Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 17

ANNUAL CONFERENCE REPORT First degree-level apprenticeships take shape First degree-level apprenticeships take shape Universities and employers delivering the first degree-level apprenticeships have shared what the first trainee occupational therapists’ training will look like at RCOT’s annual conference. The first cohort of trainee occupational therapists started in April The rigorous training requirements will see apprentices in a scheme run by Sheffield Hallam University, which includes two earn 240 credits in on-programme training and assessment support workers from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and a final 20 credits in an end-programme assessment. That and others from social care and mental health settings around will include a demonstration of practice and a professional Yorkshire, while those on the scheme run by Coventry University discussion. Apprentices will also develop a portfolio for their will start this autumn. Other schemes are in development personal use., around England at the moment Anita Baxter, the clinical lead for therapies and and may spread to other UK rehabilitation medicine at the United Lincolnshire nations in time. Hospitals NHS Trust, recommended that While some schemes will see members interested in developing the apprentices working at a apprenticeships in their organisations band three or four level or as- should check that apprenticeship levies We didn’t want to increase yet undisclosed salaries in social are not being exclusively spent on that sense of being care and voluntary organisations, nursing. ‘done to’ in the occupational in Lincolnshire they are being Steve MacDonald from Coventry therapy workforce. recruited on band five on annex 21 University recommended that funding. those interested in developing That sees apprentices earn a apprenticeships should speak to Rebecca Shute rising percentage of a normal band employers’ apprenticeship leads about five salary over the three years, while levies and contracts, and service managers ensuring that the employer keeps the about recruitment. He advised speaking to band five post in place for when they are universities’ business development managers qualified. In general apprentices are likely to work in about contracts, admissions teams about processes, a lower-banded job with a salary, which will normally increase and seeing if there is any learning to be gained about the incrementally while also having time out for practice placements introduction of nursing apprenticeships from other staff. and training at a university over the three-year apprenticeship. The developers of the new apprenticeships were keen to The training requirements see apprentices work across a range emphasise how the new scheme did not represent a ‘dumbing of mental and physical health settings; those at Sheffield Hallam down’ of the profession, with HCPC and RCOT standards University will take part in four practice placements across a maintained throughout. They were also keen to note they did not range of settings, totalling 1,000 placement hours, which must be represent the existing degree training being squeezed into a new successfully completed. Work hours do not contribute to the total model, but instead represented a new tripartite system. and only one placement can be at the same organisation as where There is more on how recruitment issues in Lincolnshire led to they work, and cannot be in the same department as their day job. their work on the new apprenticeship in May’s OTnews. ‘‘ OTnews July 2019 17