Date: 20 Jul 2026
Location: Shepton Mallet, GB, BA4 5BT
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Company: Somerset Council
Closing date: 3 August 2026
Transform lives, champion rights & support adults to achieve their full potential.
Location: Mendip
Starting salary £28,770 rising annually, currently up to £32,076 (Pending pay award)
Full time, 37 hours per week
Ideal opportunity for someone looking to develop their career within Occupational Therapy and Adult Social Care
30 days annual leave entitlement
Role Purpose
As an Occupational Therapy Assistant within Adult Social Care, you will support Occupational Therapists to deliver a person-centred service that enables individuals to live independently and safely within their homes and communities.
You will undertake elements of the occupational therapy process, including assessing activities of daily living, recommending equipment, supporting adaptations and assisting with moving and handling solutions, whilst working within a defined scope of practice and supervision. This role plays a key part in helping people maximise their independence, working across teams and services to deliver practical solutions that improve people's everyday lives.
Key Responsibilities
Support Occupational Therapists with assessments, reviews and care planning activities
Undertake assessments of activities of daily living, identifying appropriate equipment and solutions
Demonstrate and support the safe use of equipment, including fitting and adapting where appropriate
Manage and prioritise a designated caseload, identifying urgency and responding effectively to needs
Carry out basic risk assessments and maintain accurate care records
Work collaboratively with partner services, including Home Adaptation Team (HAT) and Housing Adaptation colleagues to support adaptations and grant processes.
Provide advice and guidance to residents through Somerset Independent Living Centres (SILCs) to promote independence.
Contribute to service development, audits and continuous improvement activities.
What We’re Looking For – Essential Skills/Experience
We’re looking for individuals who are passionate about supporting independence and delivering practical, person-centred solutions.
You will have:
Experience working within health or social care settings
Understanding of the impact of disability on daily living
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage workload and prioritise effectively
NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or working towards this qualification).
Basic moving and handling training.
Willingness to learn and develop within an Occupational Therapy setting.
Strong communication skills and a compassionate, empathetic approach
Willingness to learn and develop within an Occupational Therapy setting
About the Team/Service
You will be part of a supportive and collaborative Adult Social Care service, working alongside Occupational Therapists and partner agencies.
The service is focused on:
Enabling people to remain independent at home
Providing practical solutions through equipment and adaptations
Delivering person-centred, strengths-based support
You will also work closely with Somerset Independent Living Centres, helping residents access advice, equipment and support to improve their daily lives
Additional Information
Due to the nature of the role and the geographical area of the service across Somerset, which is a largely rural county, with limitations around public transport the ability to be able to travel to any location is essential. Therefore, applicants must have full access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
We recognise and welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments to meet this requirement, and we’re happy to discuss this from the first point of contact with the recruitment team.
Please note: we are unable to sponsor this role as it does not meet Home Office requirements.
For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Chloe Cox, Service Manager – Occupational Therapy - East -
[email protected] or Recruitment –
[email protected]
Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don’t delay, apply today!
(If you are an internal candidate, please apply on the internal careers site)
A full job description can be found here: Occupational Therapy Assistant - Job Description - SCG1334
Person Specification
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Understanding of the impact of disability on occupational performance.
X
Awareness of and understanding of the relevant legislation and its impact on their scope of practice (including Care Act and Housing constructions and regeneration act.
X
Able to demonstrate substantial experience in health and care settings, including in the relevant field of work. Support and mentor less experienced staff and students, including apprentices.
X
Holds or is in the process of achieving NVQ level 3 qualification.
X
Has completed basic moving and handling training.
X
1148/FG
