Job summary
The Berkshire Specialist Perinatal Mental Health is looking for a motivated and dedicated Occupational Therapist to join our caring and supportive team to promote the care and well-being of birthing mothers within Berkshire communities.
The successful applicant will contribute to the provision of an efficient, effective, and service user focused Occupational Therapy Service for the Perinatal service. You will be expected to prioritise planning and delivery of assessment for mothers whose psychosocial needs and/or mental health problems are having a marked impact on their occupational functioning and who have complex occupational needs. Their interventions will focus on enabling mothers participate in their co-occupations with their babies.
You will manage a defined caseload of service users with complex needs, using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in a range of settings relating to community perinatal mental health.
You will receive clinical supervision and annual appraisal from the Occupational Therapist Lead of the trust. As a member of the MDT team, you will be supported in every-way feasible to enable career growth and development.
Main duties of the job
1. To work effectively as a member of the Perinatal Mental Health team in providing a programme of community-based interventions.
2. To select and apply occupational therapy assessments for a defined caseload of clients with complex needs, addressing occupational performance and skill deficits, enabling the client in areas of self-maintenance, productivity, and leisure, initially with guidance from a senior Occupational Therapist.
3. To undertake planned and urgent initial perinatal mental health assessments
4. To act as care co-ordinator for a defined caseload of service users.
5. To work with service users to identify Occupational Therapy goals.
6. To contribute to the development and evaluation of the team
7. To co-ordinate/manage day-to-day activities of junior staff as appropriate.
8. To deputise for senior colleagues as appropriate.
9. To participate in the implementation of policy and service development within the team, leading on delegated projects
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
10. Caring for and about you is our top priority
11. Committed to providing good quality, safe services
12. Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
13. Flexible working options to support work-life balance
14. 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
15. Generous NHS pension scheme
16. Excellent learning and career development opportunities
17. 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
18. Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
19. Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
20. Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
21. Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
22. Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Alex Afoakwah on 07929841028 or email: be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
23. Diploma/ Degree in Occupational therapy
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
24. Evidence of ongoing professional development
Desirable
25. Evidence of post graduate training in areas relevant to the post
Previous Experience
Essential
26. Experience of working within in a mental health setting
27. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting.
28. Ability to work independently and alone in the community
Desirable
29. Experience of working within the Perinatal Mental Health Service
30. Experience of delivering 1:1 and group interventions
31. Experience of supervising junior staff
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
32. Ability to communicate sensitively with staff members, service-users, carers, and other parties.
33. Ability to assess complex health & well being needs & develop, monitor & review care plans to meet those needs.
34. Ability to undertake clinical risk assessment & apply risk management strategies
35. An understanding of the potential needs and difficulties of the perinatal service users.
36. Knowledge of how mental health and physical difficulties impact upon occupational functioning & performance
37. Ability to translate best practice evidence and national policy into practice
38. Computer Literate
Additional Requirements
Essential
39. Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently
40. Evidence of HCPC registration
Desirable
41. Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists