Senior Occupational Therapist - Acute rotation | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to join our Band 6 Acute Therapy rotation. Our rotation comprises of Care of the Elderly / Frailty, Medical and Surgical wards and Front of House / ED. Rotations are 9 month in duration.

Our teams are made up of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Apprentices and Therapy Assistants.

We promote education and service development and use our connections with Bournemouth University, Health Science University College and surrounding Trusts to ensure we are delivering the best care and service to our population.

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

To work as an integral member of the Occupational Therapy team, and the wider MDT

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a significant caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations

To work at a senior level and be professionally and legally accountable for a specialised patient caseload, and decide priorities for own work area, without direct supervision.

In conjunction with the Team Lead and clinical specialists, the post holder participates in a rolling programme of education, clinical evaluation, audit and research across the speciality.

To promote and demonstrate safe, timely and appropriate discharge planning.

To provide leadership and clinical guidance for junior staff, therapy assistants, students and ward staff.

To take part in weekend working rotas

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

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.

UKVI Sponsorship

This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibility criteria.

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

This advert closes on Thursday 30 Jul 2026