Occupational Therapy Assistant

Aurora White House School and Aurora Eccles School

We're looking for an Occupational Therapy Assistant to join Aurora Eccles and White House Schools. You'll assist the Occupational Therapy team in providing Occupational Therapy services, covering all aspects of the students' occupational, functional, and sensory development within their school environment.

The main focus of this role will be to support the implementation of occupational therapy support and therapy programmes with identified students within the schools.

Aurora Eccles and White House Schools in Quidenham, Norwich provide day placements for pupils aged 5 to 16 with communication and interaction difficulties, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, autism, anxiety and other barriers to learning.

With small classes, typically seven pupils and at least three staff per class, plus an onsite clinical team and experienced SLT support, you'll be able to focus on each pupil's individual needs.

Key Accountabilities:

• Assist the Occupational Therapist and the class teams in creating a sensory friendly and enabling environments within both schools.

• Work alongside the Occupational Therapist in the assessment of students within both schools

• Implementing interventions and programmes with classes and pupils as directed by the Occupational Therapy Team and wider clinical and SEN team

• Together with the class teams support students' sensory, motor and occupational needs to be able to develop their daily living skills as well as engage with their social and academic environments

• To liaise effectively with multi-disciplinary colleagues and maintain associated records

• Research, advise on and source, or prepare and make, equipment and materials which contribute to the efficient delivery of occupational therapy services

• Under direction of senior clinical team members, prepare training materials and / or support training to staff in relevant areas as appropriate and as required

Duties may vary, and you'll be expected to contribute to the wider aims of Eccles and White House Schools. Please see link at the bottom of the page for full .

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English Language qualification minimum Grade 4 or equivalent is essential.

Knowledge and Experience

• Interest in developing young people's functional skills (including their daily living skills) as well as meeting sensory needs

• Commitment to and experience of supporting children and young people with a variety of SEN

• Confidence in own communication skills, and ability to guide and motivate other staff

• Fluent in written and spoken English with the ability to communicate complex information in a clear manner to a range of audiences including young people, parents, and professionals.

• Good time-management and organisation skills. Ability to organise and prioritise own workload. 

• Ability to keep legible and accurate notes.

• Ability to cope with working in an environment that can be unpredictable.

• Good IT skills for administration, presentations, recording and reporting systems.

• A positive and creative approach in meeting individual needs.

• A patient, caring, encouraging, tactful and caring attitude.

• A basic understanding of the purpose and role of Occupational Therapy within a special education needs setting.

Due to the location of the school, candidates must hold a full UK driving licence and have access to their own vehicle. 

How to Apply: 

For candidates that haven't worked in this sector before please be aware that for regulatory reasons the application process is far more detailed and thorough compared to other sectors.

Please complete the online application form in full, including all employment and education details, and provide a personal statement that makes us keen to speak to you.

If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at View email address on tes.com

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled. 

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search