Role Purpose
To contribute specialist occupational therapy assessment expertise within the CYP ASD and/or ADHD diagnostic pathways, supporting safe, timely and evidence-based diagnostic decision-making through structured functional and sensory assessment, multi-informant evidence gathering, MDT discussion, and high-quality reporting. The postholder will work within the commissioned scope and agreed clinical governance arrangements, providing clear, practical outcomes and recommendations to families and referrers.
Why This Role Exists
Functional impact, sensory processing and daily living participation are critical domains in CYP neurodevelopmental assessment that require dedicated OT expertise. This role strengthens MDT capacity by embedding that specialist perspective directly within the pathway, improving the quality and defensibility of diagnostic formulation and ensuring children and young people receive recommendations grounded in their functional experience.
About Vertis Health
Vertis Health is a GP-owned organisation in Worcestershire. We deliver safe, evidence-based community services through clinician-led teams, robust governance, and practical, data-driven improvement.
The services currently include:
- Adult ADHD - assessment and ongoing clinical reviews, with medication titration delivered under appropriate prescribing governance and shared care with GPs where agreed.
- Adult ASD - diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through an MDT model.
- Children and Young People (CYP) ADHD - an assessment and diagnosis pathway (with onward treatment and medication pathways subject to commissioning and wider system arrangements).
- Children and Young People (CYP) ASD - a diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through a multidisciplinary model, aligned to national guidance and local commissioning arrangements.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Assessment contribution
- Contribute specialist occupational therapy assessment within CYP ASD and/or ADHD diagnostic pathways, working within service SOPs and NICE guidance.
- Review referral information and supporting evidence, applying OT-specific clinical knowledge to support pathway triage and readiness decisions.
- Conduct structured functional and sensory assessments as part of the MDT model, using validated tools and professional judgement to inform diagnostic formulation.
- Gather and integrate multi-informant evidence from home and education settings on daily living, functional participation, sensory processing and motor development, within consent and information governance requirements.
- Contribute to MDT discussion and diagnostic decision-making, providing clear OT-informed clinical reasoning aligned to DSM-5/ICD-11 criteria.
- Identify co-occurring functional, sensory, adaptive and developmental needs; escalate safeguarding concerns and clinical risk via appropriate governance routes.
Documentation and communication
- Produce high-quality OT assessment reports and MDT contributions within agreed timeframes, written in neurodiversity-affirming language and accessible to families, schools and professionals.
- Communicate assessment findings sensitively to children, young people and families, and contribute to outcome-sharing in line with consent and information governance requirements.
- Provide practical, functional recommendations on daily living support, sensory strategies, environmental adaptations and reasonable adjustments within service remit.
- Ensure records are accurate, timely and complete using agreed templates and documentation standards.
Governance, safeguarding and quality
- Practise within safeguarding legislation and organisational safeguarding procedures, identifying concerns promptly and escalating appropriately.
- Work within clinical governance requirements including consent, capacity, confidentiality, incident reporting, learning review processes and escalation routes.
- Participate in supervision, reflective practice, audit and service evaluation to strengthen quality and consistency across pathways.
- Maintain HCPC registration and evidence CPD relevant to OT in neurodevelopmental assessment contexts.
Pathway working and interfaces
- Work closely with Operations to support smooth pathway flow, reducing avoidable delay and rework.
- Support safe interface between CYP ASD and ADHD pathways where dual presentation is suspected, following agreed internal processes.
- Liaise with partner services (CAMHS, community paediatrics, local education and support organisations) to facilitate safe onward planning and signposting within service scope.
Person Specification
Essential
- Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.
- Significant post-qualification experience working with children and young people in neurodevelopmental, paediatric, CAMHS or closely related settings.
- Demonstrable experience conducting functional and/or sensory assessments within a CYP diagnostic or neurodevelopmental pathway.
- Ability to integrate multi-source assessment evidence into clear clinical reasoning, contributing to MDT diagnostic decision-making aligned to DSM-5/ICD-11 criteria.
- Strong report-writing skills with evidence of producing high-quality clinical documentation to deadlines.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding, risk identification and escalation within CYP services.
- Confident MDT working and ability to follow governed diagnostic pathways and service SOPs.
- Commitment to equality, reasonable adjustments and neurodiversity-affirming practice.
Desirable
- Experience using validated standardised OT assessment tools within a neurodevelopmental or diagnostic pathway model (for example sensory processing measures or adaptive behaviour assessments).
- Experience of assessing children and young people with dual presentation (ASD and ADHD) and navigating pathway interfaces.
- Experience of working within high-volume assessment services or Right to Choose models.
- Experience of audit, service improvement or documentation standards work in neurodevelopmental or CAMHS services.
- Familiarity with ADOS-2 administration as part of an MDT model.
Pay: £40,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
