occupational therapy jobs with Pulse

An occupational therapist’s role is to help people with day-to-day activities who, for some reason such as disability, illness or trauma, have difficulty with these types of tasks.  This may involve developing personalised plans with specific goals and adjustments to help individuals carry out daily activities and engage in the tasks they wish to do. For example, some tasks you may be involved with adapting are: 

• Commuting to work
• Playing sports
• Doing the dishes 

Your clients will vary depending on whether you work for the NHS or in private practice, but they will often include individuals with mental health conditions, physical disabilities and elderly people. 

Occupational therapy is a broad profession. As an occupational therapist, you can often choose to specialise in a particular area. Some of the specialities are: 

• Acute 
• Autism 
• Brain Injuries 
• Community 
• Diabetes 
• Hand Therapy 
• Inpatient 
• Mental Health 
• Neuro rehab 
• Orthopaedic 
• Paediatrics 
• Rapid response 
• Stroke 

As well as specialisms, there are also a range of seniority levels, for example occupational therapy assistants all the way up to highly specialist occupational therapists. The type of job can also differ depending on whether you choose to work for the NHS or an occupational therapy agency, as there are plenty of permanent, temporary and locum occupational therapy roles in the industry. 

The starting salary for an occupational therapist is an average of £28,407 and can reach £34,581, depending on the level of experience and specialism of the position. A senior occupational therapist with more years’ experience is likely to reach band 7, which can earn around £45,839 a year.  

The salary band hourly rates for an occupational therapist are: 

• Band 5 £18-23+ per hour   

• Band 6 £23-28+ per hour  

• Band 7 £28-33+ per hour  

• Band 8a £33-£42+ per hour    

These are based on the rates that occupational therapists in London can expect and may be slightly lower in areas outside of the higher cost area payment zones. 

To become an occupational therapist in the NHS, you need to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree or Master of science degree in occupational therapy or complete an apprenticeship. Then you will need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before you can start practising. This is because occupational therapy is a protected title and practising without registration could result in legal action. View the NHS careers website for more information on how to become an occupational therapist. 

As occupational therapy is vital to our communities, there is always a high level of locum occupational therapist roles within the healthcare system. With a range of patients and the ability to move around as a locum occupational therapist, you can reap certain benefits that you wouldn’t have access to in a full-time role. These include higher rates of pay and work flexibility. 

In a locum occupational therapist job, you control your own working hours, be your own boss and have the option to work as a part-time employee on days, nights or weekends. 

Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings to help patients from all walks of life with their daily activities. Some of the places you can expect to work in as an occupational therapist include: 

• Hospitals  
• Community facilities 
• Schools 
• Businesses 
• Prisons 
• Clients’ homes