Job description
Our team at Abbey School is growing and we are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and proactive Occupational Therapist to work alongside our full-time Occupational Therapist. The ideal candidate will be an outstanding practitioner who is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEN and/or disability, and their families.
This is a permanent, full-time post, and we are seeking to appoint for a start date as soon as possible.
If you are a locum Occupational Therapist interested in supporting hours at Abbey school, we also encourage you to get in contact, either by calling 01244 960 000 or emailing recruitment@abbeyschool.com with your availability, and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
The post-holder will:
- Provide occupational therapy support to children and young people aged 4-19 with complex autism, learning difficulties and behaviours that challenge, within a day and residential special school setting.
- Work as part of a trans-disciplinary team ensuring each pupil’s needs are understood, accurately planned for and closely monitored.
- Advise members of the teaching team in relation to pupils’ development to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
- Provide both direct and indirect therapy for individuals and groups of pupils.
- Provide advice and support to Abbey School social care staff for residential pupils.
- Uphold Abbey School policies to protect and safeguard pupils and vulnerable adults in order to secure their health, safety and wellbeing.
For further information please download our recruitment pack which contains details of the job description and person specification.

How to apply?
Please complete an application form at your earliest convenience. Once applications have been received they will be shortlisted to interview.
Completed application forms should be returned to recruitment@abbeyschool.com with a covering letter addressed to the Principal, Dr Katy Lee. Alternatively, application forms with covering letters can be sent by post to Abbey School, 11 Abbey Square, Chester, CH1 2HU. Please be advised that we only accept fully completed application forms.
Applicants shortlisted for interview will be asked to complete an in-tray task prior to interview.
Additional notes
The School will complete an online search for all shortlisted candidates. If any incidents or issues have happened that are publicly available online, the school may wish to explore this at interview.
Abbey School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of all pupils and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Child safer recruitment procedures operate and the post is subject to references and an Enhanced DBS disclosure with barred list checks.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are ‘spent’ unless ‘protected’ under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, sex, pregnancy and maternity, marriage/civil partnerships, religion/belief, or sexual orientation.
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