Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 9

NEWS
Occupational therapy student
goes back to school to demystify
profession
A University of Northampton student has headed to her old
school to promote occupational therapy to A-level students.
Chloe Holmes, who is in her final year of study for the three-year
BSc course, visited Ormiston Bushfield Academy in her home town
of Peterborough to explain the profession as a career option.
The idea for the workshops came about following a discussion
by members of the Occupational Therapy Admissions Tutor
Forum, which is chaired by Debbie Hewson, a senior lecturer
at the University of Northampton, to encourage occupational
therapy students to go back to the classroom and explain what
they are studying.
Chloe said: ‘Occupational therapy covers so much more
than just helping people get back into work, but few high school
students know anything about it. This is what I wanted to tackle
with my presentation.
‘I’m one of very few students from Ormiston who have gone
on to study occupational therapy in the past few years and was
the only one from my year group. In fact, there was a bit of head-
scratching and background research needed by my tutor – they
had no idea what occupational therapy is.
‘This is why I signed up to giving the presentation – to talk
about what I do and why it’s a much-needed profession.’
Chloe spoke with over 60 A-level students about the
profession, and her variety of placements across health and
education, to illustrate the ‘massive, positive impact on people’s
lives’ occupational therapists can have.
She said: ‘Giving the presentations made a brilliant day, I
had some really good questions from people and one student
interested in midwifery said she would seriously consider looking
at occupational therapy courses as well. I’ve been invited back
but if I’ve switched one person onto occupational therapy, I
consider that a big success.’
Make your learning resolutions
for 2019 – and get ahead for the
HCPC audit
Members are making learning resolutions for 2019 as part of their
preparation for completing their CPD portfolios during this Health
and Care Professions Council (HCPC) audit year.
All registered occupational therapists need to ensure their CPD
portfolios are up to date, especially as later in the year 2.5 per
cent of the profession will be called to submit their evidence to the
regulator.
RCOT is advising members to use the Career Development
Framework to assess their professional development and form up
their learning resolutions.
Dr Stephanie Tempest, RCOT professional development
manager, said: ‘We have seen thousands of members use the
framework to identify what they have already learned and see
what they want to build on for the future.
‘Whether you have already downloaded the framework and
know what your learning resolutions will be for 2019, or if your
resolution is to think about the next professional development
steps ahead of the HCPC deadline, we would love to know what
you plan to do to further your learning this year.’
RCOT’s professional development team have already made
their 2019 learning resolutions to: provide more multimedia CPD
resources for members; promote the learning opportunities
offered to members that HCPC view as
CPD activities; and collaborate with
partners to quality assure learning
resources for the benefit of members
and the broader profession.
Share your resolutions on
social media using the Learning
Resolutions 2019 template with the
hashtag #RCOTCareerFramework.
The framework and template are
available for download at: www.
rcot.co.uk/career-development-
framework.
Information on Wales’s changing
additional learning needs process
released ahead of consultation
Chloe Holmes, Northampton student.
Information on how health services will be more involved in
supporting children and young people with additional learning
needs in Wales has been released.
FAQs on the changing support are available from the Welsh
Government at: www.bit.ly/2C93eM3.
A consultation on the new additional learning needs code is
anticipated at the start of 2019. Information will be shared on the
website and member comments can be sent to: sally.payne@rcot.
co.uk.
OTnews January 2019 9