Occupational Therapist - Therapeutic Community in Uttoxeter

Location: HMP Dovegate, Staffordshire, ST14 8XR

Salary: £37,412.50 - £38,629 per annum, pro rata plus excellent benefits

Schedule: Part-time – two days per week / 16 hours per week

As an Occupational Therapist in our Therapeutic Community team at HMP Dovegate, you’ll provide specialist occupational therapy assessment and intervention within the Enhanced Assessment Unit, supporting participants with complex psychological presentations to stabilise, engage and prepare for therapy. This role directly contributes to rehabilitation, risk reduction and positive outcomes. You’ll help people build routines, develop emotional and sensory regulation, and engage meaningfully in community life, creating foundations for longer‑term therapeutic progress and a safer future for individuals and the wider community.

What You’ll Do

• Deliver specialist occupational therapy assessments focusing on occupational functioning, daily living skills, emotional and sensory regulation, neurodiversity and engagement capacity.
• Design and deliver targeted, occupation‑based interventions to support stabilisation, routine development and therapeutic readiness.
• Contribute occupational perspectives to multidisciplinary formulation, assessment reports and case discussions.
• Provide consultation, guidance and modelling to colleagues to support trauma‑responsive and psychologically informed practice.
• Promote meaningful activity, autonomy and responsibility in line with therapeutic community principles.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and engage fully in supervision and professional development.

Qualifications

• A degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration.
• Experience delivering occupational therapy to adults with complex needs, mental health difficulties or neurodiversity.
• Confidence working within a multidisciplinary team environment.
• A trauma‑informed, neurodiversity‑affirming and person‑centred approach.
• The emotional resilience and professional judgement needed to work in a secure or complex setting.

Vetting and Checks

An Enhanced DBS check is required for this role, including spent and unspent convictions, cautions and any relevant information held by local police, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and safeguarding requirements. You will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire to allow us to provide any support needed for you to succeed in the role.

Benefits

• Holiday entitlement: starts at 23 days plus bank holidays (increasing to 25 days with tenure)
• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Training and development: Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
• Health and wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service
• Discounts: Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• Charity: Paid volunteering day, tax‑free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity
• Employee networks: Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holders of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. We support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge. We encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool and are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working.