Band 5 occupational therapist: NHS supporting information with a worked example

Updated · By the Tick the Spec team

Band 5 occupational therapy posts are a common first job for newly qualified OTs, often rotational across acute, community, mental health or older people's services. The person specification usually requires HCPC registration as an occupational therapist (or eligibility to register), placement or post-registration experience, assessment and goal-setting skills, knowledge of discharge planning and equipment, MDT working, and commitment to CPD. Your supporting information should show each with a short, anonymised example that makes your occupation-focused reasoning visible.

What the person specification usually asks for

  • Qualifications: a degree or approved qualification in occupational therapy; HCPC registration; Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) membership is often desirable.
  • Experience: placements in a range of settings; for experienced OTs, rotations or a specific area such as mental health or community rehabilitation.
  • Knowledge: functional assessment, discharge planning, equipment and adaptations, risk assessment, safeguarding, and relevant legislation in outline (for example the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Care Act 2014 in England).
  • Skills: person-centred goal setting, clinical reasoning, documentation, communication with patients, families and the MDT, managing a caseload.
  • Qualities: creativity, resilience, reflective practice, flexibility, driving licence for community posts (often essential).

Step by step

  1. State HCPC status clearly.
  2. Choose examples that show occupation, not just tasks. What mattered to the person, how you assessed it, and what changed in their daily life.
  3. Show risk and capacity awareness: balancing a person's wishes with safety, and involving the right people.
  4. Show discharge planning and MDT work: home visits, equipment, liaising with social care.
  5. Show breadth: at least two settings if you can, such as acute and mental health.
  6. Show CPD and reflection.

Worked example (fictional)

This is invented. The applicant, placements and service users are fictional, and no real details are used.

Applicant: Chloe, a newly qualified OT, applying for a Band 5 rotational post in a community and acute trust.

Registration. I graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy in July and my HCPC registration was confirmed in September.

Person-centred assessment and goal setting (acute). On an older people's ward I assessed a woman admitted after a fall who wanted, above all, to keep making her own breakfast at home. I completed a kitchen assessment and found she managed safely with a perching stool and a trolley, but became breathless carrying items. I agreed goals with her, ordered the equipment, and handed over to the community team for a follow-up visit. She went home with the support she had chosen.

Risk and mental capacity. On the same placement, a man with early dementia wanted to return home alone. With my educator, I contributed functional observations to the team's capacity assessment for that decision and to the discharge meeting with his family, ensuring his views were recorded. The team agreed a trial at home with a care package.

Mental health setting. On a community mental health placement I co-ran a weekly cooking group to build routine and confidence. I adapted recipes and roles so that each person could take part, and recorded progress against individual goals.

CPD. I keep a reflective portfolio against the HCPC standards and RCOT's professional standards, and I would value preceptorship to develop my community risk assessment skills.

If you are already qualified

Show range, caseload management, supervising support workers or students, involvement in service improvement, and any specialist training. Keep examples recent.

Common mistakes

  • Task lists ("completed kitchen assessments") without the person or the outcome.
  • Not showing occupational focus, which is what distinguishes OT.
  • Identifiable details about patients or service users.
  • Ignoring the setting named in the advert.
  • Forgetting practical requirements such as a driving licence for community posts.

Pay

In England, from 1 April 2026, Agenda for Change Band 5 is £32,073 to £39,043 a year for full-time staff, before any high cost area supplement.

Tick the Spec's free shortlisting sheet shows which criteria in the job pack your CV and placement experience already evidence. See also our Band 5 physiotherapist guide.

Sources

All guides