Job summary

Please note this organisation does not hold a sponsorship licence, we regret to inform you that we are unable to consider applications from individuals who require sponsorship

We are looking for an experienced Occupational Therapist to join our Population Health and Health Inequalities Team at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB as Clinical Advisor - Health and Employment Pathways.

NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB works with partners across the health and care system to improve population health, reduce health inequalities and commission services that meet the needs of our communities. Within our Population Health and Health Inequalities Team, we are developing our approach to health and employment, recognising that good work is an important health outcome. This reflects the wider purpose of the team and the strategic intent of the role set out in the job description.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape and clinically lead the development of WorkWell, a new work and health service being implemented across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. WorkWell will provide early, personalised support for people whose health or disability is affecting their ability to remain in, return to or access good work.

The post is a two-year fixed-term Band 8a role and provides an opportunity for an experienced Occupational Therapist to move into a senior system leadership role, combining clinical expertise with strategic commissioning, population health and service transformation.

Main duties of the job

As Clinical Advisor, you will provide senior clinical advice, leadership and expertise to the ICB, helping us to commission, mobilise, assure and continuously improve WorkWell and the wider health and employment pathway. You will work across primary care, NHS providers, local authorities, employment services, employers and voluntary and community sector partners to develop joined-up, evidence-based pathways that improve health, function and employment outcomes. The role is designed to work across these organisational and professional boundaries.

You will bring specialist expertise in occupational therapy, vocational rehabilitation and the relationship between health, function and work. You will have an important role in pathway design, clinical standards, workforce development, quality and safety, evaluation and improvement, ensuring that clinical evidence, population health intelligence and lived experience inform how services develop.

About us

We offer excellent employment opportunities to new and existing staff. We aim to be a model employer by embedding best HR practice and to support new ways of working.

We pride ourselves on offering good working conditions, job security, lifelong learning, fair pay and benefits, staff involvement and a balance between work and personal life.

We enjoy a forward thinking and innovative culture and our vision is to have healthy people, living healthy lives in healthy communities. We understand the only way to deliver this is to have the right people with the right skills.

Here is a summary of some of the benefits and services which are on offer to staff:

27 days paid minimum holiday and bank holiday entitlement

NHS pension scheme

Sick pay policy

Occupational health services including staff counselling services

Flexible working and family friendly policies

Flexible retirement and retirement vouchers

Health Service Discounts - offers for stores, travel, equipment etc.

Successful candidates will be subject to a six-month probationary period.

Details

Date posted

08 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

104-ICB-6477TG

Job locations

Omega House

112 Southampton Road

Eastleigh

SO50 5PB

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Our model brings health and employment support together through a 'no wrong door' approach. Occupational Therapists will provide work and health assessment, triage and vocational rehabilitation across primary, community and secondary care, working alongside employment advisers and wider local services. Our ambition is to create a coherent pathway from early intervention and self-management through to more specialist employment and health support where this is needed.

This is a system-wide role with real scope to shape a new model of care. You will work through influence rather than direct operational management, providing clinical leadership across organisational and professional boundaries while working closely with the organisations responsible for delivering WorkWell services.

The Clinical Advisor will provide specialist clinical leadership and advice across the WorkWell programme and wider health and employment pathways across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Working as part of the ICB Population Health and Health Inequalities Team, the postholder will:

Provide senior Occupational Therapy and work and health expertise to support the commissioning, mobilisation, development and improvement of WorkWell.

Lead and support the development of integrated work and health pathways across primary care, community and secondary care, employment services and wider local support.

Provide clinical input into pathway design, service specifications, standards and operating procedures, ensuring services are evidence-based, safe, person-centred and focused on outcomes.

Support the development of a consistent approach to work and health assessment, vocational rehabilitation and return-to-work and thrive-in-work support across the system.

Work with NHS providers, primary care, local authorities, employment services, employers and VCSE partners to strengthen interfaces and develop coherent end-to-end pathways.

Provide clinical advice on quality, safety and risk, identifying variation, gaps and opportunities for improvement while working within established provider clinical governance arrangements.

Support workforce development, shared learning and clinical capability in work and health across organisations and professional groups.

Use clinical evidence, population health intelligence, performance data and lived experience to assess pathway effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.

Support the development of meaningful measures of health, function, employment, inequalities and participant experience, and contribute to evaluation of the WorkWell model.

Provide authoritative clinical advice to ICB colleagues and system partners, helping translate national policy, evidence and learning into practical improvements in services and pathways.

The role will work through clinical leadership, collaboration and influence across the system, rather than through direct management of provider clinical teams. Commissioned providers will retain responsibility for the clinical governance, professional supervision and operational management of their staff.

Job description Job responsibilities Our model brings health and employment support together through a 'no wrong door' approach. Occupational Therapists will provide work and health assessment, triage and vocational rehabilitation across primary, community and secondary care, working alongside employment advisers and wider local services. Our ambition is to create a coherent pathway from early intervention and self-management through to more specialist employment and health support where this is needed. This is a system-wide role with real scope to shape a new model of care. You will work through influence rather than direct operational management, providing clinical leadership across organisational and professional boundaries while working closely with the organisations responsible for delivering WorkWell services. The Clinical Advisor will provide specialist clinical leadership and advice across the WorkWell programme and wider health and employment pathways across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Working as part of the ICB Population Health and Health Inequalities Team, the postholder will: Provide senior Occupational Therapy and work and health expertise to support the commissioning, mobilisation, development and improvement of WorkWell. Lead and support the development of integrated work and health pathways across primary care, community and secondary care, employment services and wider local support. Provide clinical input into pathway design, service specifications, standards and operating procedures, ensuring services are evidence-based, safe, person-centred and focused on outcomes. Support the development of a consistent approach to work and health assessment, vocational rehabilitation and return-to-work and thrive-in-work support across the system. Work with NHS providers, primary care, local authorities, employment services, employers and VCSE partners to strengthen interfaces and develop coherent end-to-end pathways. Provide clinical advice on quality, safety and risk, identifying variation, gaps and opportunities for improvement while working within established provider clinical governance arrangements. Support workforce development, shared learning and clinical capability in work and health across organisations and professional groups. Use clinical evidence, population health intelligence, performance data and lived experience to assess pathway effectiveness and inform continuous improvement. Support the development of meaningful measures of health, function, employment, inequalities and participant experience, and contribute to evaluation of the WorkWell model. Provide authoritative clinical advice to ICB colleagues and system partners, helping translate national policy, evidence and learning into practical improvements in services and pathways. The role will work through clinical leadership, collaboration and influence across the system, rather than through direct management of provider clinical teams. Commissioned providers will retain responsibility for the clinical governance, professional supervision and operational management of their staff.

Person Specification

Assessed against application

Essential

• HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with an appropriate Occupational Therapy qualification
• master's degree or relevant postgraduate qualification, or demonstrable equivalent Master's-level specialist knowledge gained through postgraduate study, training or experience
• significant post-registration Occupational Therapy experience, with highly developed specialist knowledge of work and health, vocational rehabilitation and the relationship between health, function and work
• Demonstrable experience of pathway development, redesign, service improvement or transformation
• Essential criterionSuggested score HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with an appropriate Occupational Therapy qualificationPass/Fail Master's degree or relevant postgraduate qualification, or demonstrable equivalent Master's-level specialist knowledge gained through postgraduate study, training or experiencePass/Fail Significant post-registration Occupational Therapy experience, with highly developed specialist knowledge of work and health, vocational rehabilitation and the relationship between health, function and work0-5 Demonstrable experience of pathway development, redesign, service improvement or transformation0-5 Experience of providing specialist clinical advice and applying clinical evidence to inform service, pathway or strategic decision-making
• Experience of working across organisational and professional boundaries, including influencing senior stakeholders and building effective partnerships
• Knowledge and understanding of vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, employment support pathways and current work and health policy
• Knowledge of NHS commissioning, clinical governance and quality improvement, with an understanding of population health and health inequalities
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex clinical, service, population health, performance and outcome information and develop evidence-based recommendations
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues to clinical and non-clinical audiences
• Experience of leading complex clinical, pathway development, service improvement or transformation work involving multiple organisations and professional groups
• Evidence of commitment to reducing health inequalities, improving population outcomes and person-centred approaches

Desirable

• xperience of working within NHS commissioning, an Integrated Care System or a population health programme
• Experience of developing or delivering health and work services
• Experience of evaluation, clinical audit, quality improvement or service review and applying learning to pathway or service development
• Experience of procurement or contract management processes
• Project or programme management qualification

Person Specification Assessed against application Essential HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with an appropriate Occupational Therapy qualification master's degree or relevant postgraduate qualification, or demonstrable equivalent Master's-level specialist knowledge gained through postgraduate study, training or experience significant post-registration Occupational Therapy experience, with highly developed specialist knowledge of work and health, vocational rehabilitation and the relationship between health, function and work Demonstrable experience of pathway development, redesign, service improvement or transformation Essential criterionSuggested score HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with an appropriate Occupational Therapy qualificationPass/Fail Master's degree or relevant postgraduate qualification, or demonstrable equivalent Master's-level specialist knowledge gained through postgraduate study, training or experiencePass/Fail Significant post-registration Occupational Therapy experience, with highly developed specialist knowledge of work and health, vocational rehabilitation and the relationship between health, function and work0-5 Demonstrable experience of pathway development, redesign, service improvement or transformation0-5 Experience of providing specialist clinical advice and applying clinical evidence to inform service, pathway or strategic decision-making Experience of working across organisational and professional boundaries, including influencing senior stakeholders and building effective partnerships Knowledge and understanding of vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, employment support pathways and current work and health policy Knowledge of NHS commissioning, clinical governance and quality improvement, with an understanding of population health and health inequalities Ability to analyse and interpret complex clinical, service, population health, performance and outcome information and develop evidence-based recommendations Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues to clinical and non-clinical audiences Experience of leading complex clinical, pathway development, service improvement or transformation work involving multiple organisations and professional groups Evidence of commitment to reducing health inequalities, improving population outcomes and person-centred approaches Desirable xperience of working within NHS commissioning, an Integrated Care System or a population health programme Experience of developing or delivering health and work services Experience of evaluation, clinical audit, quality improvement or service review and applying learning to pathway or service development Experience of procurement or contract management processes Project or programme management qualification

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).

Additional information 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).

Employer details

Employer name

Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB (104)

Address

Omega House

112 Southampton Road

Eastleigh

SO50 5PB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.hantsiowhealthandcare.org.uk/icb (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB (104)

Address

Omega House

112 Southampton Road

Eastleigh

SO50 5PB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.hantsiowhealthandcare.org.uk/icb (Opens in a new tab)