Senior Occupational Therapist Trauma Orthopaedics

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Poole; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Poole is seeking a Senior Occupational Therapist for their Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team. This role involves high-level assessments and managing a diverse patient caseload. Ideal candidates should have HCPC registration and a background in NHS settings. The position offers managerial skill development and a collaborative work environment. Regular supervision and training will be part of the role, making it a great fit for those looking to further their career in occupational therapy.

Qualifications

• Registered with HCPC and a member of RCOT.
• Experience with discharge planning and patient management.
• Ability to lead and supervise less experienced staff.

Responsibilities

• Develop specialized skills in assessments and discharge planning.
• Manage a caseload of patients and support team members.
• Contribute to service development and training programs.

Skills

Teamwork

Empathy

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Leadership

Education

HCPC registration

Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio

Member of RCOT

Completion of in-house leadership courses

Job description

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Occupational Therapist – Trauma Orthopaedics

The closing date is 28 December 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for you to join our Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team as a Senior Occupational Therapist.

This post is based at the Poole site, the main Orthopaedic Trauma site for University Hospitals Dorset. It is a fast‑paced and dynamic working environment. You will be based within a well‑established collaborative Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy service, with a Band 7 Clinical Specialist OT to support you. You will receive regular supervision and training and will have responsibility for the supervision of others and contribute to the team training programme.

This post will also provide you with opportunities to develop managerial skills and contribute to and lead on service development within the team and wider services.

Base – Poole Hospital

Interview Date – TBC

Main duties of the job

You will have the opportunity to develop specialised skills including high‑level assessments; moving and handling; cognitive assessments and interventions; capacity assessments; admission avoidance, and complex discharge planning.

You will have responsibility for a caseload of patients with a wide range of injuries and complexity. Alongside your own caseload you will support other less experienced team members with theirs. University Hospitals Dorset works in partnership with health and community providers within the county to enable the Discharge to Assess and Home First principles.

This role will provide you with the opportunity to support patients within the acute hospital and within their own homes to ensure they receive the right service in the best place for them.

About us

UHD is investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service‑specific questions at interview.

This service has a planned move from Poole site to RBH site in Summer 2026, with the possibility of some ongoing cross‑site working.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

Job responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio
• HCPC registration
• Member of RCOT
• Involvement in RCOT Special Interest Group
• Completion of in‑house: Leadership & motivation, Managing performance, Time management, Appraisals skills

Experience

• Experience of a range of rotations including medicine, orthopaedic, older people & rehabilitation
• Experience of discharge planning
• Experience as a Band 5 in the NHS
• Involvement in audit, research & understanding of quality issues
• Contribution to the clinical education of less experienced staff, students or assistants
• Up‑to‑date with professional practice and new research
• Able to present information, written and verbal, in a clear & logical manner
• Ability to organise, prioritise & delegate
• Understanding of clinical governance & its implications
• Able to carry out moderate to intense physical effort
• Able to cope in a stressful environment and with emotional or aggressive patients & carers
• Able to work well across teams to meet patient and service priorities
• Supervision & appraisals of juniors, assistants or students
• Able to demonstrate leadership skills in the operational management of staff

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of the occupational therapy assessment & treatment of a range of clinical conditions
• Awareness of the occupational therapist's role in the Discharge to Assess / Home First model of care

Other requirements specific to the role

• Possession of a clean UK driving licence and access to a car for work purposes

Personal attributes

• Able to work as a team member
• Flexible
• Empathic
• Reliable
• Problem‑solving
• Act professionally and responsibly at all times

Language requirement

• Able to speak English as necessary to undertake the role

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.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust