Occupational therapy frameworks

We agree to sponsor four adult social care workers (ASCW) on the University of the West of England Occupational Therapy Apprenticeship in each rolling four-year period.

Requirements

To be considered, you will need to:

• have a level 3 academic qualification
• be employed as an OT - ASCW 
• have successfully passed your probation

What you need to complete

The four-year course includes three days a week “on the job” and two days a week at Uni. You must also complete 1000 hours of practice placement in years 2, 3, and 4. 

This means you change roles into full-time “placements” within alternative teams within the council/or with other employers for three set blocks of time. 

During your time as an Apprentice, you will be allocated:

• a workplace mentor
• an independent Occupational Therapy Ally
• wrap around support from our Workforce Development Officers 

Fees and funding

The course fees are funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. We aim to move you into an OT post within the council once you have completed the course. 

Leaving University with no student debt and a wealth of experience is perfect for many people, but it does take a significant commitment, especially as your academic work is completed in your own time.  

We know it can be difficult to make the transition from student to practitioner, or from a health background to social care. We do all we can to support this transition. 

In the past, social care was viewed as a role for an experienced OT, but not anymore. Our jobs are career graded, which means our newly qualified staff start at Level 7 and can progress to Level 8. 

Skills for Care produced a framework to support newly qualified staff that aligns with the NHS preceptorship. We have modified this framework to support all newly qualified OTs to gain the appropriate knowledge and skills to build their portfolio. 

Once successfully completed, you will progress to Level 8 pay grade. The framework was designed to support those transitioning to social care as a career change. In this case, we use the framework flexibly to support you in developing your knowledge and skills.  

If you have been

• out of practice for a while and; 
• would like to restart your OT career in a social care role

we are able to offer you the opportunity to complete your 30 or 60 day practice based study while getting paid as an Adult Social Care Support Worker.

We will source NHS England funding to boost your formal training. Once you are re-registered, you will move to the registered Occupational Therapy pay grade at a level dependent on your previous experience. 

To be supported by us, you would need to apply for an Occupational Therapist role and be offered a post via the usual recruitment process.

You can find more details of the programme on the NHS Health Education England website.

This policy allows you to request a transfer to another OT position of the same level, but in a different team where a vacancy exists. This is subject to references and a formal expression of interest. 

This allows you to create your own rotational post within social care, while maintaining all the benefits of long-term employment. 

Most of our posts are advertised internally for one week, before the post is opened up to external applicants.