Specialist Respiratory Occupational Therapist

Job summary
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Medway Community Healthcare or working on the Staff Bank within these organisations. Nursing and AHP vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses/AHPs.

Are you a Respiratory Specialist Occupational Therapist or an Occupational therapist with demonstratable experience and wanting to take the next step into a specialist role? Supporting patients with a respiratory condition is more important than ever before as illustrated in the NHS 10-year plan and the move towards neighbourhood working. OTs with experience in symptom management, utilising a solution focused and behaviour change approach can make a positive difference to patients. The service has developed over recent years into a multi-disciplinary team, utilising both a proactive and reactive approach to keep more patients with respiratory disease at home and out of hospital. That's where you come in. This role is based in East Kent supporting patients living with respiratory disease, with an emphasis on self-management and support in the community as part of their care pathway. You'll support patients through group interventions and individual home visits. We aim to enhance the quality of life for people living with respiratory disease, whatever stage they are at.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care required for patients with complex, long term, high risk respiratory conditions
• Provide necessary health education and advice resulting in fewer hospital admissions
• Identify vulnerable/complex service users and support the provision of effective programmes of support that protect and promote patients' health and wellbeing. Intervening when a person's safety or welfare is at risk
• Deliver symptom management programmes utilising a Cognitive Behaviour approach, both in a 1-1 and group setting focusing on fatigue, anxiety, breathlessness management and sleep hygiene
• Undertake both equipment and environment assessments as clinically indicated.
• Maintain your own specialist area of competence and ensure a supervision framework is in place for staff under your care and support in the development of competencies across staffing groups
• Act as a source of specialist knowledge on respiratory conditions to primary and secondary care
• Autonomously manage a caseload of respiratory patients requiring specialist services

Whilst this is a full-time role, we would consider 0.8 WTE (30 hrs) or above. If you are able to demonstrate a passion and commitment to this role but do not fully meet all desirable criteria, we would consider a one-year development pathway from Band 6 to Band 7.

If you can bring fresh ideas and a genuine interest in helping people with respiratory disease to live well for longer, we'd love to hear from you.

About us
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.

Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.

We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We use protected characteristic information for monitoring only and it is not seen by recruiting managers, except where applicants choose to be considered under our disability guaranteed interview scheme.

We know life outside work matters. As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

Job responsibilities
As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via View email address on meeveem.com, quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Qualifications, Training and Experience
Essential

• Has a Level 6 Degree or equivalent qualification in relevant health related subject i.e. Occupational Therapy.
• Has a Level 7 qualification in relevant area of practice or the willingness to undertake.
• Has a highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of issues in relation to respiratory practice, leadership, research and education.
• Has a basic qualification in CBT with experience of a CBT approach to self-management techniques for patients with complex respiratory conditions

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• Has sound communication skills in order to understand and communicate both verbally and in writing. Including providing and receiving complex and sensitive information, utilising motivational and reassurance skills and empathy.
• Able to work well under pressure and be able to organise your own work
• Has highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of issues in relation to respiratory practice, leadership, research and education.

Desirable

• Has an awareness of developments within the NHS would be an advantage as well as an understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance.

Working Environment
Essential

• Has a full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) and the ability to travel independently.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.