Required for: January 2024
Hours and Pay: Band 6 Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm – paid school holidays
Condition of employment: 1 year contract (with opportunity for permanent role after 1 year))
‘Joining Gesher was like joining a family. I really value how everyone works together holistically, and as a multidisciplinary team, to ensure that the children achieve their full potential. Working as an OT at Gesher, as an onsite therapist in their environment, enables us to support children to work towards functional and practical goals. From day one, I have felt like an integral part of the team, helping me to develop my professional and clinical skills.’ – Occupational Therapist at Gesher.
‘Therapists, teachers and teaching assistants work together seamlessly as one team. They truly understand how to meet pupils’ complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). While staff are nurturing, they also have high expectations of all pupils. As a result, pupils work hard and learn well.’ – OFSTED September 2022.
Gesher School is an OFSTED Outstanding all-through primary and secondary school providing a specialist, meaningful and functional learning environment for young people with mild to moderate special educational needs. This includes Autism, ADHD and Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and mild to moderate learning needs.
We can offer you:
● Paid half-day Friday closure in the winter months
● Paid school holidays, plus paid extra Jewish holidays throughout the year
● Ring-fenced half day PPA (admin) from home
● Regular well-being events
● Bi-monthly CPD
We are looking for a confident, enthusiastic and highly motivated Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join our Therapy team at Gesher school. This post would suit a passionate, dynamic and adaptable individual who ideally has experience of working in a school or paediatric setting.
At Gesher school, Occupational Therapy is integrated throughout the school week for all students, following a trans-disciplinary and holistic therapeutic approach. You will work in close partnership with our Speech and Language Therapists, dramatherapist and Art Therapist, along with Teaching and Support staff and families/carers to help our children reach their full potential and support them in accessing all areas of the curriculum. The Therapy team at Gesher work onsite, on a full-time basis, and utilises the three tiered approach: Universal, Targeted and Specialist. This position offers fantastic opportunities to develop your skills as a practitioner within an innovative, supportive and collaborative team environment.
This position offers fantastic opportunities to develop your skills as a practitioner within an innovative, supportive and collaborative team environment.
The successful therapist will:
● Plan, deliver and evaluate 1:1, paired and group evidence-based therapy programmes to support development of fine and gross motor skills, self-care skills and support sensory processing needs in order to enable children’s learning and meaningful engagement in school-based tasks.
● Complete comprehensive assessments when required to determine students’ individual Occupational Therapy needs.
● Deliver Occupational Therapy recommendations on students Educational Healthcare Plans (EHCP) and contribute to the annual review/ EHCP process.
● Develop effective working relationships with school staff and liaise regularly regarding implementation of programmes, provide in class support, advice and strategies; alongside delivering parent workshops to support the ongoing development of Occupational Therapy skills.
● Demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team under the supervision of a senior Occupational Therapist.
You will join a supportive staff team where teamwork, flexibility and a positive personality are essential attributes.
To be successful you must have the following:
● Degree in Occupational Therapy.
● Registered member of HCPC (Health Care Professions Council) or registration in process.
● Experience working as a paediatric therapist, and/or experience working in a school setting
● An understanding of Occupational Therapy process/interventions in a school setting.
● Excellent communication, organisation and time management skills.
● A willingness to become involved in all aspects of school life and culture, e.g.
break and lunch times, clubs, school festivals and events, parents’ evenings etc.
● The ability to work well as part of a collaborative team
● A right to work in the UK
See us in action here:
https: //vimeo.com/407682934/a9a6af1bc8
For more information relating to the above role, or to apply, please contact Victoria Rutter, Head of Therapies 0207 884 5102 or email [email protected]
