Occupational Therapist Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, compliant and role-specific Occupational Therapist vacancy for a UK employer. The content covers core responsibilities, essential requirements and candidate-facing details you should include to attract qualified registrants.
What does a Occupational Therapist professional do?
A ready-to-use Occupational Therapist job description template tailored for UK employers recruiting HCPC-registered clinicians across hospital, community or private settings.
Occupational Therapist job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Occupational Therapist
About the role
[Employer name] is recruiting an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist to join our team in [Location]. You will assess people’s functional needs, design and deliver individualised interventions to promote independence, and work with multidisciplinary teams to support rehabilitation and discharge. This role is [Full-time/Part-time], [Permanent/Fixed-term] and will involve [main setting(s) — e.g. community visits, inpatient wards, paediatrics].
Key responsibilities
- Carry out person-centred assessments of functional ability, home environment and activity participation to identify occupational goals.
- Develop, implement and review individualised intervention plans using evidence-based approaches.
- Provide practical training, adaptations and equipment recommendations to maximise independence and safety.
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, carers and external agencies to coordinate care and discharge planning.
- Maintain accurate clinical records, outcome measures and activity logs in line with professional, legal and employer standards.
- Deliver clear advice and education to service users, families and care staff.
- Contribute to risk assessments, safeguarding processes and incident reporting where needed.
- Supervise support staff or students and take part in team meetings, audits and service development activity.
Essential skills and experience
- Degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy (or UK-recognised equivalent).
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Practical experience delivering occupational therapy interventions and clinical reasoning skills appropriate to the advertised setting.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise with service users, families and multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Ability to produce clear, contemporaneous records and use basic clinical IT systems.
- Right to work in the UK and ability to undergo any required pre-employment checks (including an enhanced DBS where the role and setting require it).
Desirable
- Experience in the advertised specialty (for example paediatrics, mental health, community rehab or acute medicine).
- Training in specialist interventions (e.g. sensory strategies, vocational rehabilitation, splinting) or experience with adaptive equipment assessments.
- Experience supervising therapy assistants or students.
- Full UK driving licence or access to transport where role requires travel between sites.
- Membership of professional networks or additional CPD in relevant clinical areas.
What we offer
- [Competitive salary or banding — insert employer-specific details]
- [Pension scheme]
- [Annual leave entitlement — insert detail]
- [Paid professional registration fees and CPD allowance]
- [Flexible working / shift patterns — if available]
- [Support for career development and role-specific training]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is an Occupational Therapist role?
Occupational therapists assess how physical, cognitive or emotional difficulties affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities and participation. They design and deliver practical, evidence-based interventions — such as adaptive equipment, task modification and skills training — to improve independence, safety and quality of life. OTs work across health, social care and education settings and contribute to multidisciplinary care planning and rehabilitation.
Settings
Workplaces vary: hospital wards, community teams, schools, rehabilitation centres and private practice are all common.
Caseload
Caseloads typically include mixed-age clients with physical, cognitive or mental health needs; clarity on mix helps candidates self-select.
Career progression
Progression routes include senior clinician, specialist roles, team lead posts and practice educator or management pathways.
Typical Occupational Therapist responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Carry out person-centred assessments of
Carry out person-centred assessments of functional ability, home environment and activity participation to identify occupational goals.
Develop
Develop, implement and review individualised intervention plans using evidence-based approaches.
Provide practical training
Provide practical training, adaptations and equipment recommendations to maximise independence and safety.
Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams,
Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, carers and external agencies to coordinate care and discharge planning.
Maintain accurate clinical records
Maintain accurate clinical records, outcome measures and activity logs in line with professional, legal and employer standards.
Deliver clear advice
Deliver clear advice and education to service users, families and care staff.
Contribute
Contribute to risk assessments, safeguarding processes and incident reporting where needed.
Supervise support staff or students
Supervise support staff or students and take part in team meetings, audits and service development activity.
Occupational Therapist skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy (or UK-recognised equivalent).
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Practical experience delivering occupational therapy interventions and clinical reasoning skills appropriate to the advertised setting.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise with service users, families and multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Ability to produce clear, contemporaneous records and use basic clinical IT systems.
- Right to work in the UK and ability to undergo any required pre-employment checks (including an enhanced DBS where the role and setting require it).
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the advertised specialty (for example paediatrics, mental health, community rehab or acute medicine).
- Training in specialist interventions (e.g. sensory strategies, vocational rehabilitation, splinting) or experience with adaptive equipment assessments.
- Experience supervising therapy assistants or students.
- Full UK driving licence or access to transport where role requires travel between sites.
- Membership of professional networks or additional CPD in relevant clinical areas.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Occupational Therapist job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be explicit about the setting and caseload
Detail whether the role is community, inpatient, paediatric or mental health-focused and give examples of typical referrals so candidates can assess fit.
State mandatory checks and registrations clearly
List HCPC registration and any required DBS checks, driving requirements or occupational health clearances up front.
Include development and supervision information
Say who the post reports to, available supervision, CPD support and any expected contribution to service development or audits.
Use concrete responsibilities and outcomes
Describe day-to-day tasks (assessments, equipment provision, discharge planning) and the outcomes you expect to avoid vague language.
Occupational Therapist salary considerations
Do not quote a single national figure without context. Occupational Therapist pay in the UK is affected by employer type, pay banding, experience, specialist skills and location. Consider the factors below when setting or advertising a salary.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Occupational Therapist candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What band or salary range is this role?
Experienced candidates want to know pay banding, whether pay negotiations are possible, and if there are additional shift or unsocial hours allowances.
What does a typical caseload look like?
Give an indicative mix of client groups, average caseload size and typical complexity so applicants can judge workload and fit.
What supervision and development will I receive?
Candidates expect details on managerial supervision, clinical supervision, access to CPD and opportunities for career progression.
Will I be required to travel between sites?
Explain travel expectations, mileage reimbursement and whether a driving licence or car is necessary for the role.
What are the working hours and rota requirements?
Clarify full- or part-time hours, shift patterns, weekend or evening work and any on-call responsibilities.
Are there safeguarding and DBS requirements?
State whether an enhanced DBS check is required, and outline the employer's safeguarding and mandatory training expectations.
Where to post a Occupational Therapist job
This role attracts candidates from general UK job boards and specialist healthcare channels. Advertise on mainstream job sites plus NHS/health sector boards and professional networks (for example Royal College and specialist OT forums) to reach registered clinicians. Local trust websites, university graduate services and community support groups are useful for area-specific roles or newly qualified hires.
Related healthcare / allied health job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Occupational Therapist job description FAQs
Is HCPC registration mandatory for an Occupational Therapist?
Yes. Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council is required to practise as an Occupational Therapist in the UK and should be listed as essential in the advert.
Should I require a driving licence?
Only require a driving licence if the role explicitly involves travel between sites or home visits. Otherwise state it as desirable to avoid excluding otherwise suitable candidates.
Do I need to include a minimum years' experience?
Be pragmatic: entry-level posts commonly accept newly qualified clinicians, while specialist or senior roles should specify the appropriate experience level. Avoid over-prescribing years for mid-band roles.
When is an enhanced DBS check necessary?
An enhanced DBS is necessary when the role involves working with children or vulnerable adults. If the setting requires it, state the check requirement in the essential section.
What supervision should the employer provide?
Ensure the advert outlines managerial and clinical supervision arrangements, expected supervision frequency and any mentoring or preceptorship for newly qualified staff.
Ready to post your Occupational Therapist vacancy?
Use the template above to create a clear advert and include your employer-specific details in the placeholders. Consider the distribution channels suggested to reach HCPC-registered candidates in the right specialty.
