Job summary

Acorns Children's Hospice is looking for an Occupational Therapist and Therapies Lead to help shape and develop our therapy services across the organisation. In this newly created role, you'll work in partnership with our Advanced Clinical Practitioner for Allied Health Professionals, leading the development and delivery of high-quality AHP services across Acorns. You'll also lead and support our therapy team across our hospices in Walsall, Worcester and Birmingham, ensuring families receive exceptional, compassionate care wherever they access our services.

Main duties of the job

Acorns Children's Hospice is looking for an Occupational Therapist and Therapies Lead to help shape and develop our therapy services across the organisation. In this newly created role, you'll work in partnership with our Advanced Clinical Practitioner for Allied Health Professionals, leading the development and delivery of high-quality AHP services across Acorns. You'll also lead and support our therapy team across our hospices in Walsall, Worcester and Birmingham, ensuring families receive exceptional, compassionate care wherever they access our services.

Details

• Date posted: 27 October 2026
• Closing date: 22 November 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £37,536 to £45,212 a year .
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: 329026
• Job locations: Acorns in Birmingham Hospice, 103 Oak Tree Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands, B29 6HZ, United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Acorns Children's Hospice is looking for an Occupational Therapist and Therapies Lead to help shape and develop our therapy services across the organisation.

In this newly created role, you'll work in partnership with our Advanced Clinical Practitioner for Allied Health Professionals, leading the development and delivery of high-quality AHP services across Acorns.  You'll also lead and support our therapy team across our hospices in Walsall, Worcester and Birmingham, ensuring families receive exceptional, compassionate care wherever they access our services.

About the Role

At Acorns Children’s Hospice, we provide specialist palliative care for children, and young people with life-limiting and lifethreatening conditions, and we support their families through every step of their journey, and through transition.  Our work is defined by compassion, expertise, and an unwavering belief that every child deserves comfort, dignity, and the chance to experience joy.

As Occupational Therapist and Therapies Lead, you will:

• Provide line management to the therapy teams
• Provide OT assessment, treatment, intervention and advice to babies, children, young people and their families living with life limiting and life-threatening conditions in both hospice and community settings
• Provide Occupational Therapy expertise to the Care team and advise team members on how to support OT goals within moment-to-moment care, including advising on 24-hour postural management, equipment to support posture and independence in daily living (e.g. sleep, seating and bathing) and support for sensory needs.  
• Collaborate in the development and communication of a vision for the AHP programme including therapies within Acorns, to increase AHP voice, visibility and impact
• Produce and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data from the services offered to evidence the quality of the AHP services provided by Acorns

About You

• Degree/qualification in Occupational Therapy
• Current HCPC registration
• Experience of providing assessment and intervention to children and young people with complex needs
• Experience of leading audit/quality improvement programmes

What We Offer 

• £46,920 to £56,515 per annum (pro rata.  £37,536 to £45,212 for part time hours)
• 30 hours per week over 4 days
• Working across our hospices in Walsall, Worcester and Birmingham
• Employee discounts from leading retailers – including the Blue Light Card
• Discounts on refurbished tech
• Health cash plan
• Gym membership and equipment discount scheme
• Bike2Work scheme - save up to 42% on bikes and equipment
• Wellbeing, legal and financial support
• Career development through our Acorns Academy offering leadership, coaching, fundraising, clinical training and more.   
• Generous contribution to group personal pension plan (7.5%) or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
• NHS pension scheme life assurance or Acorns group life assurance scheme
• Annual leave entitlement increases with length of service 

You need to be eligible to work in the UK to be considered for this role. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and therefore any successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check for children and will be asked to provide two satisfactory references. In addition, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of immunisation against specific diseases or confirm their willingness to receive the necessary vaccinations.

As a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting organisation, we are committed to ensuring that the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is embedded into both culture and practice within the organisation. As an employee you will be a Duty Bearer for Children’s Rights and support all children to be Rights Holders.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Find out about our culture, career development, benefits and more here: Why Work for Acorns?

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree/Qualification in Occupational therapy. Current registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Desirable

• Evidence of post graduate learning

Experience

Essential

• Providing assessment and intervention to children and young people with complex needs.. People Management experience.

Desirable

• Palliative care/end of life experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

About us

Acorns is recognised as a great place to work because of our people. Our priority is that our people feel valued, whatever their background and experience, and wherever they work.

Employer details

• Employer name: Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust
• Address: Acorns in Birmingham Hospice, 103 Oak Tree Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands, B29 6HZ, United Kingdom
• Employer's website: https://www.acorns.org.uk/