Senior Occupational Therapist

The Berkshire Specialist Perinatal Mental Health is looking for a motivated and dedicated Occupational Therapist to join our caring and supportive team to promote the care and well-being of birthing mothers within Berkshire communities.

The successful applicant will contribute to the provision of an efficient, effective, and service user focused Occupational Therapy Service for the Perinatal service. You will be expected to prioritise planning and delivery of assessment for mothers whose psychosocial needs and/or mental health problems are having a marked impact on their occupational functioning and who have complex occupational needs. Their interventions will focus on enabling mothers participate in their co-occupations with their babies.

You will manage a defined caseload of service users with complex needs, using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in a range of settings relating to community perinatal mental health.

You will receive clinical supervision and annual appraisal from the Occupational Therapist Lead of the trust. As a member of the MDT team, you will be supported in every-way feasible to enable career growth and development.

Main duties of the job

To work effectively as a member of the Perinatal Mental Health team in providing a programme of community-based interventions.

To select and apply occupational therapy assessments for a defined caseload of clients with complex needs, addressing occupational performance and skill deficits, enabling the client in areas of self-maintenance, productivity, and leisure, initially with guidance from a senior Occupational Therapist.

To undertake planned and urgent initial perinatal mental health assessments

To act as care co-ordinator for a defined caseload of service users.

To work with service users to identify Occupational Therapy goals.

To contribute to the development and evaluation of the team

To co-ordinate/manage day-to-day activities of junior staff as appropriate.

To deputise for senior colleagues as appropriate.

To participate in the implementation of policy and service development within the team, leading on delegated projects

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Diploma/ Degree in Occupational therapy

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable

• Evidence of post graduate training in areas relevant to the post

Previous Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within in a mental health setting

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting.

• Ability to work independently and alone in the community

Desirable

• Experience of working within the Perinatal Mental Health Service

• Experience of delivering 1:1 and group interventions

• Experience of supervising junior staff, * Ability to communicate sensitively with staff members, service-users, carers, and other parties.

• Ability to assess complex health & well being needs & develop, monitor & review care plans to meet those needs.

• Ability to undertake clinical risk assessment & apply risk management strategies

• An understanding of the potential needs and difficulties of the perinatal service users.

• Knowledge of how mental health and physical difficulties impact upon occupational functioning & performance

• Ability to translate best practice evidence and national policy into practice

• Computer Literate

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently

• Evidence of HCPC registration

Desirable

• Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Diploma/ Degree in Occupational therapy

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable

• Evidence of post graduate training in areas relevant to the post

Previous Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within in a mental health setting

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting.

• Ability to work independently and alone in the community

Desirable

• Experience of working within the Perinatal Mental Health Service

• Experience of delivering 1:1 and group interventions

• Experience of supervising junior staff, * Ability to communicate sensitively with staff members, service-users, carers, and other parties.

• Ability to assess complex health & well being needs & develop, monitor & review care plans to meet those needs.

• Ability to undertake clinical risk assessment & apply risk management strategies

• An understanding of the potential needs and difficulties of the perinatal service users.

• Knowledge of how mental health and physical difficulties impact upon occupational functioning & performance

• Ability to translate best practice evidence and national policy into practice

• Computer Literate

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently

• Evidence of HCPC registration

Desirable

• Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance

• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell

• Generous NHS pension scheme

• Excellent learning and career development opportunities

• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles

• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services

• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants

• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality

• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave

• Free parking across Trust sites

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Alex Afoakwah on 07929841028 or email:alex.afoakwah@berkshire.nhs.ukwholl be delighted to help.