Specialist Occupational Therapist | Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£19,754 - £22,606 p.a.
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	Wareham, BH20 4QQ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	13 Oct 2026
Closing date:	19 Nov 2026

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Summary

Are you a dedicated Occupational Therapist looking to inspire and support the Children and Young People Mental Health Service redesign project as a Specialist Occupational Therapist? CYPMH Dorset is entering an exciting period of growth and development, supported by new investment and a strong commitment to transforming how children and young people access mental health support.

As the Specialist Occupational Therapist, you will be part of a service that places children, young people and families at the centre of decision‑making, working in our Getting Help and Getting More Help teams. With a strong focus on strengths, participation and outcomes that matter in everyday life working within a THRIVE‑informed, needs‑led model of care. You will bring specialist occupational expertise to assessment, formulation and intervention, supporting young people to engage in meaningful occupations across home, school and community contexts. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team across THRIVE groupings, delivering evidence‑based interventions, contributing to service innovation, and supporting the embedding of occupationally focused practice within the wider CAMHS pathway.

The Specialist Occupational Therapist role is a part-time post. This role is a Pan-Dorset service wide role. Any queries, please contact clare.young2@nhs.net

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Managing a complex clinical caseload, contributing to service development and quality improvement, offering clinical supervision and leadership to junior staff and students.

Deliver evidence‑based, strengths‑focused interventions that promote participation in everyday occupations across home, school and community contexts.

Work collaboratively with children, young people and their families, using shared decision‑making to agree goals and outcomes that are meaningful and occupation‑focused.

Contribute to multidisciplinary assessment, formulation and care planning, ensuring the occupational perspective is embedded within CAMHS pathways.

Provide clinical supervision, support and guidance to junior OT staff, support workers and students, as appropriate.

Contribute to the development, delivery and evaluation of OT‑led interventions, groups and resources aligned to the THRIVE framework.

Participate in service transformation, quality improvement and audit activity, supporting the ongoing development of the CAMHS service.

Work in partnership with education, social care and voluntary sector services to promote integrated, holistic support for children and young people.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

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.

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 advert closes on Thursday 29 Oct 2026

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