Occupational Therapist

Job description

Summary

U-turn is looking for an Occupational Therapist to join their Southern Suburbs team in October 2025. This person will be based between the Occupational Therapy Assessment Site in Claremont and the Personal Development site in Kenilworth. He or she will report directly to the clinical manager in the area, and work alongside the laundry manager at the assessment site and the rest of the therapeutic team at the personal development site.

This position:

The role of the OT will be to assist with the conversion of one of U-turn’s current to an integrated worksite that will include the assessment and vocational rehab centre for all clients coming onto the work programme, as well as include a sheltered employment site for clients needing ongoing intervention.

After assessment (and re-assessment where longer intervention was required), this person will place clients out into U-turn’s supported worksites or make application to long-term sheltered employment where indicated. When clients are placed into U-turn’s supported employment worksites, the OT will be responsible for training the managers once clients are placed on any specific adaptations required to accommodate the client’s specific needs. The OT will also have a case load of clients on the U-turn programme.

The ideal candidate would be someone who is passionate about recovery, interested in vocational rehabilitation and able to engage various stakeholders in order to create a referral network.

Key areas of responsibility

• Convert one of U-turn’s current worksites into a Voc assessment and integrated worksite in order to register the programme as supported employment.
• Conduct group and or individual assessments as part of the intake process. This includes a battery of assessments, report writing, recommendations and referral.
• Create individual intervention plans for those that need further vocational rehabilitation and provide treatment.
• Engage stakeholders to create a network for referral
• Reassess before placement into the supported worksites or referral to partners.
• Manage the case-load of the clients on the program
• Provide training to worksites regarding adaptations required to integrate clients with specific needs when placing clients out.
• Supervise students placed at the site for clinical practice blocks and train and supervise support staff where relevant.
• Take part in interdisciplinary team meetings regarding shared clients and provide OT specific insight regarding the client's progress and process in the program
• Contribute to programme development and training of staff as and when needed
• Complete required data capturing incl. service instances, client notes and progress reports
• Use and contribute to existing planning and record-keeping systems to ensure continuous improvement of your areas of responsibility

Experience and Skills

• Occupational Therapist registered with the HPCSA
• Experience working in the addiction field and Vocational rehabilitation
• Driver’s license
• Strong administrative skills
• A collaborative team player – concerned with the team’s success as well as individual performance
• Emotionally mature individual

Personal attributes

• Passion for U-turn’s mission and values.
• Strong leadership with a collaborative mindset.
• Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Organisational Fit (where applicable)

• If in recovery - actively engaged in own ongoing recovery, accessing accountability support and practicing recovery behaviour
• If employed as a Professional - affiliation with professional board, continued personal development and accessing supervision
• Gospel orientation - connected to a local fellowship of believers, reading the Bible and grounded in Gospel-motivated Social Action

Company Description

Background

U-turn is a thriving non-profit that exists to give homeless people the skills to overcome homelessness. Founded in 1997, we believe in life after homelessness. We believe that every homeless individual should have access to an effective pathway that addresses their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs so they can leave the streets and become a long-term productive member of society.

To help homeless people overcome homelessness, we operate a phased approach that includes rehabilitation from substance abuse, counseling, life-skills training, and work placement in one of our social enterprises. This allows candidates to test and apply the training they’ve received. In the process, the programme inculcates a healthy work ethic, furnishes modern job skills, and gives 18-24 months of real work experience so that individuals can graduate and be gainfully employed in the South African economy.

The programme is yielding wonderful results. Our candidates typically graduate into open market employment and show an 80% long-term success rate! We are actively working to expand the programme to more locations in Cape Town and across South Africa.

Service Centres

U-turns Service Centres provide services to people living on the streets, to prepare them for and to support them on a journey of change. This includes providing food and clothing, therapeutic and development-based interventions, and recovery support for those struggling with substance abuse. The ultimate aim of the Service Centre is to prepare individuals to participate in our work-based rehabilitation programme.

Work-readiness program

The work-readiness department forms part of the Life Change Journey and is tasked with providing work-based rehabilitation and skills development training that prepares clients for graduation into the open labour market and reintegration into the community. One day a week, each client attends a therapy and training day where they access group therapy, counseling, and input using a specially designed curriculum. This cycle of learning and then application follows a graded approach and continues for as long as needed. It takes an average of 18 months. Case managers coordinate the entire intervention programme for the clients and work in close collaboration with the worksite managers.

Posted on 30 Sep 08:52, Closing date 29 Nov