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Employing an occupational therapist

Occupational therapists work in a range of different settings in a huge variety of roles, from hospitals, councils, schools and local communities. Private companies may also wish to employ occupational therapists to support their staff, customers, or clients.

If you are an employer looking to advertise an occupational therapy vacancy on the RCOT jobs page, please contact Michelle Moran, Commercial Development Manager, at advertising@rcot.co.uk.

Recruiting from outside the UK

There are a large number of vacancies for occupational therapists in the UK, and a shortage of qualified staff to fill the roles. The UK government recognises this issue and has included occupational therapists on the Shortage Occupation List. This means it is easier for employers to recruit occupational therapists from outside the UK or EU.

If you’re an employer looking to recruit occupational therapists from outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, you may issue a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) without the need to demonstrate that a resident labour market test (RLMT) has been carried out.

All occupational therapists working in the UK will need to be registered with HCPC and have a WFOT-accredited qualification.

Provided you are licensed to sponsor Tier 2 visa applications, all you need to do is apply via the UK Home Office for a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship to provide details of the job offer and employee you wish to hire. If you are not yet licensed to sponsor Tier 2 visa applications, you can apply for licensing through the same route.