Occupational Therapist – Specialist SEMH School

A leading independent specialist school supporting pupils with ACEs, SEMH needs and associated SEND is seeking a dedicated and skilled Occupational Therapist to join their therapy team. This is an opportunity to make significant, meaningful impact within a school that places relationships, trauma‑informed practice, and therapeutic support at the centre of everything it does.

The Role

You will be the on‑site therapeutic lead for Occupational Therapy, delivering 1:1 sessions, group interventions, classroom support, and environmental adaptations. Working collaboratively with teachers, families, and external professionals including CAMHS, you’ll ensure pupils receive high‑quality, ethical, and holistic OT provision.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Building strong, relational connections with pupils with ACEs, trauma backgrounds, SEMH needs and complex SEND
• Planning and delivering structured OT interventions alongside flexible “need‑it‑now” support
• Providing in‑class OT guidance, modelling trauma‑informed and sensory‑informed strategies
• Setting up and maintaining a calm, purposeful OT/therapy space
• Completing functional assessments, sensory assessments, OT reports and progress reviews
• Tracking SEMH and functional development using the school’s assessment framework
• Liaising with external professionals including CAMHS and social care
• Delivering OT‑focused training and refreshers for staff
• Supporting reintegration, transitions and key developmental milestones
• Building supportive, positive relationships with families, including regular communication
• Upholding safeguarding, confidentiality, and all relevant policies

About You

• Degree‑level, fully qualified Occupational Therapist with HCPC registration (essential)
• Experience working with children or young people in SEMH/SEND or challenging settings
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Excellent understanding of child development, sensory needs, trauma, attachment, and mental health
• Confident working independently while collaborating fully as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Emotionally resilient, reflective, and passionate about helping young people thrive

Desirable: Additional training in sensory integration, trauma, SEND, or child mental health.

Why This School?

• Strong, embedded relationships-first therapeutic model
• Multidisciplinary, supportive, values-led environment
• Real scope to influence whole‑school OT practice
• Ongoing CPD, reflective practice and professional development
• A role where your OT expertise truly transforms outcomes

Reasonable Adjustments:

If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity by contacting our team. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement.

We are unable to support or accept applications from candidates who are residents within the Red or Amber list of the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Workforce Support and Safeguard List.

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