Occupational therapy support workers help people who struggle with day-to-day activities to live a full and independent life.
There are no set entry requirements for OT support workers. Employers expect good numeracy and literacy and some experience or qualifications in health or social care and may ask for GCSEs in English and maths. They may ask for BTEC or equivalent vocational qualifications in health and social care. You will be given the training you need to do the job, including an introduction to the department and its procedures and how to set up and use the equipment. You may be offered the chance to study for qualifications such as the NCFE CACHE level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services or the NCFE CACHE level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support.
OT support workers working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. You will typically start on AfC band 2 or 3. After further training and experience, you can apply for more senior posts at band 4. Most OT support workers in the NHS work standard hours which are likely to be around 37.5 a week. They may work some evenings or weekends. Terms and conditions will usually be different for clinical support staff working outside of the NHS.
As an OT support worker, you need to be able to motivate people, accepting of other people’s lifestyles, willing to work with people from all walks of life, happy to talk to and work with groups, flexible, willing to travel, able to work in a team but use your own initiative, able to follow procedures, and able to deal with people with challenging behaviour. You'll also need very good communication, customer care and organisational skills.
With experience, you could become a team leader supervising the work of other OT support workers. You could apply to train as an assistant practitioner or as an occupational therapist.
Related roles
Facilities managers ensure that the services that patients need during their stay in hospital are available, such as meals, linen and a clean environemnt.
You can enter facilities management through an apprenticeship or with level 3 qualifications and working your way up through supervisory roles into more senior positions. Relevant qualifications are available through The British Institute of Facilities Management, City and Guilds, Institute of Leadership and Management and Pearson qualifications. Some postgraduate qualifications incorporate facilities management.
Staff in the NHS will usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. They may work a shift pattern. Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists, and the most senior managers (where very senior managers pay apply). You could work your way through supervisory level roles in hospitality/domestic services at AfC bands 3 and 4 to managerial roles in facilities management at bands 5-8. Terms and conditions of service can vary for employers outside the NHS.
To work in facilities management, as a guide you’ll need an up to date awareness of Health and Safety issues and appropriate legislation, good organisational skills, good communication skills, the ability to manage and motivate a team, be able to work under pressure, solve problems as they arise, an understanding of finance and being able to manage a budget, the ability to create and maintain effective working relationships, be able to sustain housekeeping supplies, to maintain information systems, maintain a safe and secure working environment and a commitment to the ideals of quality and fairness in delivering healthcare.
With further training and/or experience, you may be able to develop your career further into more senior managerial roles – often combined with other areas of responsibility - typically within operational management.