Perinatal Community Mental Health Practitioner - Maternity Secondment

Position Overview

We are pleased to offer a secondment opportunity for a Perinatal Practitioner to join the Dorset Perinatal Community Mental Health Service for a 14‑month period.

We welcome applications from professionally registered clinicians across a range of disciplines, including Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work
.

The service provides specialist mental health support to women experiencing difficulties during the perinatal period. This role offers an excellent opportunity for professionals with a strong interest in perinatal mental health to develop their skills and gain valuable experience within our dedicated Perinatal Services.

The Community Perinatal Mental Health Team provides coverage across Pan‑Dorset to ensure services are accessible to women and families throughout the county, with two main bases at Dorchester (Forston Clinic) and Bournemouth (Alumhurst Road). This particular role will focus on providing care and support within the east locality of Dorset.

• Deliver specialist care to women experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties during pregnancy and up to two years postnatally.
• Provide high‑quality, evidence‑based care, including assessment, treatment, and ongoing monitoring of maternal mental health.
• Deliver a range of therapeutic interventions across community settings, including one‑to‑one support and group work, to improve outcomes for women, babies, and their families.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, liaising closely with a wide network of professionals, including Community Mental Health Teams, Midwifery Services, Health Visitors, and Children’s Social Care, ensuring coordinated and holistic care.
• Contribute to the continued development of an innovative perinatal service, maintain accurate clinical records, and engage in regular supervision, training, and quality improvement initiatives.

• Professional registration as a mental health nurse, occupational therapist, or social worker.
• Experience in perinatal or community mental health settings is desirable.
• Subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, funded by the Trust.
• Fixed‑term role (14 months) offered on a secondment basis only for those currently employed by NHS services. Permission to be released on secondment is required before submitting an application.

Name:
Amber Marshall

Job title:

Perinatal Community Team Lead
Email address:
Telephone number: