Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 54

UKOTRF
AWARDED FIVE GRANTS
FOR A TOTAL VALUE OF
£179,649.25
October 2018
This month we began a full review of the current resources to support practice
educators when offering practice placements to students. This review covers
the whole of the UK and will help us identify how we can uniquely support the
student journey on practice placement. Outcomes will be published in the
summer of 2019.
November 2018
As we do every November, we ran a very successful Occupational Therapy
Week this month, with our greatest reach ever on social media. The campaign this year was boosted by the ongoing
pledge campaign, which saw many of our members showing their commitment to securing the future of occupational
therapy. Over 2,000 packs were distributed and 20 per cent of participants were involved for the first time, which
means we’re engaging more members better. We also know from your feedback that 85 per cent of participants felt
Occupational Therapy Week helped them raise awareness of the value of occupational therapy with other colleagues
in a variety of settings. As part of Occupational Therapy Week, we also ran special events to engage assembly and
parliament members across Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
We were awarded funding from the Challenge Fund – a joint Department of Health and Department for Work
and Pensions Unit – to run OTVoc Clinics, a new approach designed to help people with mental health and/or
musculoskeletal problems stay in employment. Based in GP surgeries and run by occupational therapists, it will use
the Allied Health Professions Advisory Fitness for Work Report (AHP Fit Note), to help people remain in work. It will run
over two sites in Southampton and Pembrokeshire.
We completed a review of the UK Occupational Therapy Research Foundation Review (UKOTRF), making
recommendations for the RCOT Business Management Group and Council to consider.
This month we also started a full review of the learning and development standards for pre-registration education.
Results will be launched this summer, in time for the academic year 2019/20 to begin.
Finally this month, the RCOT library launched a new library catalogue portal, accessible to all members. The new portal
allows faster access to resources, including ebooks and electronic theses, and improves our service in support of
members’ learning, CPD and practice.
December 2018
By the end of the year, we handled 2,147 enquiries through our Professional
Practice Enquiry Service, and have over 70 face to face enquiries at the
Occupational Therapy Show.
Our 10 specialist sections had a grand total of 3,814 members, ran 86 events,
and developed five new clinical fora (Cardiology and Respiratory, Rheumatology
and Musculoskeletal Health, Pain, Critical Care and Prosthetics and Amputee
Rehabilitation).
We delivered 15 roadshows throughout the UK, which were attended by over
650 delegates.
Our annual awards received a total of 54 applications, with 12 of them successful.
We awarded a total of £10,002.
8
PRACTICE
ENQUIRIES
S U P P O RT E D
2,147
ENQUIRIES