Community Occupational Therapist

The role of the OT will be to provide specialist OT specific assessments and interventions using evidence based, client-centred assessments and interventions. To promote maintenance of functional independence in self-care, meaningful occupational skills and leisure through the use of occupation.

The post holder will work as part of an established integrated multi-disciplinary team, comprising of Psychiatrists, trainee Doctors, Psychologists, Nurses, Social Workers, Support Time Recovery Workers and Care Managers. Working alongside these professionals the OT will undertake assessments of individuals, addressing occupational performance and skills deficits as part of the overall care plan.

This post has become available at a very exciting time. Significant investment has been made available to review and reconfigure community mental health services and this is taking place right now via the Mental Health Integrated Community Care Project (MHICC). Within this post you will have the opportunity to participate in the project, shaping our future services and developing the delivery and scope of occupational therapy in adult mental health. This post focusses on both Adults and Older Persons Occupational Therapy needs and will provide a locality wide Occupational Therapist offer for all of our patients.

Main duties of the job

To provide leadership to other staff as delegated by Team Leader/senior occupational therapist.

To manage a defined caseload of clients with complex needs, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions, in order to restore or improve their quality of life and to maintain independence, embedding Recovery Principles into practice.

To support both the mission statement for the Older Persons Community Mental Health Team and Dorset Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

The team is based at Kings Park Community Hospital in Boscombe, however the geographical area of operation is across the whole of Bournemouth including Christchurch & Southbourne. You will need to have a valid driving licence and use of a car as you will be required to assess and and offer interventions to patients in their own homes and within other community settings.

As an OT employed in Dorset Healthcare Trust you will be linked in with community OT service meetings which provide profession specific peer support, leadership and CPD opportunities. Additional professional leadership and support will also be available from the OT lead for community mental health.

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 be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.