Head of Occupational Therapy
Gloucester
This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.
- Job Title: Head of Occupational Therapy
- Job Location: Shire Hall, Block 5, 3rd Floor
- Salary: £63,132 - £68,342 per annum
- Hours per Week: 37.00
- Contract Type: Fixed Term
- Duration: 12 months
- Closing Date: 28/12/2025
- Job Requisition Number: 13111
- This post is not open to job share
Are you looking for the next step in your leadership and management career?
We have a vacancy for a new Head of Service for Occupational Therapy within our Adult Social Care (ASC) Head of Service team, an integral role in support the development and transformation of our changed occupational therapy service within the county council.
This challenging and transformational and role will work alongside the Principal Occupational therapist to lead strategic development and operational services designed of Adult Social Care occupational Therapy service. With a focus on outcomes for people in Gloucestershire and best practice for Occupational therapy, you will be responsible for ensuring work undertaken supports the delivery of the council’s strategic priorities. This role will also involve deputising for the relevant Assistant Director where necessary.
The post is offered as a 12-month fixed term contract and is based in the heart of the city of Gloucester, with great access routes to the M5. We offer flexible working with a mix of office and remote working.
About the role:
This post will support the strategic design and delivery of the new model for Occupational Therapy in Gloucestershire County Council (GCC). As we transition from the current delegated function of Occupational Therapy from Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust to Gloucestershire County Council, the role will lead on the development of policy and practice to ensure it is in line with relevant legislative guidance and is undertaken effectively and efficiently to maximise positive outcomes for individuals who draw upon support from the service.
This role will help ensure adults with physical, mental health needs and learning disabilities, and their carers, can access timely, appropriate support and begin planning for their future needs.
The role will include taking responsibility for:
- Managing delegated teams assuming strategic responsibility for the direction and performance of the teams.
- Promoting multi-disciplinary working to achieve better outcomes for individuals.
- Leading on specific change and development projects.
- Developing a learning and performance culture and modelling a commitment to continuous professional development.
- Delivering strong communications and engagement with staff to build resilience, morale and involvement in key decisions and proposed changes.
- Providing sound analysis of quality assurance and performance data reports.
- Budget management, ensuring funding is used effectively and creatively.
- Working in partnership with the relevant strategic commissioners and partners to support effective and efficient delivery of services.
If you want to learn more about the role, please email ASCrecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion with our Principal Occupational Therapist or Principal Social Worker.
About you:
You will have proven senior operational leadership and management experience in Occupational Therapy which has led to positive and improved outcomes.
In addition, we are seeking a candidate with the following skill sets and experience:
- Experience of leading and managing operational developments which have achieved high level change and performance improvement
- Will be a HCPC registered Occupational Therapist
- Have experience of coproduction and working with people to change and develop services
- Significant experience of leading effective inter-agency and partnership working.
- Leadership of high-performance management teams with experience of supervising, coaching or mentoring senior personnel.
- Successful financial management of major budget resources.
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of the legal and policy framework in relation to adult social care and wide knowledge of other relevant legislation.
- Ability to interpret legislation and national policy and translate these into effective local strategies and protocols.
- Political awareness and understanding or experience of working in a political environment.
- Ability to communicate, influence and negotiate at all levels of an organisation.
Read about our values – they are at the heart of everything we do and how we treat each other. They provide essential guiding principles about the way that we work and set the tone for our culture, and identify what we, as an organisation, care about.
If you hold the same behaviours and approach, then we want to hear from you! In exchange, we will provide you with full training and support to help you succeed in your role.
About us:
Our people do all they can to make the difference to local communities in Gloucestershire. And that is exactly what we aim to do for our people! Here are some of the ways we aim to achieve this:
- 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Regular formal and informal support
- Safe, supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
- Access to training and development and leadership conferences, enabling you to develop your skills
- Staff discount scheme that offers access to great savings including discounts with major supermarket chains and high street retailers
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
- GCC's Cycle to Work Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network.
We’re closer than you think:
We are an easy commute from many locations, view our commuting times map to see what we mean. However, we understand that commuting isn’t for everyone, so if you are in the process of relocating, why not email us to discuss opportunities further.
Applying:
Please write your application with consideration for the criteria in the Job Description. This should include examples of why you should be considered and the experience, skills and knowledge that you would bring to the post.
To start your journey with us, click ‘Apply’ today!
The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer.
Additional Information:
To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-
This Position is subject to a DBS check.
Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.
It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.
Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early due to the volume of applications received and / or due to the needs of the service. The advert will be open for a minimum of 7 calendar days. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.