Occupational Therapy Team Leader (Redeployment 20610) na ORC External

• Suffolk County Council
• Address:  Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds or Lowestoft - multi office working and hybrid working  
• Salary: £48,163 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available 
• Contract: Permanent 

As a modern, flexible and effective organisation, we’re driven to make a positive difference to the environment, the communities we serve and the careers of our people. That’s why, when you join us as an Occupational Therapy Team Lead, you’ll be encouraged to share your fresh thinking and empowered to explore new ideas that will shape and improve our services as well as your career.  

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities 

• Leading a team of operational staff, including an Occupational Therapist and four Independent Wellbeing Practitioners.
• Conducting staff supervisions, performance appraisals, and handling associated HR responsibilities.
• Overseeing the holding list and managing work allocation.
• Managing complex Occupational Therapy cases, particularly those involving major home adaptations.
• Collaborating closely with the ILS Admin team and the Grab Rail service.
• Representing the service in meetings with district and borough councils across Suffolk, fostering partnerships and supporting joint service delivery objectives.
• Building specialist expertise in housing-related matters.
• Authorising equipment through funding panels and contributing to the wider SCC Adult Social Care Occupational Therapy group.

You will need 

• To be a qualified and experienced Senior Occupational Therapist within an Adult Social Care (ASC) team.
• A strong commitment to career development and a desire to progress professionally.
• An interest in housing and its connection to Occupational Therapy, supported by experience in housing-related casework.
• Proven experience of working with Suffolk County Council (SCC) partners, ideally having led relevant projects.
• Experience supervising Occupational Therapists, Independent Well-being Practitioners, or students.
• Creativity and strategic thinking to help shape service development and contribute to delivery plans.
• The ability to balance complex clinical casework with managerial and leadership responsibilities.
• Confidence in working independently while engaging effectively with line and clinical supervision.
• A genuine passion for Occupational Therapy and its potential to make a meaningful difference. 

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. 

The team 

The Independent Living Service Occupational Therapy team are in the Contact and Assessment service of ASC and are responsible for assessing customers for major home adaptations (costing over £1000) for privately owned and rented properties. The team refer on to and work closely with the district and borough councils who are responsible for processing Disabled Facilities Grants. This includes means testing, providing application forms, technical input, reviewing quotes and approving grants. ILS also has a grab rail service which is managed by a small team with whom the ILS OT group work in conjunction with. 

This is a diverse team with a mixture of qualified Occupational Therapists and Independent Wellbeing Practitioners. The team are hybrid and there is flexibility in terms of office base. The role of Team Lead involves complex case working across Suffolk alongside the overall running of the team. 

This is an exciting time to join ILS as it as an evolving service; as Team Lead you will be working closely with the Operations and Partnerships Manager, as well as the Principal OT, on the strategic vision of ILS as a major adaptations and specialist housing service. 

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report. 

For more information 

Please contact Katherine Lees, (Operations and Partnerships Manager IWS and ILS), for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473 260115 or emailing [email protected] 

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word). 

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process. 

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [email protected] or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.  

Closing date: 11.30pm, 22 September 2025. 

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.  #LI-Hybrid 

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).