Part of the occupations cluster in the employment knowledge graph — connected to occupations, documents, hiring guides, career guides, country guides and employment law.
What an occupational therapist does
An occupational therapist works with people whose ability to carry out everyday activities is affected by illness, injury, disability or ageing. The role involves assessing needs, setting goals and recommending practical solutions such as exercises, equipment or changes to routines and environments.
Occupational therapy is a registered, regulated profession in many countries, requiring a recognised qualification and current registration. The work is collaborative and goal-focused, helping people live as independently as possible.
Core responsibilities
- Assessing how people manage everyday activities.
- Setting goals and planning tailored interventions.
- Recommending exercises, equipment or adaptations.
- Supporting recovery, independence and participation.
- Working with patients, families and other professionals.
- Keeping accurate, confidential clinical records.
Skills and qualities
- A recognised occupational-therapy qualification and current registration.
- Strong assessment and problem-solving skills.
- Empathy, patience and motivation.
- Clear communication and goal-setting.
- Creativity in finding practical solutions.
- Organisation and careful record-keeping.
Typical employers and settings
- Hospitals and rehabilitation services.
- Community health and reablement teams.
- Mental-health and learning-disability services.
- Schools, social-care and housing services.
- Healthcare staffing agencies.
How the role is recruited
- Roles are filled directly by providers or through specialist agencies.
- Registration, qualifications and right to work are verified before hire.
- Background, reference and health checks are standard for clinical roles.
- Interviews assess assessment skills, judgement and values.
- Onboarding covers caseloads, systems and supervision.
Documents involved
- A job description setting out the service and duties.
- Proof of occupational-therapy qualification and current registration.
- An employment contract or agency assignment terms.
- An offer letter confirming role, hours and start date.
- Background, reference and health checks as required.
- An induction and supervision record.
Create a professional CV
Where this work touches candidates or career moves, a clean, current resume helps. People can build and update one with the HELPERG CV Builder.
Need hiring support?
Tell us about your workforce needs. We can help connect you with recruitment and staffing partners that match your hiring requirements — HR helper group is a matching platform, not a recruitment agency, and makes no placement guarantees.
Free, printable HR & employment resources
Practical, ungated resources to put this into action — no signup.