Occupational Therapy News OTnews October 2018 | Page 54

PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
RCOT launches second edition of expert
witness for occupational therapists
guidance 2019 funding round for the RCOT
Awards for Learning, Development
and Research still open
A new edition of Acting as an
expert witness: Guidance for
occupational therapists, is to be
launched at the RCOT Specialist
Section – Independent Practice
annual conference later this
month.
Produced for occupational
therapists who are currently
working as expert witnesses,
or considering undertaking this
work, this second edition is
based on materials originally
published as the Medico- Legal Forum standards for practice for
expert witnesses, first produced by COT in 2009. There is still time to submit your application for the RCOT Awards
for Learning, Development and Research 2019 funding round.
Occupational therapists are creative and innovative and
we know they often carry out projects and research and on a
shoestring budget, or with no budget at all, using their own time
and resources.
The RCOT Awards for Learning, Development and Research
are available to support members by funding learning,
development and research activities. The awards offer the
opportunity to add to your continuing professional development
portfolio in one or more of RCOT’s Career Development
Framework’s four Pillars of Practice: professional practice;
facilitation of learning; leadership; and evidence, research and
development (www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/learning-zone/
career-development-framework).
While noting that civil law is constantly being updated and
differs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the
publication provides clear definition of the role of an expert witness
in the context of litigation in the UK, before exploring the role and
function of an occupational therapy expert witness.
Detailed advice covers formal instruction, giving evidence in
court, being and staying competent and retaining credibility within
an occupational therapy expert witness’s specific area; an essential
component of the role, as presenting oneself as an expert witness
without sufficient expertise and experience may not only jeopardise
a case, but result in financial penalties and loss of reputation for the
occupational therapist.
The new edition has been updated in consultation with Ella
Cornforth, Jill Kings, Anna Cawdry and other members of the RCOT
Specialist Section – Independent Practice Medico Legal Forum, and
Colin Ettinger, vice president of RCOT and partner of Irwin Mitchell
LLP.
Ahead of the launch, Anna told OTnews: ‘This is an excellent guide
for both occupational therapists considering expert witness work and
also for occupational therapists working in this field, as a refresher of
the prevailing legal principles underpinning this important work.’
The appendices covers in greater depth the business
considerations for being an expert witness, and lists what needs
to be included (timing and resources) when preparing a budget.
There are also suggestions on how to structure an expert report and
essential considerations. Finally there is a useful glossary of civil legal
procedure terminology.
The guidance will be available to download free by all members
after 23 October 2018 at: www.rcot.co.uk.
For more information about the RCOT Specialist Section –
Independent Practice, its annual conference and the training and
professional support around medico-legal processes it offers visit:
www.rcot.co.uk/about-us/specialist-sections/independent-practice-
rcot-ss. The call for applications is open until 5pm on 31 October,
so there is still time to apply. For full guidance and to download
an application form visit the RCOT website: www.rcot.co.uk/
news-and-events/awards-and-funding/rcot-awards.
There are two new awards this year: The Constance Owens
Early Researcher Award (one award of £5,000) to enable
an individual professional member to begin to participate in
research, through pilot or preliminary research activity relevant
to occupational therapy in statutory and non-statutory sectors;
and the RCOT Student Award for Entrepreneurship (one
award of £500) towards a pre-registration student member’s
entrepreneurial activity, including projects, community
engagement or new service development.
The 2018 award winners attended a Celebration of
Excellence in Occupational Therapy event on 19 September at
The Shard, London, and it was a wonderful event (see page 14).
Next year we would love it to be you joining us, so go on, put
that application form in.
54 OTnews October 2018
The 2018 award winners attended a Celebration of Excellence in Occupational
Therapy event