Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 6

NEWS
Occupational therapist features in Panorama social care special
An occupational therapist at Somerset County Council was featured
in a BBC Panorama special about social care.
Sara Sharratt had only worked for the council’s adult social
care team for five weeks when she volunteered to take part in the
programme.
While the programme primarily focused on the problems facing
the county’s social workers, Sara showed how she worked with a
younger woman who was supported at home by a family carer.
Said Sara: ‘I was excited as I wanted to both fly the flag for
occupational therapy, and I thought it would be really interesting
for the public to see that adult social care is not just older people.
Alongside children’s services, we deal with everyone from birth to
death. I thought her case would be perfect, so I agreed with them
and that’s how it went along.’
The programme featured Sara organising a new bed, although
other work to support them, including work to reduce how much
they would need to wake their carer during the night, did not make
the final cut. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice a ceiling track used in
shots at the start of the episode that was not installed until later in
Sara’s work with the service user.
However, Sara is proud of having flown the occupational therapy
flag. ‘I would definitely do it again and would recommend it to
others who have the opportunity to,’ she says.
Julia Scott, RCOT chief executive, said: ‘Panorama shone a light
on the monumental challenges facing the adult social care team at
Somerset County Council. The challenges they face are replicated
right across the UK and it’s clear that people are struggling to get
through each day without the support they desperately need and
deserve. While there is no easy solution, we need an integrated
approach. You can’t fix social care in isolation as social care and
the NHS are intertwined. People in need of social care often have
multiple and ongoing health issues; therefore it’s clear that social
care and the NHS need parity of esteem in terms of resources and
long-term planning.’
You can see the programme at: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
m0005jpf.
Quote of the month
I was excited as I wanted to fly the flag for
occupational therapy...
New AHP social prescribing framework launches
to fill knowledge gap
A new framework to support allied health professionals with social prescribing has
been launched.
Research conducted during the framework’s development found that 44 per
cent of AHPs felt their knowledge of social prescribing ‘required improvement’,
which has informed its development.
Social prescribing interventions by AHPs are outlined from active signposting,
to referring to a link worker, and examples of AHPs as social prescribers.
The framework includes many examples of occupational therapists working
with a wide variety of groups, including people who have experienced psychosis,
have motor neurone disease and learning disabilities.
Paul Cooper, RCOT professional adviser, said: ‘Social prescribing is a key
component of personalised care. This framework will help AHPs and RCOT
members in making the most of the opportunity social prescribing offers in
supporting the people they work with.’
Linda Hindle, Public Health England’s lead AHP, said: ‘Social prescribing is
fundamental to supporting people to manage their own health and wellbeing.
This framework highlights how AHPs contribute across the spectrum of the social
prescribing offer, helping people access the right services to meet their needs. We
hope the framework will support AHPs, primary care networks and link workers to
recognise what AHPs already contribute and where they could do more.’
The framework was developed by the Royal Society for Public Health, Public
Health England and NHS Improvement.
Read the framework at: www.bit.do/AHP-SP-framework. For more on what
RCOT is doing on social prescribing, visit: www.rcot.co.uk/news/occupational-
therapy-role-social-prescribing.
6 OTnews July 2019
Sara Sharratt, occupational therapist
featured in Panorama
Northern Ireland advanced
practitioner framework launches
A new framework to support allied health
professionals working in advanced practitioner roles
has launched in Northern Ireland.
The framework is intended to provide clarity about
the advanced AHP practitioner role, and to underpin
the health department’s AHP workforce reviews.
As with corresponding frameworks in other UK
countries, it provides a benchmark and standardised
set of capabilities for practitioners across sectors
to assess and articulate their level of capability and
identify their own ongoing learning and development
needs.
Aimed at occupational therapists working at
a band seven or eight level, the framework also
includes an occupational therapist example.
Kate Lesslar, RCOT policy officer for Northern
Ireland, said: ‘We have contributed to the
development of this framework to help make sure
that the roles are well understood by decision-
makers, and also to provide a roadmap for members
to advance their careers, and as a guideline for
education development.’
See the framework at: www.bit.do/NI-AP-
framework. There is more on the development of
advanced roles on page 16.