Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 7

NEWS England deadline on incentive for return- to-practice placements approaches A placement fee for NHS organisations in England taking staff on return-to-practice placements will end in March.  The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) requires all returners who have been out of practice for over two years to update their skills and knowledge, with supervised practice placements a common method for doing so. Health Education England has offered a financial bonus to organisations taking on people for supervised practice placements as a way to ensure enough are available for returners, with £500 for the organisation and £500 for the returner’s out-of-pocket expenses – but it will end on 31 March.  RCOT is urging members to take on people on placements, whether or not they are eligible for the scheme. People on placement often go on to take regular staff jobs, helping to tackle recruitment shortfalls. Anne Keen, who runs RCOT’s professional practice enquiries service, says: ‘Managers sometimes stop short of offering supervised placements because they fear of onerous paperwork, but there is much less than many people expect – there is no need, for example, to assess someone’s fitness to practice. And RCOT can support managers and returners alike through every step of the way. Even once the current incentive scheme ends and wherever you work, offering these placements is a win-win situation.’ For information on the scheme, visit www.bit.ly/2uGJCd3, or contact our professional practice enquiries service by email: [email protected] or tel: [phone]. Degree-level apprenticeship option approved for occupational therapists The hotly-anticipated degree apprenticeship standard for occupational therapy has been approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships, opening up a new pathway to train in England. RCOT was part of the trailblazer group to develop the pathway and has ensured the highest quality and standards are embedded throughout the standard and the associated end point assessment plan. The Royal College accredits all occupational therapy training in the UK, including all future apprenticeship places. The details of how the apprenticeships will be deployed in practice are now being finalised by Skills for Health and other sector bodies, while several universities are also looking at how they will partner with employing organisations to deliver them. Julia Scott, RCOT chief executive, said: ‘Approval of the standard for degree apprenticeships in occupational therapy is hugely significant to our work to promote and secure a flourishing future for occupational therapy. ‘Offering a variety of pathways to an occupational therapy career ensures a diverse and sustainable occupational therapy workforce, which will ultimately benefit UK citizens and their families. ‘Given the government’s likely focus on person-centred care in the imminent NHS 10-year plan, occupational therapy will play a key role in its delivery and the demand for our services will be high. This approval is a key step in ensuring we have a workforce fit for the future of health and social care.’ The Elizabeth Casson Trust is excited to announce a new award for 2019 Conference Grants The trustees have allocated £20,000 for attendance at national or international occupational therapy conferences but with a focus on Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) 2019 conference in Birmingham 17-18 June In line with our strategic intention to help develop the practice of occupational therapy: - we encourage applications from all registered practitioners to apply for funding at early bird conference rate - the emphasis for researchers and educators will be to present/disseminate their work - a contribution towards travel and accommodation for international conference attendance may be considered Find out more at: http://bit.ly/2TfcELx CLOSING DATE: 11 MARCH 2019 N216 OTnews January 2019 7