Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Página 10

NEWS
RCOT Fellowship and Merit Award
winners announced for 2020
This year’s RCOT Fellowship and Merit Award winners have
been announced.
Fellowship Awards are the highest awards handed out by
RCOT and are given for exceptional service and outstanding
contribution to the profession during their career. Since 1982,
106 members have received a Fellowship. This year’s recipients
are:
• Dr Ruth Heames, principal lead, Post Graduate Strategy
Unit, Coventry University; and
• Ruth Tyerman, programme manager at ‘Working Out’,
Community Head Injury Service, The Camborne Centre,
Aylesbury.
Merit Awards were introduced in 2008 to recognise excellence in
the RCOT membership. This year’s recipients are:
• Dr Theresa Baxter, teaching associate, Problem Based
Learning, GEM Programme Derby Centre, School of
Medicine, University of Nottingham;
• Wendy Chambers, AHP practice education lead / specialist
occupational therapist, NHS Dumfries and Galloway;
• Janine Smith, associate director, Older People’s Services /
NAViGO Restraint Reduction Lead;
• Louise Watson, occupational therapy professional lead and
chief AHP, Clyde, Acute Services, NHS Greater Glasgow
and Clyde.
The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony in
September. Nominations for 2021 can be made from the
summer at: www.rcot.co.uk/fellowship-merit.
Progress report on AHP dementia work
in Scotland published
Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, Elaine Hunter, national
AHP consultant from Alzheimer Scotland and Carolyn McDonald, chief AHP
officer to the Scottish Government
Alzheimer Scotland has released a progress update to mark two
years of Connecting People, Connecting Support, the national
framework for AHPs working with people with dementia and their
families.
Elaine Hunter, national allied health professions consultant
at Alzheimer Scotland, said: ‘The success story of Connecting
People, Connecting Support is the allied health professionals
themselves and the awards they are collecting for their dedicated
work in dementia.
‘They are achieving this by changing conversations about
dementia locally, trying something new, and sharing their rights-
based practice in many formats, including through social media
and national conferences. It’s an absolute privilege to lead this
work with them.
‘At the heart of Connecting People, Connecting Support is
partnership working. Any change is more effective when people
work collaboratively and in tandem with people living with
dementia and the people who support them. We will ensure the
ongoing commitment to collaborative working as allied health
professionals as we go forward and strengthen the important
contribution of allied health professionals in dementia care in
Scotland.’
Read the report at: www.bit.ly/CPCSimpact.
NHS professional portfolio tool launches
in Scotland Improvement in NHS England’s staff
survey, but violence levels continue
NHS Education for Scotland has launched a new online portfolio
system for AHPs to record and store their evidence of continuing
professional development.
The tool includes templates for recording reflective practice,
feedback, support and supervision and is intended to support allied
health professionals to evidence their work during appraisals, career
development and for HCPC audits.
The tool is available for all allied health professionals working in
the NHS, social care, education, and the voluntary and independent
sectors. Access the tool at: https://turasdashboard.nes.nhs.scot. NHS England’s annual staff survey showed improving results for
appraisals, line manager support and other health, wellbeing and
equalities metrics – but continuing levels of violence against staff.
The results showed 15 per cent of NHS staff have experienced
physical violence from members of the public and patients in the
last year, with a disproportionate number of incidences against
black and minority ethnic staff. The government has set out plans
for joint working with the Crown Prosecution Service and the
police when cases arise.
Read the results at: www.bit.do/2019-NHS-staff-survey.
10 OTnews March 2020