Job requirements
Essential
39 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Business Travel
Subject to the provisions of the Equality Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business - Level 1
- Additional Requirements
Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to a standard which enables the post holder to carry out the full range of duties and responsibilities of the role effectively
- Job Specific Experience
Post graduate relevant experience
- Job Specific Experience
Knowledge of the legislative framework within which Occupational Therapists work
- Job Specific Experience
Comprehensive knowledge and application of occupational therapy assessments and interventions relevant to the client group
- Job Specific Experience
Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively
- Job Specific Experience
Experience of developing specialist programmes of care for an individual or groups of patients/clients and of providing highly specialist advice
- Job Specific Experience
Able to demonstrate specialist clinical reasoning skills to assimilate information in order to make a clinical judgement regarding assessment intervention
- Job Specific Experience
Competent in writing correspondence and report
- Job Specific Experience
Documented evidence of continuous professional development
- Job Specific Experience
Effective team working skills
- Job Specific Experience
Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and its application
- Job Specific Experience
Previous experience of working in the community and inpatient settings
- Job Specific Experience
An understanding of emotional and physical impact of illness / disability on an individual and their family / carers
- Job Specific Experience
Experience in teaching in house training sessions Interview to own profession and others
- Job Specific Experience
Willingness to complete Breakaway and PMVA training
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Degree Level in Occupational Therapy
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Membership of Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Current HCPC registration
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Evidence of recent professional development in an up-to-date portfolio
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Evidence of demonstrating the Trust’s values and behaviours
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Able to communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation and with staff, patient/service users, visitors or external organisations both verbally and in writing in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require the use of negotiating and/or persuasive skills
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Able to overcome barriers to understanding where there are physical or mental disabilities
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Able to analyse and assess situations and to interpret potentially conflicting situations and determine appropriate action, where there is a range of options and judgement is required
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Experience of planning and organising complex activities, e.g. organise own time and that of junior staff and learners, planning off duty rotas and undertaking discharge planning involving co-ordination with other agencies
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Ability to use own initiative within sphere of authority
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Demonstrable ability of using tact and diplomacy
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Demonstrable ability to analyse situations and provide a resolution
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Knowledge and understanding of legislation relevant to practice
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Ability to evaluate care leading to improvement in quality standards an service improvement
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Demonstrable leadership qualities and the ability to perform as a role model
- Personal Qualities and Attributes
Willingness to advance own clinical knowledge, skill and competence based on current evidence
- Managerial / Supervisory Experience
Experience of providing clinical supervision and mentoring to junior staff
- Managerial / Supervisory Experience
Experience of devising and delivering training
- Managerial / Supervisory Experience
Demonstrate experience of effective team working
- Managerial / Supervisory Experience
Able to effectively manage available resources in the pursuit of quality service provision ensuring a safe environment
- Managerial / Supervisory Experience
Knowledge of local and national resources
- Information and Technology Resources
Able to analyse data and produce reports using Microsoft Excel and Word
- Information and Technology Resources
Experience of using electronic patient / service user record systems
Desirable
2 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Membership of specialist section of RCOT
- Knowledge, Skills and Training
Knowledge and understanding of Trust Strategy relevant to role
Job overview
An exciting opportunity for an Occupational Therapist to work within the West Dorset Therapies Team at Forston Clinic. You will have the opportunity to practice a diverse range of functional assessments, devising creative and meaningful goal orientated interventions both on the ward and in the community, using outcome measures to monitor progress. You will work closely with community resources, offering social prescribing and linking patients into third sector organisations to support with the transition of discharge. Your work will aim to encourage engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupation with people whose lives have been affected by occupational disruption as a result of mental illness.
You will receive regular supervision from the Therapies Team Lead and be connected to a peer support network. Ongoing learning and development and regular CPD opportunities will be made available to you.
Main duties of the job
Your work will aim to encourage engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupation, with people whose lives have been affected by occupational disruption as a result of mental illness.
You will be required to provide a high-quality person-centred approach to care delivery that always considers people’s safety, privacy and dignity and to deliver person-centred interventions that support patients with their transition back into the community.
Working closely with the wider MDT will be essential to delivering a holistic, meaningful and purposeful level of Occupational Therapy which supports patients on the ward as well as with their transition into the community. Other duties will include liaising with external services, communicating with family members and providing discharge reports for recommendations of ongoing care and support.
You will be involved in the leadership within the Therapies Team, providing a supportive and professional model for junior staff, and sharing your knowledge for teaching proposes.
This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in service and quality improvement projects, as well as supporting the development of junior staff.
As a condition of your employment, you will be required to undertake and pass all aspects of a Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression course.
Detailed job description and main 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 AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.
All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, 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 contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Senior Occupational Therapist - Forston Clinic with Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust in Poole, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Occupational Therapist role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 p.a.. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 22 Oct 2026.
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