Job Description

Summary

U-turn is looking for an Occupational Therapist to join their Northern Suburbs team in September 2025. This person will be based between the Occupational Therapy Assessment Site in Elies River and the Personal Development site in Bellville. 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 U-turn's current laundry and clothing warehouse into an integrated worksite that will include the assessment and vocational rehab centre for all clients coming onto the work programme, as well as 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 he/she will be responsible for training the managers once clients are placed on any specific adaptations required to accommodate the client's specific needs. He/she will take responsibility for the case management of the clients who need to continue in the sheltered worksite before being placed out.

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

Background

U-turn is a thriving non-profit that exists to equip homeless people with the skills to overcome homelessness. Founded in 1997, we believe in life after homelessness. We believe that every homeless individual is intrinsically valuable and 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, counselling, life-skills training, and sheltered work placement in one of our social enterprises. This allows candidates to test and apply the training they've received. Through this 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 modern South African economy.

The programme is yielding wonderful results. Our candidates typically graduate into open market employment and show an above 85% 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-turn's 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 (and in some cases access to a shower and a bed for the night), 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 programme

The work-readiness programme is tasked with providing work-based rehabilitation and skills development training that prepares clients for graduation into employment and reintegration into the community. One day per week, each client attends a training day where they access group therapy delivered by an interdisciplinary team, individual counselling, and input using a specially designed curriculum. This cycle of learning and application follows a graded approach and continues for as long as needed (on average, 18 months). Case managers coordinate the entire intervention programme for the clients and work in close collaboration with the worksite managers.

Transitional Accommodation

Due to the nature of our long-term interventions, we run transitional accommodation in the form of group homes where clients accessing our Work-readiness program can move into when leaving homeless shelters. These homes are managed by a house-manager who, along with service centre staff, worksite managers and therapeutic staff, forms the client-facing team assisting the clients along the full Life Change journey.

Key areas of responsibility

Conduct group and or individual assessments as part of the intake process. This includes a battery of assessments, report writing, recommendations, and referrals. Create individual intervention plans for those who 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 in 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 An 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 a 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

Next Steps

Candidates interested in this position should apply online at The letter of motivation should be approximately 1 page in length and include information on why you would like to work at U-turn and how you fulfil the required knowledge skills set outlined above. Please note that applications without a letter of motivation will not be considered.

IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD FROM US WITHIN 4 WEEKS, PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION UNSUCCESSFUL

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person