Overview
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Perinatal Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 26 March 2026
Join our dynamic team supporting women and families during the critical perinatal period (pregnancy and postpartum).
We are seeking an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to deliver evidence-based, holistic care, focusing on occupational roles, parent-infant bonding, and mental health recovery. Key duties include managing a caseload, delivering group/one-to-one interventions, and assessing daily routines.
You will be required to undertake a Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression course, and it is a condition of your employment that you successfully complete all aspects of this course; if this is not achieved you will not be able to commence working in the post.
Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.
Main duties of the job
* You will provide Occupational Therapy assessments, appropriate treatment interventions and evaluation for service users on the ward and community.
* You will be the ward Occupational Therapist working as a member of the ward and community team.
* You will work across the Perinatal Inpatient and Community Service as and when required.
* You will assist in co-ordinating therapy on ward and the Community Perinatal Team.
* You will assist in the provision of providing standardised occupational therapy assessments for patients as prioritised through the ward MDT. Providing timely and specific treatment plans in conjunction with ward care plans.
* You will lead on physical health assessments in the Community Perinatal Team.
* Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.
About us
At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.
We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.
Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.
Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.
Job responsibilities
For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.
We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.
As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contactdhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net
Person Specification
Experience
* Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and its application
Information technology
* Basic computer literacy and keyboard skills
* Able to initiate, monitor and implement change and explore new ways of working with services and delivery
Qualifications
* Degree/Diploma in O.T.
Qualifications
* State Registration with HCPC
Qualifications
* Membership of professional body
Experience
* Developed and proven experience in working with women in inpatient mental health setting, proven experience of community working
Experience
* Knowledge of the legislative framework which O.Ts work
Experience
* Understanding of therapy outcome measures
Experience
* Able to demonstrate the ability to clarify the therapist role in the team
Experience
* An understanding of emotional and physical impact of illness/disability on an individual and their family/carers
Experience
* Understanding of issues in complex mental health
Experience
* Ability to delegate
Experience
* Ability to escalate physical and/or mental health concerns to the appropriate team and/or service
Personal Quality/attributes
* Ability to manage demanding workload to agreed deadlines and timescales
* To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversities of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
* To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversities of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
* Ability to communicate information clearly and liaise successfully with colleagues in other sectors, health service and private and voluntary organisations
Personal Quality/Attributes
* Empathetic and flexible approach to demanding, sometimes physical and/or verbal abuse from service user/ patients.
Personal Quality/Attributes
* Ability to work autonomously and within a team
Additional Requirements
* Membership of Clinical Interest group.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
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