Independent practice: a growing part of our profession
O
ccupational therapy has always found ways to reach people where statutory provision cannot. Independent practice is one of the most significant expressions of that reach. It spans the private and third sectors, encompasses a variety of roles in the style of portfolio careers, including associate work and practice ownership, and intersects with statutory services in ways that are not always visible, but matter enormously for the people we serve.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists’( RCOT) Workforce Strategy 2024-2035 sets out a vision for an expanded occupational therapy workforce, positioned to have maximum impact on people’ s health and quality of life by 2035.
That vision includes championing innovative service delivery models, supporting practitioners to be changemakers and ensuring that career development is available to everyone at every stage. Independent practice sits squarely within that ambition and RCOT’ s work to build a more joined-up, co-ordinated approach to supporting independent practitioners reflects a broader shift; from treating independent practice as a niche interest, towards recognising it as a core workforce consideration. This resource has been developed in that spirit.
Who is this resource for?
Whether you are an occupational therapist in a statutory role thinking seriously about a first step beyond, an associate building your portfolio of experience, or an established practice owner looking to work more sustainably, this guidance has been written with you in mind.
The articles that follow draw on the experiences of practitioners at different career stages, across a range of independent practice models, and reflect the reality that there is no single path into or through independent practice.
How to use it
You do not need to read this from cover to cover. Each article stands alone.
The opening article( page 6) looks at working as an employee outside statutory service. We go on to explore portfolio careers and the value of working across multiple roles or settings on page 8.
Then, on page 12, we examine professional visibility and how occupational therapists can assert their expertise in competitive or unfamiliar environments. On page 16, we focuse on building a practice that lasts and what experienced practice owners wish they had known sooner.
Finally, we offer some practical, layered guidance on technology and digital infrastructure for independent practice( page 18).
Dip in at the point most relevant to where you are now and return to other sections as your practice develops.
A note on professional responsibility. This resource offers practical, experience-based guidance. It is not a substitute for your obligations under Health and Care Professions Council( HCPC) standards of conduct, performance and ethics, or for RCOT’ s professional practice guidance.
Governance considerations, including indemnity insurance, contractual responsibilities and data protection obligations remain yours to navigate in your own context.
Where relevant, articles signpost to RCOT and HCPC resources to support you in doing so.
Independent practice raises real questions about identity, sustainability, risk and the kind of occupational therapist you want to be over the long haul. The practitioners featured in these pages have sat with those questions and kept going.
Their experiences do not prescribe a route, but they do offer something equally useful – evidence that it is possible and a clearer sense of what that takes.
JOU YIN TEOH, RCOT Professional Advisor – Independent Practice
Read RCOT’ s Workforce Strategy and action plans at www. rcot. co. uk / support-the-profession / workforce-strategy. Explore RCOT’ s standards and guidelines at www. rcot. co. uk / exploreresources / standards-guidelines. HCPC standards are available at www. hcpc-uk. org / standards / standards-of-conduct-performance-and-ethics /
4 Occupational Therapy in Independent Practice