Occupations and Terms of Reference › Occupational therapist
Universal terms of reference · POS-096 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Occupational therapist
To help people do daily tasks safely and independently, so that clients get safe, effective and well-coordinated care.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You are a occupational therapist. You help people do daily tasks safely and independently, record your work, and report changes in the client's condition and needs to the team.
Reports to: Head of rehabilitation.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Assess daily-living needs and plan adaptations.
- Assess the client and agree goals with them.
- Deliver the plan within protocol.
- Obtain consent and explain the plan.
- Refer and communicate results promptly.
Working conditions and demands
- Caseload and time pressure.
- Unsafe home or work environments.
- Shift and weekend work in some settings.
What good looks like
- Clients have a clear assessment and plan.
- Progress is recorded and reviewed.
- Concerns are referred the same day.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every client or patient is assessed before they start any service, and the service is adjusted to their needs.
- Services stay within the scope of training and licence; anything beyond it is referred.
- Consent is informed and recorded before any procedure or programme.
- Adverse events and complaints are reported the same day and learned from.
- Clients' privacy and records are protected at all times.
- Prices, claims and promotions are honest and match what is delivered.
- Staff are trained and competent for their role before they work alone.
- Where the client's health or safety is at risk, work stops and the right person is called.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-096 |
| ISCO-08 | 2269 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Allied health |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Fitness |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-038. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Head of department (per specialty) | Referrals, plans and outcomes. |
| Head of department (per specialty) | Service standards and rota. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Assesses each client in occupational therapy and agrees goals with them. | Assessment records at standard | Monthly | C-01 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Intervention | Delivers the plan within protocol and reviews progress. | Progress review audit at standard | Monthly | C-02 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Safety | Reports risk and incidents the same day. | Incidents and risks logged same day | Daily | C-03 | T-05 | POL-INC | 2 |
| Records and consent | Obtains consent and keeps complete, accurate records. | Records and consent audit passed | Monthly | C-02 | T-05 | POL-DATA | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Intervention and goals for each occupational therapy client, within protocol | Needs outside the occupational therapy scope (head of rehabilitation) |
| Session timing and frequency within the agreed plan | Serious incidents and complaints (service lead) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Occupational therapy registration | Yes | per regulator |
| Q-02 | Post-qualification certificate in occupational therapy | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Practice in occupational therapy | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-01 · C-02 · C-03 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-01 | Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases relevant to the setting, documented at entry | At entry or as set | essential | Documented hepatitis B status at entry |
| H-02 | Tuberculosis screening at entry, then as the national rule requires | At entry or as set | essential | Symptom screening at entry and after exposure |
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Assessment and planning in occupational therapy | Assesses routine clients under supervision | Assesses and plans independently | Leads complex assessment and teaches others | Case review audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
| C-02 | Intervention and treatment in occupational therapy | Delivers routine interventions within protocol | Adapts interventions to complex needs | Designs intervention protocols | Intervention audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
| C-03 | Safety, consent and escalation | Recognises and reports risk | Manages risk and escalates | Leads safety and learning review | Safety audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Assessments recorded | 100% | client records | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Progress reviewed on time | 95% or more | review log | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Concerns referred same day | 100% | referral log | Daily |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Occupational therapist | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner, C-03 practitioner | T-05 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |