintain secure and accurate patient records in accordance with SCFT Information Governance requirements



Provide clinical supervision, guidance and teaching to Band 5 therapists, assistants and students



Support operational leads by contributing to annual appraisals for Bands 2-5 and helping colleagues with their career development



Stay up to date with professional standards, guidelines and best practice to ensure safe and effective patient care



Contribute to service development, audits and quality improvement projects that enhance patient outcomes



Ensure equipment used for assessment and treatment is properly maintained, clean and safely stored



By bringing your clinical expertise, commitment to learning and passion for patient-centred care, you'll help us deliver an outstanding community service.



For more details, please refer to the attached job description and person specification, or contact our team leads to discuss the role further.