Occupational Therapy

Dorset County Hospital Therapies Service wish to offer the right, highly motivated person an exciting opportunity to lead our Occupational Therapy team. This person will be hugely passionate about all aspects of Occupational Therapy and will drive an ethos of personalised care resulting in reablement of patients. Our newly appointed Associate Director for the Allied Health Professions has identified the Occupational Therapy skill set as crucial for the delivery of new initiatives within the hospital to better meet our patients' needs.


Through CPD, research and audit the department is committed to progressing the service to meet the future needs of its surrounding community. Working across our Dorset system is key to maximising our contribution as allied health professions to help our local populations thrive.


The head of Occupational Therapy will also bring ideas, enthusiasm and skill to provide new opportunities for our registered and support workforce. We recognise a number of workforce pipelines into occupational therapy through apprenticeships, international recruitment and return to practice and will need the Head of Occupational Therapy to workforce plan and build our local workforce for the future.
To represent Occupational Therapy on Trust Strategic and Operational Groups, and at professional regional forums.


To be a clinical specialist and take a lead role in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients who may have complex and / or chronic presentations, to determine which Occupational Therapy interventions are indicated, and to advise other Occupational Therapists regarding therapy. To ensure that the Occupational Therapy team have the skills and knowledge to provide an effective and high-quality service.


To work closely with the Associate Director for Allied Health Professions (AHP) and Deputy Divisional Director of Operations to ensure the Occupational Therapy department is responsive to Trust-wide priorities.


To be able to describe and demonstrate the role of Occupational Therapy in multiple patient pathways to increase the profile and contribution of this profession
At Dorset County Hospital (DCH) we aspire to providing outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them. Our people are our most important asset, and we want them to feel valued, welcomed, respected, they belong and matter. We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Dorset County Hospital has a number of employees from overseas delivering high quality services and we recognise the value of diversity in leadership.
To work closely with the other professional leads both within the Acute and Community Trusts and to ensure that Occupational Therapy is part of a co-ordinated service for the patient pathway.
To liaise directly with the medical and nursing teams regarding the role of Occupational Therapists
Meet regularly with the divisional manager and Associate Director for the Allied Health Professions regarding the strategic direction of the Occupational Therapy department
To work with the accounts manager to ensure budget management
To liaise with the Education Team to enhance development opportunities for registered Occupational therapists and their support workforce
Communication with the Occupational Therapy team on a daily basis, and provide formal supervision and lead departmental meetings.
Degree in Occupational Therapy
Management/ Leadership qualification or training

Experience in service improvement and the process of analysis, development and embedding a new approach.
To have clinical experience across the range an adult services.

Financial management experience.
The analysis of need and the production of business cases and reports.

To have the ability to assess risk and implement interventions accordingly
To have a full clean driving licence

To have an excellent awareness of clinical governance issues and risk
To have current knowledge of NSFs, Quality standards and government directives specific to this clinical area

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust