The Springfields Academy, Reach South Academy Trust is seeking to appoint an experienced Occupational Therapist to join the School in September 2024.

Post: Occupational Therapist

Location: The Springfields Academy, Curzon Street, Calne Wiltshire SN11 0DS

FTE Salary Range: NJC Grade J, Point 21-23, £34,834 - £36,648 per annum pro-rata Actual £18 641  - £19 612

Contract Type: Permanent, part time; term-time (39 weeks per year)

Contract Hours: 22.25 hours per week

About the role

The role of Occupational Therapist is an exciting role working within our multi-disciplinary Therapy Team in close collaboration with our existing Occupational Therapist/Head of Therapy. The core purpose of the role is  to provide expertise, advice and intervention for a varied occupational therapy caseload, working both discreetly and embedded within the educational environment across the academy.

It is a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to work with a range of pupils with varied profiles alongside education and therapy staff to embed interventions in the daily pupil experience. This holistic therapeutic approach will ensure opportunities to help pupils develop the functional skills for a ‘safe, independent life’.

The role requires the successful candidate to have an understanding/commitment to understanding the theories of autism and their impact on our pupils. They will have knowledge of how interventions can be applied in practice to meet individual need; in addition to creativity, flexibility, resilience and a commitment to meeting the occupational therapy needs of our pupils through innovative provision.

About the successful candidate

• Someone with a passion for making the environment functional and accessible for the autistic learner.
• A child-centred practitioner who responds to the individual needs of each child.
• An Occupational Therapist  with good knowledge and understanding of autism and social communication needs and appropriate strategies to support pupils with this need.
• A creative and flexible therapeutic approach that builds success through challenge, personalisation and innovation.
• The confidence and skills to build positive relationships that help to break down barriers and  build self-esteem.
• A commitment to enabling all our pupils to overcome their challenges and achieve their potential.
• Applications from newly qualified therapists will be considered.

About the School

Springfields Academy builds safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement from the ages of 4-19. We have 210 pupils currently attending  our School.

The post of Occupational Therapist has arisen due to the growth of our in house Therapy team in response in an increase in the complexity of pupil need. 

Part of the excitement of working at Springfields is the broad range of individuals that you will work with. Our young people with autism may have sensory needs, speech and language difficulties, or other conditions such as social, emotional and mental health needs. A key aspect of working at Springfields is taking the time to get to know pupils and their individual needs, and given their complexity, being able to create a safe, stimulating and supportive communication environment is crucial.

You will be joining a happy, hardworking and well-established multi-disciplinary Therapy Team. A key strength of the Therapy Team is their forward thinking, innovative approaches to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.

About the Trust

Reach South is a young and developing Trust which operates across the South West of England with the aim of delivering all through 4-19 education.  We operate 17 academies in Plymouth, Bournemouth, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.  We are building this Trust on a clear set of values, behaviours and curriculum principles. At the heart of those values and principles is a belief in our young people and a determination to support them to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to become the successful citizens for today and all of their tomorrows.

Our core business is delivering exceptional education for children and young people with a mission to help all pupils aspire to achieve beyond the expectations that others put on them.  We do this through the development of a talented and committed workforce. In order to deliver exceptional opportunities for learning, we need highly motivated staff across all parts of the organisation.

Those we recruit are able to demonstrate that they share our values, are highly motivated to work with colleagues, within and beyond their school, to continuously develop their skills and pursue professional excellence.

Next Steps

If you think this role may be for you and want to be involved at this exciting time in our development and have any questions about the position, please get in touch with Liz Burns, Head of Therapy  on 01249 814125 or email lburns@springfields.wilts.sch.uk 

If you have technical difficulties call the Recruitment team on 07759365064 or emailing us at recruitment@reachsouth.org.

Closing date: for applications is Sunday, 12th May 2024

Interview Date:  Interviews are provisionally booked for the week commencing 20th May 2024

To apply for this opportunity, please complete our online application form by clicking ‘apply now’ on the advert.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date. Therefore, an early application is strongly advised.

Opportunities and Benefits 

We offer a competitive salary plus LGPS pension, great career progression and development opportunities, access to our Employee Assistance Programme with many other benefits. 

We’re proud of how we support our staff in order that you have high levels of job satisfaction, are aware of the difference you are making for the children and families you work with and can see your contribution towards our community. There are regular opportunities for professional development and training, and a wider community of staff to network with within Reach South Multi Academy Trust. You will have the chance to visit other local schools, work alongside a range of outside professionals and take part in a variety of e-learning and face-to-face training.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Each post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Reach South Academy Trust has an Equal Opportunities Policy for selection and recruitment. Applicants are requested to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring section of the application form before submitting.