Occupational therapy support worker
OT support workers help people recovering from illness or surgery, and support those with health conditions to be as independent as possible.
Also known as: OT assistant, OT technician, rehabilitation assistant
- Starter salary£26,000 a year
- Experienced£31,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As an occupational therapy support worker, you could:
- help with home and work assessments led by an occupational therapist
- support people with mental health conditions develop a daily routine
- help children with physical disabilities take part in play activities
- support people after a stroke or accident to adapt to changes in their daily life
- show people how to use equipment to help with everyday tasks at home or work
- help run activities and sessions for individuals and groups
- order equipment and supplies when needed
- work closely with occupational therapists, families and carers
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, at a health centre, in an NHS or private hospital or at an adult care home.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- sensitivity and understanding
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of psychology
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a occupational therapy support worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills needed to be an occupational therapy support worker. Courses include:
- healthcare support
- health and social care
- T Level in Health
Many courses include work placements and this could be a good way to get some experience.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Healthcare Support Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, or a Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
These can take between 1 and 2 years and combine on-the-job training with classroom study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a healthcare assistant and learn on the job. You could do further training to move into occupational therapy support work.
Volunteering
Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.
You can also find opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do it .
Direct application
You can apply directly for occupational therapy support worker roles. Employers may want you to have a qualification related to health, and experience of working with people in a health or social care setting.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- become a team leader and supervise other occupational therapy support workers
- complete a foundation degree to become an assistant practitioner
- take further training to qualify as an occupational therapist
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would impact your role, if applying for work in the NHS.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleRadiography assistant
- Job roleOccupational health nurse
- Job rolePhysiotherapy assistant
- Job roleOccupational therapist
- Job roleHealthcare assistant
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0