Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Page 12

NEWS
Occupational therapists showcase the
profession to Welsh deputy minister
NEWS IN BRIEF
CASSON LECTURE 2021 OPENS
FOR NOMINATIONS
Julie Morgan meets with staff
Julie Morgan, deputy minister for health and social services, met several
occupational therapists at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
The RCOT-arranged visit saw the deputy minister meet with occupational
therapists working in mental health, community resource teams and
integrated autism services. She was shown examples of the effectiveness of
occupational therapists working in health and social care and how they can
help people stay at home or be discharged successfully from hospital.
Occupational therapists also outlined their role in mental health, especially
the work they are doing in supporting people’s wellbeing and developing
early intervention services.
The visit follows RCOT meeting with the deputy minister last year to
highlight its personalised care report, Making personalised care a reality.
Dai Davies, RCOT policy officer for Wales, said: ‘Across Wales, 365 days a
year, whether it be in mental health, autism or with people in the community,
occupational therapists play a vital role in health and care services.
‘It was fantastic that the deputy minister spent time with our occupational
therapists and saw firsthand the fantastic work they are doing alongside
RCOT, developing integrated services that support personalised care in
Wales.’
A separate visit in Wales saw Helena Herklots, the older people’s
commissioner in Wales, visiting the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health
Board’s memory assessment services in Mountain Ash. The pilot project is
funded by the Welsh Government’s dementia plan and is supporting people
in the very early stages of dementia to maintain independence and give
strategies to cope with changes to memory.
Read Making personalised care a reality at: www.rcot.co.uk/ilsm. If you are
thinking of arranging a visit to your service, email: [e-mail].
Members can now nominate a lecturer for the Elizabeth
Casson Memorial Lecture 2021. This lectureship is
a memorial to Dr Elizabeth Casson (1881 to 1954)
in honour of her contributions to the profession of
occupational therapy. Nominate a member by 27 March
at: www.rcot.co.uk/casson-nominations. Members can
also register to watch the free live stream of this year’s
lecture, delivered by Dr Jenny Preston on 21 April, at:
www.rcot.co.uk/casson-lecture.
REGISTRATION FOR COTEC-
ENOTHE CONGRESS 2020 OPENS
The second COTEC-ENOTHE Congress has opened for
registration ahead of the event in Prague from the 23 to
26 September. This year’s theme is building resilience in
individuals, communities and countries, and speakers
include Dr Josh Cameron of the Resilience Research
Centre at Brighton University. Members should contact
RCOT before booking for a 10 per cent discount code
on: 020 3141 4648. Further registration information is
available at: www.cotec-enothe2020.com/registration.
RCOT CHILDREN’S REPORT
PROMOTED IN STORMONT
RCOT met with Catherine Kelly MLA to promote its
latest Improving Lives, Saving Money report on working
with children and young people. Following the meeting,
she wrote to the health minister to help ensure that a
new working group on mental wellbeing, resilience and
suicide prevention includes occupational therapists.
Read the report at: www.rcot.co.uk/ilsm.
Input sought on new guideline on play and occupational therapy
RCOT is looking for eight occupational therapists to join a
new guideline development group on play and occupational therapy.
The new guideline will be developed over two years using the
NICE-accredited process, with the new group meeting for the first of
four times on 12 May 2020.
Karin Bishop, RCOT director of professional operations, said:
‘The importance of play in children’s lives cannot be underestimated;
it is one of the main ways children learn and grow. It is through the
powerful medium of play that children develop a whole range of
skills – physical, cognitive, emotional, social and communication to
name but a few.
‘Through participating in this vital occupation, children can learn
12 OTnews March 2020
life skills, such as taking turns, working with others, being creative,
problem solving, using their imagination – all skills that prepare them
for adult life.
‘The more we understand the evidence about how to utilise this
powerful activity within occupational therapy practice, the better
informed our practice will be, so we can provide the best possible
services for children.
‘I urge those with relevant experience to come forward and
express an interest in being part of the new guideline development
group on play.’
Express interest in joining the group by 31 March at: www.rcot.
co.uk/play-guideline. The new guideline will be published in 2022.