Assistant Team Manager - Occupational Therapy

About the Borough

The London Borough of Sutton is situated less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. Found in zone 5 with good transport links in and out of London, Sutton boasts award winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing and great schools. As well as high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction, providing quality services and success in addressing our financial challenges, whilst involving residents in key issues and high street changes.

Sutton is continuously investing in the health, wellbeing and education of our residents and the future generation, as set out in the “Ambitious for Sutton” corporate plan. We are home to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together with the development of the London Cancer Hub, Sutton will be the world’s leading life-science district, specialising in cancer research and treatment. Our vision will create around 13,000 jobs while contributing £1.2bn to the UK economy each year, a vibrant community of scientists, doctors and innovative companies intended to deliver real benefits for cancer patients and drive economic growth. With the regeneration of the local areas with new homes and schools, Sutton is passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

The Council is seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment. As we strive to improve our services and spaces for our residents as set out in the ‘Ambitious for Sutton’ corporate plan, Sutton aims to shape the future of the borough and adapt to the needs of its residents to make our Borough a great place to live, work and raise a family.

About the Service and Team

The Adult First Contact Service (AFCS) operates within the London Borough of Sutton’s Adult Social Care department. As a dedicated duty team, the AFCS serves as the primary point of contact for residents, responsible for the efficient screening and prioritisation of referrals received through the Contact Centre.

The service adopts a person-centred, preventative, and strength-based approach, aiming to proactively support individuals to reduce or delay future social care needs. The OT Assistant Team Manager provides essential management, guidance, and quality assurance to a multidisciplinary team comprising Occupational Therapists, Social workers and Enabling Independence Officers. By collaborating with health partners, community groups, and residents, the team facilitates positive outcomes, including completing holistic assessments. They are tasked with recommending appropriate equipment, as well as major and minor adaptations, to maintain resident independence, mitigate risks, and ensure that every interaction provides an exceptional experience.

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate

As an Occupational Therapy (OT) Assistant Team Manager (ATM) in the London Borough of Sutton’s Adult First Contact Service, you will lead a multidisciplinary team comprising OTs and Enabling Independence Officers. Your primary focus is delivering an exceptional, person-centred service by screening and prioritising referrals, proactively managing risk, and promoting resident independence through a preventative, strength-based approach.

Key Responsibilities:

You will provide essential management, quality assurance, and supervision, ensuring practice consistently meets statutory requirements. By fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement, you will mentor staff, share best practices, and apply legislative frameworks to service delivery. Furthermore, you will collaborate with health partners and community stakeholders to facilitate positive, holistic outcomes for residents.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking an enthusiastic, registered Occupational Therapist with a degree-level qualification and valid HCPC registration. The ideal candidate brings significant experience in a Local Authority or community setting, with specific expertise in major adaptations, complex moving and handling, and holistic assessments for equipment and housing support. You should possess sound knowledge of safeguarding principles and relevant legislation. If you are a motivated practitioner dedicated to facilitating well-being, we encourage you to join our supportive team

Our Offer to You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 26-32 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade 
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role) 
• Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle leasing scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

Apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application and check your CV details have been uploaded correctly in the relevant sections.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate, to boost our productivity and streamline how we deliver our Council services efficiently; to provide the best possible outcomes for our residents and communities. 
However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI-generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses. At Sutton we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role that they are applying for and embrace and demonstrate our PRIDE values.
Here at Sutton we have core values of Transparency and this is to be demonstrated during the application process and completion of the supporting statement and will be further tested at interview and selection stage for those who progress forward.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

As part of our award winning Diversity Programme we anonymise all applications received to reduce conscious and unconscious bias enabling every application to be reviewed on the knowledge, skills and experience shown in your application. We encourage our interview panels to be as diverse as possible (age, cultural, ne