Assistant Practitioner

Do you see yourself supporting residents at the earliest point of need? Can you use your skills to promote independence and prevent crises? Does joining a collaborative, high‑performing team appeal to you?

If so, this could be the ideal opportunity.

Our Occupational Therapy Service is recruiting for an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner to join the OPPD Contact Team and play a vital role in delivering high‑quality, preventative support.

About the Role

This role involves completing trusted assessments, providing early intervention, and ensuring residents receive timely, accurate advice. You will support individuals, families, and carers by identifying needs, arranging standard equipment where appropriate, and promoting self‑funding options when relevant. You will work within multi‑agency frameworks, maintain high‑quality records, and ensure all communication is clear, sensitive, and aligned with policy. You will also champion personalisation, choice, and control, ensuring residents remain central to all decision‑making.

About You

We are seeking someone who is organised, confident, and committed to delivering excellent preventative practice. You should demonstrate:

• Effective communication with people of all backgrounds and communication needs
• Experience working in health, social care, or community‑based support
• Ability to work across agencies and professional boundaries
• Sound judgement in identifying risks and promoting safety
• Strong recording and documentation skills
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and anti‑oppressive practice
• Willingness to promote assistive technology, telecare, and equipment solutions

You’ll join a supportive, knowledgeable team and benefit from professional development opportunities, hybrid working, and a culture that values both high‑quality practice and staff wellbeing.

This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) DBS check at Enhanced - Adults and Children's (Barred) level.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

About the Team:

The OPPD Contact Team serves as Southwark’s first point of contact for older adults, adults with dementia or physical disabilities, and their carers. As part of the Adult Social Care Front Door, the team provides immediate information, advice, and an initial screening to understand a person’s needs and risks from the very beginning.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Paola Blanco at paola.blanco@southwark.gov.uk.

Recruitment timetable

Additional Information:

• This post is being offered as a Fixed Term Contract for 12 Months.
  
• This post requires an Enhanced - Adult's and Children's (Barred) Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
  
  

Recruitment Timeline:

Advert close date: 11:59pm on 10/04/2026

Shortlisting date: 15/04/2026

Interview date: 20/04/2026

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Attachments

• Job Description