Occupational Therapist - Adult ASD

Job summary

Are you an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist with a passion for neurodevelopmental services and person-centred care?

Vertis Health is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our growing Adult ASD Right to Choose service. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within a multidisciplinary team, helping adults gain a greater understanding of themselves through high-quality autism assessments and meaningful post-diagnostic support.

You will bring specialist expertise in functional assessment, sensory processing, occupational performance and daily living skills, contributing to comprehensive diagnostic assessments that make a genuine difference to people's lives.

If you are committed to neurodiversity-affirming practice and enjoy working in a collaborative, innovative environment, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As an Occupational Therapist within our Adult ASD diagnostic pathway, you will:

• Conduct structured occupational, functional and sensory assessments for adults referred for autism assessment.
• Explore the impact of autistic traits on daily living, education, employment, relationships and community participation.
• Contribute specialist clinical reasoning and occupational therapy expertise to multidisciplinary diagnostic discussions.
• Produce high-quality assessment reports and recommendations using clear, accessible and strengths-based language.
• Develop personalised support plans that promote independence, wellbeing and meaningful participation.
• Provide practical recommendations around sensory strategies, workplace adjustments, independent living and environmental adaptations.
• Identify and appropriately escalate safeguarding, risk, capacity or mental health concerns.
• Support continuous service improvement through audit, peer review and reflective practice activities.

About us

Vertis Health is a federation of general practices delivering high-quality NHS services across Worcestershire. We were founded by local primary care clinicians and are owned by the practices we serve. As a purpose-led limited company, the money we generate is reinvested into the local healthcare economy, helping to strengthen services, support innovation and improve patient care.

Our neurodevelopmental services are being built around clinical quality, meaningful outcomes and strong governance. You will join an organisation that understands NHS systems and values while giving experienced clinicians the opportunity to influence, develop and improve services.

Depending on the role, our benefits include access to the NHS Pension, structured learning and development, clinical leadership opportunities, career progression and genuine flexibility.

If you want to help build a clinically rigorous, compassionate and sustainable service, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Job responsibilities

Vertis Health is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment Service. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide specialist occupational therapy expertise within a high-quality, evidence-based adult autism diagnostic pathway. Your contribution will play a vital role in supporting accurate diagnostic decision-making, promoting person-centred outcomes, and ensuring a positive experience for individuals accessing the service.

You will undertake comprehensive occupational, functional and sensory assessments, exploring how autistic traits and sensory differences impact daily living, independent functioning, employment, education, relationships and community participation. Drawing together information from service users, carers, partners, support workers, historical records and other relevant sources, you will provide specialist occupational therapy formulation and clinical reasoning to multidisciplinary team discussions. You will help evaluate functional impact, sensory regulation, adaptive skills, environmental fit and occupational performance, while considering differential diagnoses, co-occurring conditions and factors relevant to diagnostic formulation. You will also produce clear, high-quality assessment reports and practical recommendations that support individuals, families and professionals, including advice on daily living, workplace adjustments, sensory strategies and environmental adaptations.

The successful candidate will have significant post-registration experience working within adult neurodevelopmental, mental health, learning disability, community rehabilitation or related services, alongside excellent assessment, clinical reasoning, communication and report-writing skills. You will have experience conducting functional, occupational and sensory assessments with adults and be confident contributing specialist occupational therapy expertise within a multidisciplinary diagnostic pathway. You will be committed to delivering person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming care and working within NICE guidance, HCPC professional standards, safeguarding requirements and robust clinical governance frameworks.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and ambitious neurodevelopmental service where clinical quality, collaboration and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do. As an Occupational Therapist, you will have the opportunity to influence service development, contribute to pathway improvement, strengthen multidisciplinary working and help deliver timely access to high-quality autism assessments for adults across Worcestershire and beyond through the Right to Choose pathway.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• Current HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Strong understanding of autism in adulthood.
• Knowledge of sensory processing, masking and functional participation.
• Understanding of safeguarding, consent, confidentiality and the Mental Capacity Act.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
• Commitment to equality, accessibility and neurodiversity-affirming practice.

Desirable

• Knowledge of ADOS-2, ADI-R or similar autism assessment methodologies.
• Understanding of co-occurring neurodevelopmental and mental health presentations.

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-registration experience within adult neurodevelopmental services, mental health, learning disability, rehabilitation or related settings.
• Experience conducting occupational, functional and/or sensory assessments with adults.
• Experience producing clear and comprehensive clinical reports.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable

• Experience contributing to Adult ASD diagnostic pathways.
• Experience within neurodevelopmental assessment services.
• Experience working within Right to Choose services.
• Experience using structured autism and sensory assessment tools.