Job Title: Senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Location: Remote and Hybrid –West or Mid-West of Ireland location may suit best

Hours: To be agreed with the successful candidate(s)

Salary: €62,114 p.a. (full-time)

Annual Leave: 25 days per year (or pro-rata)

Reports to: Senior OT POTTS Coordinator

Key Relationships & Interactions

Internal
CEO, clinical staff, administration staff, internal contractors.

External
Members, People with Dyspraxia/DCD and their families, Health Services Executive, Children’s Disability Network Teams, Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations, Universities, Other key stakeholders as required.

The Organisation

About Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland

Dyspraxia/DCD is Irelands national charity for children and adults with Dyspraxia/DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) and their families. We are a registered charity and a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (CLG) that aims to increase awareness of Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland and support people with Dyspraxia/DCD and their families through education and training activities, therapeutic support programmes, advocacy and lobbying. Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland is a member based organisation with a strong partnership development ethos; we work closely with clinicians and Universities in Ireland and the UK to build research and best practice. Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland operates in an inclusive and transparent manner with a strong focus on good governance.

Our Vision

A society where people with dyspraxia/DCD have the knowledge and skills to live to their full potential, and where family members, friends and service providers understand how best to offer support.

Our Mission

To ensure that the dyspraxia/DCD community have the information, skills and support to effectively fulfil their potential and to equip professionals and the wider society with information about dyspraxia/DCD in order to promote understanding and accessibility at a national level.

Our Values

As an organisation, we commit to the following values in all aspects of our work:

• Integrity – We will be professional and respectful in how we undertake our work to ensure our services reflect evidence-based, best practice training and interventions.
• High-quality – We will continuously work to deliver high-quality services and governance standards.
• Inclusive – We are a non-judgemental and inclusive organisation that is open and welcoming to people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
• Transparent – We will be transparent and accountable to our members and the wider community in all areas of our work.
• Responsive – We are committed to being adaptive, flexible and responsive to the needs of our members and to any person who seeks our assistance. We will provide people with the best support to help them reach their full potential.
• Impact driven – We believe in using our resources to generate the greatest impact for people with dyspraxia/DCD and we will continuously explore ways in which we can improve our work into the future.

Our Approach to Service Delivery

Our services are guided by our values and informed by best practice and family centred and strengths based approaches. We recognise that developing skills, building confidence and strengthening relationships will help people with Dyspraxia/DCD to protect their wellbeing and to live independently through childhood and into adulthood. We promote well researched interventions based on client preferences to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services.

Position Summary

Are you passionate about helping children with DCD and dyspraxia? Do you love creating innovative solutions? Join us as a Senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist to lead out on our POTTS programme and make a real difference for children, young people and families. In this role you will have a meaningful opportunity to introduce new and innovative occupational therapy supports and interventions to children and young people on HSE waiting lists across Ireland.

Our ideal candidate would have:

• Enthusiasm, passion, imagination, and initiative.
• BSc in Occupational Therapy or equivalent CORU registered qualification.
• CORU registration.
• Minimum of three years post-qualification experience, with at least one year in paediatrics.
• Experience in undertaking paediatric assessments.
• Knowledge of DCD/dyspraxia.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Commitment to person-centred care and goal setting.
• Comfortable with remote working and telehealth systems.
• Familiarity with the Irish healthcare delivery landscape.
• Experience supervising junior staff or students.
• Experience in family-centred care practice.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Telehealth and IT literacy.
• Full driving licence and use of own car.

Essential Skills

• Communication: Clear and effective communication is crucial in our small team.
• Empathy: Understanding and responding to the emotions and needs of team members, clients and families.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust to new ideas, changes, and challenges.
• Conflict Resolution: Skills to manage and resolve conflicts constructively, ensuring a harmonious work atmosphere in a range of environments.
• Problem-Solving: Collaborative approach to finding solutions, encouraging innovation and collective problem-solving.
• Leadership: Inspiring and guiding the team towards common goals.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills.
• Caregiver Coaching: Ability to coach caregivers.
• Telehealth Technology: Familiarity with use of telehealth platforms.
• Digital Documentation: Competence in using electronic medical records.

Advantageous skillset

• Knowledge of the Irish education curriculum and system
• A relevant academic qualification or aligned prior work experience
• Experience in developing educational resources
• Knowledge and experience of DCD Research and Adult DCD assessments

Personal Competencies

• Communication: Clear and effective communication is crucial in our small team.
• Empathy: Understanding and responding to the emotions and needs of team members, clients and families.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust to new ideas, changes, and challenges.
• Conflict Resolution: Skills to manage and resolve conflicts constructively, ensuring a harmonious work atmosphere in a range of environments.
• Problem-Solving: Collaborative approach to finding solutions, encouraging innovation and collective problem-solving.
• Leadership: Inspiring and guiding the team towards common goals.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills.
• Caregiver Coaching: Ability to coach caregivers.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Responsibilities

• Telehealth Services: Lead telehealth services, manage caseloads, and plan treatment programmes.
• Supervision and Teamwork: Supervise students and junior staff, promote teamwork.
• Service Planning: Collaborate with the team to plan services and anticipate needs.
• Professional Relationships: Build relationships with colleagues and healthcare personnel across HSE primary care services, CDNT’s, Universities and other key relationships that may be identified.
• Policy Development: Contribute to policy development and ongoing strategic plan implementation.
• Data Management: Ensure electronic records are appropriate for needs and comply with data management policies. Oversee data management by junior staff and students.

What we can offer you

• Flexible hours, work from home, and hybrid working arrangements.
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days’ annual leave per year (FTE).
• Gifted three days’ annual leave at Christmas.
• Access to our VHI staff support programme.
• Ten days paid sick leave per year
• Three mental health days per year
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Bike to Work Scheme
• An ergonomic assessment and provision of all necessary equipment to enable you to work from home.
• A fun, exciting and challenging work environment within a supportive team.

Further information

Please outline in your cover letter your suitability for the role with the above criteria in mind. Candidates will be short-listed based on their response to the above criteria and will be contacted by email for interview.

Further information on Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland can be found here: https://www.dyspraxia.ie https://www.dyspraxia.ie/Strategic-Plan

Further information on the POTTS Programme can be found here https://www.dyspraxia.ie/POTTS-Student-Programme

Further information on the HSE National Service Plan 2024 can be found here: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/serviceplans/hse-national-…

Further information on the HSE National Service Plan 2025 can be found here: https://about.hse.ie/publications/hse-national-service-plan-2025

Informal enquiries for this position are welcomed by contacting:
Sharon Lane, CEO Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland sharon@dyspraxia.ie Mob: 087 6441611

Closing date for receipt of applications is 29th April 2025

Interviews will be held online on the 1st May 2025