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Job summary

Main area
Perinatal Mental Health
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
371-TAP-CFS652
Employer
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Perinatal Mental Health , Resource House
Town
Wokingham
Salary
£40,617 - £48,778 per annum ( Incl of HCAS)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Occupational Therapist

Band 6

Job overview

Are you an experienced Occupational Therapist with strong skills in recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and strengths-based practice?

Are you keen to join a team where you can make a real change to both the service and its users?

Our Community Perinatal Mental Health Team provides specialist care for those experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. We work closely with a number of both internal and external sector partners to deliver holistic, integrated care.

This role offers the chance to be part of a compassionate, forward-thinking team in which you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality, recovery-focused and occupation-centred care. We believe in developing people, and welcome new experience and knowledge to aid team growth.

We are currently undergoing an exciting period of development and transformation, with a strong focus on; improving access, experience and outcomes for service users and families; strengthening multidisciplinary and multi-agency working; embedding culturally sensitive, and occupation-focused practice; developing community-based interventions and pathways.

If you are passionate about this specialist role and you are confident in your ability to learn and develop your skills in this specialist area we want to hear from you.

Applications for this role will be reviewed as they are received. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as vacancies may close early

Main duties of the job

  • Undertake specialist occupational therapy assessments in community settings, including service users’ homesclinics and where appropriate online. 

  • Develop and deliver individualised, occupation-based interventions to support daily functioning, routines, roles, and identity during the perinatal period 

  • Plan and facilitate therapeutic groups, where appropriate 

  • Contribute to risk assessment, care planning, safeguarding, and discharge planning 

  • Work collaboratively with perinatal colleagues, extended services, families and carers  

  • Provide supervision and support to junior staff and students, as required 

  • Actively contribute to service development, quality improvement, and outcome monitoring 

Working for our organisation

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:

  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The “must haves” for this role: 

  • Be a qualified Occupational Therapist with HCPC registration

  • Have post-registration experience, with the ability to work autonomously in community settings 

  • Holds a full UK driving licence and has access to a vehicle for community work 

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.  

We’re 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 don’t hesitate to email Kendra Ainley at: [email protected] who’ll 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 criteria
  • Diploma/ Degree in Occupational therapy

Continuous Professional Development:

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of ongoing professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of post graduate training in areas relevant to the post

Previous Experience

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge and the willingness to develop expert skills in Mental Health Settings.
  • Experience of delivering 1:1 and group interventions
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting.
  • Ability to work independently and alone in the community
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working within in a mental health setting
  • Experience of working within the Perinatal Mental Health Service
  • Experience of supervising junior staff

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to communicate sensitively with staff members, service-users, carers, and other parties.
  • Ability to assess complex health & well being needs & develop, monitor & review care plans to meet those needs.
  • Ability to undertake clinical risk assessment & apply risk management strategies
  • An understanding of the potential needs and difficulties of the perinatal service users.
  • Knowledge of how mental health and physical difficulties impact upon occupational functioning & performance
  • Ability to translate best practice evidence and national policy into practice
  • Computer Literate

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria
  • Ability to travel between multiple sites efficiently
  • Evidence of HCPC registration
Desirable criteria
  • Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jamie Poole
Job title
Talent Acquisition Partner
Email address
[email protected]
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