Occupational Therapy News OTnews February 2019_Joomag | Page 10

NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
CHIEF AHP OFFICER AWARDS OPEN FOR
NOMINATIONS
The 10 categories of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer’s
Awards in England are now open for nominations. The awards
are open to all AHPs working in publically-funded services in
England. Previous occupational therapy winners include work to
deliver interventions as part of a fire rescue team in Portsmouth,
and a reading for wellbeing group for inpatients in a low-secure
mental health unit in Shrewsbury. Enter the awards by 10 May at:
www.bit.ly/2FKP5Hc.
NEW EDUCATION AWARDS OPEN FOR
NOMINATIONS
Health Education England’s new awards for healthcare education
and training have opened for nominations. The Heat Awards
include categories for the best leaders, students and apprentices,
as well as for return to practice, digital innovation and diversity.
The awards are closely tied to the NHS Constitution and will be
presented during NHS Values Week on the 18 July. Enter the
awards by 5 April at: www.hee.nhs.uk/heatawards.
SCOTLAND’S FIRST TECHNOLOGY ENABLED
CARE MODULE LAUNCHES
A new module for staff in Scotland to make the most of
technology has launched. The module on technology enabled
care (TEC) provides an introduction to its benefits and workforce
stories, building on the government’s 2017 workforce research
report on TEC. It is available for anyone employed by NHS
Scotland, local authorities, charities or housing organisations via
the Turas learning platform. A second module on digital health
and care in practice is now being developed. The module is
available at www.bit.ly/2FUDO6U.
VERSUS ARTHRITIS LAUNCHES 2019
LEADERSHIP AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMES
Versus Arthritis have opened applications for its MSK
Champions leadership programme. The scheme is designed to
cultivate the leadership development needs for champions of
musculoskeletal care and is looking to draw on clinicians, public
health practitioners, commissioners and service managers to
attend. Successful applicants will need to attend five residential
weekends at Ashridge in Hertfordshire over the next 18 months.
Enter by 3 March at: www.bit.ly/2B1QoOw. The charity has
also opened its applications for its AHP and nurse internship
programme, open to final year students and recent graduates
to win one of eight eight-week research placements. Enter by
4 March at: www.bit.ly/2yU8MaX.
10 OTnews February 2019
England public health AHP
awards open for nominations
The CAHPR Public Health Awards have opened for
nominations in 2019. The awards, run by the Council
for Allied Health Professions Research, are aimed
at novice or early career researchers. Submissions
need to be based high-quality research that supports
one of Public Health England’s nine priorities, such
as tackling obesity, smoking, harmful drinking and
increasing physical activity.
Systemic reviews will be eligible for the first time
and a winner will get to showcase a poster at the
Public Health England conference in September 2019
and receive £500 towards associated expenses. Enter
by 20 April at www.bit.ly/2HIaKSX.
Consultation on Wales’s changing
additional learning needs opens
A consultation on changes to supporting children and
young people with additional learning needs in Wales
could see health services more involved in supporting
them. RCOT will be responding to the consultation.
Send your comments by to [e-mail] by
11 March. FAQs on the changing support are also
available at: www.bit.ly/2C93eM3.
New chair at HCPC
Christine Elliott has been appointed the new chair of
the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
She previously led Bletchley Park and the Institute
for Turnaround, and is a director at the College of
Policing.
Christine said: ‘I am honoured to have been
appointed Chair of the HCPC Council. This is a
hugely important time for regulation with government
proposing reforms to how regulation is delivered and
an acceptance within the sector that regulators need
to move away from the current reactive model to one
which actively support professionals’ practice to help
prevent harm to service users.’
The term will run until 2023.