Specialist Occupational Therapist, MBU - Maternity Leave Cover

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Chester; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a dedicated Band 6 Occupational Therapist for a maternity leave cover in its new Mother and Baby Unit. The role involves working within a multi-disciplinary team to provide high-quality care for women experiencing mental health challenges during and after pregnancy. Candidates must possess an Occupational Therapy degree and relevant experience in mental health settings. This fixed-term position offers competitive pay between £38,682 and £46,580 per annum pro rata.

Benefits

Induction program with up to 3 weeks training

Guaranteed Interview Scheme for armed forces community applicants

Competitive salary based on experience

Qualifications

• Registration with Health Care Professions Council (HPCP) is essential.
• A diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy is required.
• Experience in a mental health setting is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality care in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrate understanding of the 6 C's in practice.
• Manage own caseload and support junior staff.

Skills

Specialist clinical skills relevant to the role

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to work under pressure and set priorities

Team leadership skills

Experience in a mental health inpatient setting

Working knowledge of clinical governance principles

Education

Diploma or BSc in Occupational Therapy

Registration with Health Care Professions Council (HPCP)

Job description

Go back Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist, MBU - Maternity Leave Cover

The closing date is 23 December 2025

Seren Lodge Mother and Baby Unit, an exciting collaboration between NHS England and NHS Wales, is due to open in 2026 on the grounds of the Countess of Chester Health Park.

Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and dedicated Band 6 Occupational Therapist to join the Mother and Baby Unit team as maternity leave cover for a fixed term of 12 months.

The Mother and Baby Unit is a specialist provision for women with mental health problems during pregnancy and/or in the year after their baby is born. Patients in the postnatal period will have their babies with them during their time as an inpatient on the Mother and Baby Unit. Seren Lodge will be an 8 bedded unit with 6 beds commissioned by NHS England for the women of Cheshire and Merseyside and 2 beds commissioned by NHS Wales for the women of North Wales. The Mother and Baby Unit will also accept referrals for out of area women when there are beds available.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if there is a high volume of applicants.

Shortlisting for this vacancy is due to commence on 6th January and the proposed interview date is 14th January

Main duties of the job

We are hoping to build a supportive and knowledgeable multi-disciplinary team for our new MBU The post offers the successful applicant the exciting opportunity to work with a team providing the highest quality of care for our service users.

The applicants must be able to demonstrate an understanding and application of the 6 C's in practice, these being Care; Compassion; Competence; Communication; Courage and Commitment.

Seren Lodge is based on the Countess of Chester Health Park Site approximately 1.5 miles from Chester city centre.

About us

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you'll find something to suit you at CWP.

Job responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see documents to download section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trusts Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trusts Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [e-mail] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma or BSc in Occupational Therapy
• Registration with Health Care Professions Council (HPCP)
• Accreditation as Practice Placement Educator or working towards accreditation
• Postgraduate training relevant to the post
• Leadership or management training

Knowledge and Expertise

• Specialist clinical skills relevant to the role
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• In depth knowledge and awareness of current legislation and guidance pertaining to mental health services and implications for Occupational Therapy
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the impact of mental illness on all aspects of a person's life
• In depth knowledge of person centred practice and recovery agendas
• Ability to work under pressure and set priorities
• Ability to manage own caseload and work as part of a team
• Team leadership skills
• Excellent negotiation and organisational skills
• Working knowledge of clinical governance principles
• Training, presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to resolve complex professional and ethical issues
• Research experience

Experience

• A good level of experience in a mental health inpatient setting
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Experience of supervising and supporting junior staff and students
• Experience of using staff appraisal process
• Documented evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Working knowledge of clinical audit
• Experience of introducing new and innovative interventions
• An intermediate level of post-registration experience
• Experience of service development
• Experience of working with women with perinatal mental health difficulties

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.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a yearper annum pro rata