Occupational Therapist – Band 7 / Strong Band 6 Ready to Step Up
Barnet, North London | Full-time | Flexible working with some home working
Supporting children to navigate school life with greater confidence, independence and access is work with real purpose.
Parker Smith Inclusion is recruiting an experienced Occupational Therapist to join a forward-thinking education-based SEND service in Barnet.
You may already be working confidently at Band 7, or you could be an experienced Band 6 Occupational Therapist ready to take the next step in your career.
This role would suit someone who brings clinical curiosity, creativity and a strong commitment to inclusion. Experience supporting autistic pupils, children with sensory processing differences or those with physical access needs would be particularly valuable.
The service is also especially interested in Occupational Therapists with Sensory Integration training.
What makes this role different?
This is not a role where occupational therapy sits separately from education.
You will work directly with children and young people in school environments, helping staff understand what may be affecting participation, regulation, independence and access to learning.
The focus is not simply on identifying difficulties. It is about creating practical, inclusive solutions that can make a lasting difference to how a pupil experiences school.
Your working week
The role offers a good balance of autonomy, direct clinical work and collaboration.
You can expect to spend approximately three days each week in schools, with flexibility around the remainder of your working week and some opportunity to work from home.
You will manage your own diary and caseload while remaining part of a supportive multidisciplinary team.
Your responsibilities may include:
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Completing specialist Occupational Therapy assessments
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Supporting children and young people with sensory, motor and functional needs
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Advising schools on strategies to improve access and participation
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Supporting sensory regulation and engagement
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Recommending environmental adaptations
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Supporting pupils to develop greater independence
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Modelling practical strategies for education staff
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Delivering direct and indirect intervention
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Working collaboratively with families and school teams
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Supervising Therapy Assistants where appropriate
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Contributing to service development and wider practice
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Working alongside Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and other SEND professionals
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Supporting evidence-informed approaches across education settings
Who are we looking for?
Essential:
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Qualified Occupational Therapist
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HCPC registration
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Relevant paediatric, SEND or education-based experience
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Strong clinical reasoning and assessment skills
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Confidence managing your own workload
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Ability to work collaboratively with schools and other professionals
Particularly desirable:
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Current Band 7 experience
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Strong Band 6 experience with readiness to step up
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Sensory Integration training
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Experience supporting autistic children and young people
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Sensory processing experience
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Experience supporting physical access needs
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Previous work within schools or specialist education
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Experience supervising or supporting more junior colleagues
The kind of therapist who will thrive here
You will be someone who can look beyond the immediate presenting difficulty and think about what needs to change around the child as well as within the child.
You will need to be flexible, empathetic and solution-focused, with the confidence to advise schools while remaining collaborative in your approach.
Autonomy is valued here, but so is shared learning. You will have the freedom to organise your working week while also having access to colleagues from different clinical and SEND disciplines.
Why consider this opportunity?
For the right Occupational Therapist, this role offers the chance to combine:
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Professional autonomy
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Education-based clinical work
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Multidisciplinary collaboration
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Flexible working
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Service development
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Supervision responsibilities
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Opportunities to influence wider SEND practice
You will be able to work directly with pupils while also helping shape the environments, strategies and systems around them.
If you are already established at Band 7, or you are a confident Band 6 ready for greater responsibility, this could be a strong next step.
Parker Smith Inclusion
Parker Smith Inclusion specialises in SEND and education recruitment, including Occupational Therapists and other allied health professionals working within specialist education services.
We offer honest and transparent advice, PAYE placement options where applicable and ongoing support throughout the recruitment process and placement.
If you feel you have the experience, ideas and clinical approach to take on this Occupational Therapist role in Barnet, apply today or contact me directly for a confidential conversation.
Parker Smith Inclusion is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Successful applicants will be subject to appropriate professional registration checks, references, safeguarding vetting and an enhanced DBS check where required.