Occupational Therapist in Bournemouth

Main area Mental Health Rehabilitation Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Ideally to cover December 2026 - December 2027) Hours Full time Job ref 152-M330.26

Employer Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Nightingale House Town Bournemouth Salary £39,959 - £48,117 p.a. Salary period Yearly Closing 14/10/2026 23:59

Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 6

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated, forward thinking Occupational Therapist to join the Mental Health Complex Care Service for a 12 month secondment.

The service incorporates inpatient rehabilitation, community rehabilitation and the assertive outreach teams.

You would be based at Nightingale House which is a level one, mental health rehabilitation unit based in Westbourne, Bournemouth.

This is a full time post, 37.5 hours working across Monday - Friday.

The focus of the unit is in supporting people to progress on their recovery journey, building functional skills, exploring community resources and working towards independent living.

If you are flexible, recovery focused, self-motivated with good communication and organisational skills this is a chance for you to join our team.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for providing occupational therapy assessment and intervention to a 13 bedded, mixed rehabilitation ward.

You will be a key part of the multi-disciplinary team, inputting into clinical discussions and the service development of the unit.

You will work closely with the OT based within the community rehabilitation team on transitions and discharge planning.

You will be a committed, dynamic, motivated professional with excellent communication, organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your work. You should have recent experience of working in a mental health environment and be able to apply the philosophies of engagement and recovery in your work with service users.

Working for our organisation

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 almost800,000 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.

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 .

This is a fixed term role and for those with current NHS service, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent e.g., BSc. MSc or diploma entry qualification in occupational therapy.




• HCPC registered




• Additional training in specialised standardised assessments

Knowledge and Skills

• At least 2 years experience of working within mental health environments.




• Knowledge of a range of OT assessments, interventions and practice models.




• Experience of working within a mental health rehabilitation service.

Leadership

• Experience of clinical and management supervision of others.




• Able to organise and co-ordinate services during the absence of more senior staff




• Experience of supporting OT students

Personal Qualities

• Ability to organise caseload, plan and meet deadlines




• Willingness to be flexible in approach and attitude




• Motivated to own professional development and the development of the service

At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)




• Health and wellbeing services




• Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours




• Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals




• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs




• Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust




• Relocation costs where applicable




• Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave




• NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more

Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.

Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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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