Community Occupational Therapist

NHS; Weymouth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Weymouth is seeking an experienced Community Occupational Therapist to join a multidisciplinary team. This role involves providing OT-based rehabilitation for various physical conditions, managing a caseload, and ensuring high-quality care for residents. Candidates should have relevant education and experience, strong communication, and organizational skills. The position offers the chance to make a significant impact in the community while working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals.

Qualifications

• Registered practitioner with relevant degree/diploma.
• Membership of the relevant Professional Body.
• Evidence of recent professional development.
• Experience of managing change and developing care programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide OT-based rehabilitation for various physical presentations.
• Manage a caseload effectively.
• Cover the 7-day service on a rota basis.

Skills

Knowledge of moving and handling

Crisis management skills

Communication skills

Organisation skills

Clinical reasoning

Leadership qualities

Education

Degree in relevant field

Post-registration diploma

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Electronic patient record systems

Job description

Community Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 20 November 2025

Weymouth ICRT are looking for an experienced Occupational Therapist to work within the multidisciplinary team. The team consists of OT's, physiotherapists, nurses, advanced practitioners, therapy assistant practitioners, rehab assistants and admin support who work together to provide intermediate care and rehabilitation to the adult population of Weymouth and Portland.

We are a friendly and dynamic team committed to providing high quality care for our residents through integrated and collaborative ways of working with our colleagues in primary and social care sectors.

If you meet the requirements above and enjoy working with people in their own homes to promote independence, please contact us to find out more information.

Applications from candidates that require current skilled worker sponsorship are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Employment in this post requires an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service can present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide OT‑based rehabilitation for a range of physical presentations such as stroke and neurology, orthopaedics, frailty, falls, cognitive impairment and many more. Key skills include knowledge and experience in moving and handling, using a range of equipment, carrying out cognitive assessments, and holistically assessing and formulating patient‑centred rehab programmes, especially with older adults and frailty.

The team also provides a 7‑day service to support admission avoidance for patients in their own homes. Skills required to manage this cohort include recognising and managing a deteriorating patient, problem‑solving and crisis management of acute situations, basic physical assessment, basic observations, and knowing when to escalade.

The post holder will work with the rest of the team to cover the 7 days on a rota basis, and will also carry out rehab and assessment on the rehab ward or in the community. This involves working until 18:00 to cover any urgent referrals.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication, organisation, caseload management, autonomous working, supervision of junior colleagues, problem‑solving and innovative thinking to inform service development.

About us

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 run 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, and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference.

Our 7,000‑strong workforce is at the heart of what we do. We believe in equal opportunities, celebrate diversity, and foster an inclusive workplace where everyone can be authentic and be their best selves.

Working with us means you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and contribute to our mission to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities of this role, please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application, 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 using AI can be useful and supportive, but over‑reliance can remove a candidate’s individuality. If you use AI, ensure it enhances your application rather than replaces your own, authentic experience. If we suspect your supporting statement has been created entirely by AI and does not reflect your experience, 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. Please contact [e-mail] if you or someone you know would value this support.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

• Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level with post‑registration diploma‑level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty.
• Membership of the relevant Professional Body.
• Learning and Assessing in Practice Qualification or equivalent practice assessors training.
• Evidence of recent professional development in an up‑to‑date portfolio.
• Knowledge and understanding of Trust Strategy relevant to the role.

Job Specific Experience

• Experience at Practitioner Band 5 level.
• Experience of specialist working.
• Recent previous experience within a comparable role.
• Experience of managing change.
• Demonstrable knowledge of assessment and therapeutic interventions in your area of specialism.
• Experience of developing specialist programmes of care for an individual or group of patients/clients and of providing highly specialist advice.
• Able to demonstrate specialist clinical reasoning skills to assimilate information and make a clinical judgement regarding diagnosis and intervention.
• Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively.

Managerial/Supervisory Experience

• Experience of providing clinical supervision and mentoring to junior staff.
• Experience of devising and delivering training.

Finance/Resources

• Able to effectively manage available resources in the pursuit of quality service provision and ensuring a safe environment.

Information Technology/Resources

• Able to analyse data and produce reports using Microsoft Excel and Word.
• Experience of using electronic patient/service user record systems.

Personal Qualities/Attributes

• Evidence of demonstrating the Trust’s values and behaviours.
• Able to overcome barriers to understanding where there are physical or mental disabilities.
• Able to analyse and assess situations, interpret potentially conflicting situations and determine appropriate action where judgement is required.
• Experience of planning and organising complex activities, e.g. organising own time and that of junior staff, planning off‑duty rotas, and undertaking discharge planning involving coordination with other agencies.
• Demonstrable ability to analyse situations and provide a resolution.
• Demonstrable leadership qualities and the ability to perform as a role model.
• Willingness to advance own clinical knowledge, skill and competence based on current evidence.

Business Travel

• Subject to the provisions of the Equality Act, able to travel using own vehicle on Trust business.

Additional Requirements

• Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to a standard which enables the post holder to carry out the full range of duties and responsibilities of the role effectively.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.