Chelmsford
Essex
Term Time Only
📍 Chelmsford, Essex
💼 Full Time | Permanent
💰 £36,000 – £52,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
📅 Start Date: September 2025 or sooner
Parker Smith Inclusion is proud to be working in partnership with a highly regarded therapeutic school in Chelmsford that offers a safe, nurturing, and trauma-informed environment for pupils with significant Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and additional SEND.
We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Occupational Therapist to join a committed multi-disciplinary team supporting pupils aged 5 to 16 with highly individualised interventions. This is a rare opportunity to play a central role in transforming the lives of children and young people through relational, sensory and functional support.
🌟 The Role
As an Occupational Therapist within this setting, you will:
Deliver both structured and flexible 1:1 and group therapy sessions tailored to individual needs.
Conduct detailed assessments, including sensory profiling and motor skill evaluations, to inform therapeutic programmes.
Work collaboratively with teachers and therapists to integrate occupational therapy into classroom practice and everyday routines.
Support transitions, including reintegration following exclusion or absence, using therapeutic resources such as social stories, sensory tools and visual timetables.
Create a calm and welcoming therapy environment that promotes self-regulation, sensory integration and pupil wellbeing.
Monitor and evaluate pupil progress, contributing to EHCP reviews and producing high-quality therapy reports for families and local authorities.
Liaise with families and external professionals, such as CAMHS, to ensure consistent and joined-up support.
Deliver training and reflective practice sessions to support staff in embedding therapeutic approaches throughout the school.
✅ The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
A degree in Occupational Therapy and registration with the HCPC (required)
Experience working with children and young people, particularly those with SEMH, autism, trauma, or complex SEND
A strong understanding of sensory processing, attachment, trauma and child development
The ability to remain calm and consistent in challenging situations, using a therapeutic, non-judgemental approach
Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trust with pupils, families and colleagues
A proactive and flexible attitude, with the confidence to lead practice, contribute ideas and reflect critically
💡 Why Join This School?
A therapeutic model that places relationships, emotional wellbeing and trust at the heart of everything
A warm, close-knit team of passionate educators, therapists, and leaders
A setting where clinical integrity is valued and protected – including external clinical supervision
Ongoing training, CPD and opportunities to shape practice and provision
A meaningful opportunity to make a real difference to vulnerable children’s lives
👋 Interested?
Parker Smith Inclusion is an ethical and specialist SEND recruitment agency committed to supporting inclusion and pupil wellbeing. If you are an experienced or emerging Occupational Therapist looking for a role where relationships come first, we would love to hear from you.
📩 Apply now or get in touch for a confidential discussion.